Swimming Lessons

• Orientation to water for babies and their parent or caregiver.
• Babies must be able to hold their head up.
• The goals are to help babies experience buoyancy and movement through songs and play in the water and to teach the parent or caregiver age-specific water safety.

Register for Starfish swimming lessons.

• Orientation to water for toddlers and their parent or caregiver.
• Swimmers learn how to use floating objects for support and explore different water movements through games, songs and active water play. The parent or caregiver also learns age-specific water safety.

Register for Duck swimming lessons.

• Orientation to water for toddlers and their parent or caregiver.
• Swimmers learn, through fun games and songs, how to combine skills, kick with a buoyant object and perform basic floats, glides and kicks.

Register for Sea Turtle swimming lessons.

• Transitional level that transfers the preschooler to the care of the instructor within the first three classes. All skills are assisted by the instructor.
• Using games and activities, swimmers learn to open their eyes underwater, develop basic floats and glides and swim one metre. They also learn age-appropriate water safety skills.
• Swimmers are evaluated based on performance criteria and progress to Salamander once all criteria have been successfully completed.

Register for Sea Otter swimming lessons.

• Using games and activities, swimmers learn to swim two metres, further develop basic floats and increase their distance on front and back glide. Front swim and roll-over glide are also included and swimmers learn appropriate water safety skills such as how to jump into chest-deep water and how to use a Personal Flotation Device (PFD).
• Safety skills development includes water orientation, safe entries and exits and only swimming when an adult is present.
• Swimmers are evaluated based on performance criteria and progress to Sunfish once all criteria have been successfully completed.

Register for Salamander swimming lessons.

• Through games and other fun activities, swimmers learn to swim five metres on their front and back, perform a dolphin kick and begin using rhythmic breathing. They also progress with kicking drills and increase their swimming distance to 10 metres.
• Safety skills include jumping into deep-water and performing surface support for 10 seconds, recognizing when a swimmer needs help and using a PFD in deep water.
• Swimmers are evaluated based on performance criteria and progress to Whale once all criteria have been successfully completed.

Register for Crocodile swimming lessons.

• Through fun activities, swimmers perform a front and back swim for 10 metres. Swimmers work on developing their flutter kick and perform a distance swim of 15 metres.
• Safety skills include identifying safe swimming areas, jumping into deep water, swimming five metres, surface support for 20 seconds and return to safety, throwing assists, and sitting dives.
• Swimmers are evaluated based on performance criteria and progress to Swim Kids Level 3 once all criteria have been successfully completed.

Register for Whale swimming lessons.

Swimmers receive an orientation to water and the pool area and work on floats, glides and kicking. Swimmers build their endurance by working on the five-metre front swim.

Register for Red Cross Swim Kids 1 swimming lessons.

Swimmers work on propulsion skills to move through the water and to remain at the surface. Swimmers work on the front swim (five metres) and learn about deep-water activities and proper use of a Personal Flotation Device (PFD). Fitness activities include the 10-metre flutter kick and a 10-metre distance swim.

Register for Red Cross Swim Kids 2 swimming lessons.

This level provides an introduction to diving and teaches swimmers how to make wise choices about where and when to swim. Endurance is achieved by building strength in the flutter kick and a 15-metre swim.

Register for Red Cross Swim Kids 3 swimming lessons.

This level introduces the front crawl (10 metre) and back swim with shoulder roll (15 metre). Swimmers work on kneeling dives, surface support (45 seconds, deep water) and developing a greater sense of self-safety by understanding their own limits. Endurance is built through a 25-metre swim.

Register for Red Cross Swim Kids 4 swimming lessons.

This level introduces the back crawl (15 metre), sculling skills, whip kick on the back, stride dives and treading water. Front crawl increases to 15 metres. An introduction to safe boating skills is also included. Endurance is developed through a 50-metre swim.

Register for Red Cross Swim Kids 5 swimming lessons.

This level refines front crawl with a focus on hand entry and breathing (25 metre), back crawl with a focus on arm positions and body roll (25 metre) and introduces elementary backstroke (15 metre), safety on ice and rescue of others with throwing assists. Swimmers demonstrate the front dive and their ability to tread water in deep water for 1 1/2 minutes. Endurance is built through dolphin kick and a 75-metre swim.

Register for Red Cross Swim Kids 6 swimming lessons.

