Get Ready to Make a Splash: Swim Lessons around Charles County
Disclosure: Information, reviews and opinions are those of Moms with Tots
Over the past 3 years we’ve had the opportunity to test the waters at several different pools around the county that offer children’s swim lessons. Below you will find a price comparison and our personal experiences at each venue.
Kids First Swim School
http://www.kidsfirstswimschools.com/location_waldorf.html
3307 Crain Hwy, Waldorf, MD 20603 * 301-638-7946
Cost: $100/session (6 weeks–30 minute class) or $270/3 sessions. Weekend family swim is $5/person or $15/family
Our first experience with Kids First was in the parent/infant class. The manager at the time was our instructor and we could not have been happier. Each parent was able to challenge their child at their own pace, and classes were kept upbeat and fun. The staff seems to turn over pretty regularly, and instructors teach different levels each session, so you have to be extremely flexible if you want to stay with a particular instructor. The instructors that we have had experience with over the past 3 months of lessons have been really hit or miss–though overall the instructors at Kids First seem to be the most highly trained compared to others in the area, and I have seen the most progress from our classes here. They are not afraid to challenge your child, and classes are assigned based on ability, not age. For being a newer facility, cleanliness is really lacking however, and given the price of the lessons, I would expect more from the school.
College of Southern Maryland-La Plata
http://www.csmd.edu/CommunityEducation/WFR/Fitness/classes.html
8730 Mitchell Road, La PLata, MD 20646 * 301-934-2251
Cost: $65/session (6 weeks–40 minute class)
We tried a parent/child class through the Community Education program at CSM and withdrew after the first class. Though the director assured me that all instructors were properly trained, our instructor was asking us parents for suggestions of activities to do during the class. She was unprepared and unprofessional. We have no experience with any other level swim classes above parent/child. The facility was clean though and there was an upstairs viewing area for parents.
Charles County Parks and Recreation
http://www.charlescountyparks.com/recreation/aquatics-general-information
Cost: $60/session (8 classes–35 minute class)
We were generally pleased with swim lessons through the county–the lessons are affordable and classes were small. Parents were asked to sit in the upstairs viewing area so the children could focus on the instructor. My only critique is that the instructor was OVERLY cautious, not even allowing my daughter to jump into the pool independently. The instructors seemed to work well at making the children feel comfortable in the water but did not push them to really challenge themselves. The county offers morning, evening and weekend swim classes.
Dorchester and Hampshire Neighborhood Pool Associations
Dorchester pool: 301-861-3100, Hampshire pool: 301-645-7233
Cost: $60/session (10 classes–30 minute class)
Both the Dorchester and Hampshire pools in Waldorf offer swim lessons for ages 2 and older. You may not need to be a resident of that particular community to register your child for lessons–Dorchester and Hampshire do allow non-residents to register–so check with your nearest community pool. Lessons usually take place weekdays at 8-10am, before the pool opens to the public, or at the end of the day when the crowd has cleared, around 8pm. We have not done lessons at our community pool, but would definitely consider it!
We are always glad to hear your experiences with swim lesson in the county, let us know about them!