This level builds skills and endurance for the front crawl (50 metre), back crawl (50 metre) and elementary back stroke (25 metre) and introduces whip kick on the front. Swimmers learn about airway and breathing obstructions, reaching assists and stride entry. Swimming endurance is increased to a 150-metre swim.

Register for Red Cross Swim Kids 7 swimming lessons.

This level is an introduction to breast stroke (15 metre) and feet-first surface dives. Swimmers learn about the dangers of open water, hypothermia, the performance of rescue breathing on children and adults and standing shallow dives. Swimmers participate in timed treading water activities using the eggbeater skill for three minutes to improve their ability to remain at the surface in the event of an unexpected fall into water. Endurance is built on a 300-metre swim. Front crawl and back crawl distances are increased to 75 metres each.

Register for Red Cross Swim Kids 8 swimming lessons.

This level refines the front crawl (100 metre), back crawl (100 metre), elementary back stroke (50 metre) and breast stroke (25 metre) and encourages swimmers to combine different kicks for fitness (3 minutes). They also work on head-first surface dives and learn about wise choices, peer influences and self-rescue from ice. Endurance is built through a 400-metre swim.

Register for Red Cross Swim Kids 9 swimming lessons.

This level is a final assessment of the strokes for technique and distance (front crawl 100 metre, back crawl 100 metre, elementary back stroke 50 metre, breast stroke 50 metre and sidestroke 25 metre). Swimmers learn about sun safety, rescue of others from ice and head-first and feet-first surface dives. Endurance is built using the dolphin kick (vertical) and a 500-metre swim.

Register for Red Cross Swim Kids 10 swimming lessons.

Learn to swim and improve your swimming strokes. This program allows you to swim with youth who share the same goals. Advance through the Red Cross Swim program at a safe and comfortable pace. Please refer to the Red Cross Swim Kids level descriptions for correct placement.

Register for Teen swimming lessons.

This program allows participants to develop and increase comfort in the water through basic flotation, movement and breathing skills.

Register for Adult - Beginner swimming lessons.

This program introduces participants to deep water, surface support (treading water), front and back swim progressing to basic introduction to front/back crawl, and increasing distance.

Register for Adult - Intermediate swimming lessons.

This program is designed for adults who are looking to learn new swimming strokes, improve existing swimming strokes through distance and proficiency and develop fitness goals.

Register for Adult - Advanced swimming lessons.

Spend quality time with your child and have fun while learning and socializing. 

Through structured in-water interaction between parent and child, we stress the importance of play in developing water-positive attitudes and skills. We provide Lifesaving Society Water Smart tips on keeping your child safe in any aquatic setting. Certified instructors provide guidance and answers to your questions.

Designed for the four to 12-month-old to learn to enjoy the water with their parent.

Former Red Cross Level – Starfish.

Spend quality time with your child and have fun while learning and socializing.

Through structured in-water interaction between parent and child, we stress the importance of play in developing water-positive attitudes and skills. We provide Lifesaving Society Water Smart tips on keeping your child safe in any aquatic setting. Certified instructors provide guidance and answers to your questions.

Designed for the 12 to 24-month-old to learn to enjoy the water with their parent.

Former Red Cross Level – Duck.

Spend quality time with your child and have fun while learning and socializing.

Through structured in-water interaction between parent and child, we stress the importance of play in developing water-positive attitudes and skills. We provide Lifesaving Society Water Smart tips on keeping your child safe in any aquatic setting. Certified instructors provide guidance and answers to your questions.

Designed for the two to three-year-old to learn to enjoy the water with their parent.

Former Red Cross Level – Sea Turtle.

Preschool 1

These preschoolers will have fun learning to get in and out of the water. We’ll help them jump into chest-deep water. They’ll float and glide on their front and back and learn to get their faces wet and blow bubbles underwater.

Former Red Cross Level – Sea Otter.

These preschoolers learn to jump into chest-deep water by themselves and get in and get out wearing a lifejacket. They’ll submerge and exhale underwater. Wearing a lifejacket, they’ll glide on their front and back.

Former Red Cross Level – Salamander.

These preschoolers will try both jumping and a sideways entry into deep water while wearing a lifejacket. They’ll recover objects from the bottom in waist-deep water. They’ll work on kicking and gliding through the water on their front and back.

Former Red Cross Level – Sunfish.

Advanced preschoolers will learn to do solo jumps into deep water and get out by themselves. They’ll do sideways entries and open their eyes underwater. They’ll master a short swim on their front wearing a lifejacket and gliding and kicking on their side.

Former Red Cross Level – Crocodile.

These advanced preschoolers get more adventurous with a forward roll entry wearing a lifejacket and treading water for 10 seconds. They’ll work on front and back crawl swims for five metres, interval training and get a giggle out of whip kick.

Former Red Cross Level – Whale.

These beginners will become comfortable jumping into water with and without a lifejacket. They’ll learn to open their eyes, exhale and hold their breath underwater. They’ll work on floats, glides and kicking through the water on their front and back.

Former Red Cross Level – Swim Kids 1.

These advanced beginners will jump into deeper water and learn to be comfortable falling sideways into the water wearing a lifejacket. They’ll be able to support themselves at the surface without an aid, learn whip kick, swim 10 metres on their front and back, and be introduced to flutter kick interval training (four five-metre intervals).

Former Red Cross Level – Swim Kids 2.

These junior swimmers will dive and do in-water front somersaults and handstands. They’ll work on their 15-metre front crawl, back crawl and 10-metre whip kick. Flutter kick interval training increases to four 15-metre intervals. 

Former Red Cross Level – Swim Kids 3.

These intermediate swimmers will swim five metres underwater and lengths of front, back crawl, whip kick, and breaststroke arms with breathing. Their new bag of tricks includes the completion of the Canadian Swim to Survive Standard. They’ll cap it all off with front crawl sprints over 15 metres and four 25-metre front or back crawl interval training.

Former Red Cross Level – Swim Kids 4/5.

These swimmers will master shallow dives, cannonball entries, eggbeater kicks, and in-water backward somersaults. They’ll refine their front and back crawl over 50-metre swims of each and breaststroke over 25 metres. They’ll pick up the pace in 25-metre sprints and two interval training bouts: four 50-metre intervals of front or back crawl and four 15-metre intervals of breaststroke.

Former Red Cross Level – Swim Kids 6.

These advanced swimmers will rise to the challenge of sophisticated aquatic skills, including stride entries, compact jumps and lifesaving kicks like eggbeater and scissor kick. They’ll develop strength and power in head-up breaststroke sprints over 25 metres. They’ll easily swim lengths of front crawl, back crawl, and breaststroke, and they’ll complain about the 300-metre workout. 

Former Red Cross Level – Swim Kids 7.

Swimmers continue stroke development with 50-metre swims of front crawl, back crawl and breaststroke. Lifesaving sport skills include a 25-metre obstacle swim and 15-metre object carry. First aid focuses on the assessment of conscious victims, contacting EMS, and treatment for bleeding. Fitness improves in 350-metre workouts and 100-metre timed workouts. 

Former Red Cross Level – Swim Kids 8.

Swimmers develop better strokes over 75-metre swims of each stroke. They tackle lifesaving sport skills in a lifesaving medley, timed object support and rescue with a buoyant aid. First aid focuses on the assessment of unconscious victims, treatment of victims in shock and obstructed airway procedures. Skill drills develop a strong lifesaving foundation.

Former Red Cross Level – Swim Kids 9.

Swimmers are challenged with 600-metre workouts, 300-metre timed swims and a 25-metre object carry. Strokes are refined over 100-metre swims. First aid focuses on the treatment of bone or joint injuries and respiratory emergencies, including asthma and allergic reactions. Lifesaving skills include defence methods, victim removals and rolling over and supporting a victim face up in shallow water.

Former Red Cross Level – Swim Kids 10.

Why is Clarington moving to the Lifesaving Society as its Learn to Swim provider? 

Recently, the Red Cross announced that it is winding down its swimming and leadership programs. As a result, Clarington has decided to offer the Lifesaving Society Swim for Life program.

A full transition to the Lifesaving Society Swim for Life program will take place in time for the fall 2022 session.

The conversion chart below will help you determine where your child should be, based on where they were in the Red Cross program.

The length of the classes will continue to range between 30 to 45 minutes for Parent & Tot, Preschool and Swimmer levels. Rookie, Ranger and Star Patrol programs will run for 60 minutes. 

Are you still offering private and semi-private classes?

Yes, we are still offering semi-private and private classes.

Will the Lifesaving Society Swim for Life lessons cost more?

The Lifesaving Society Swim for Life program is comparable in price to our current programming.

Will there be report cards and progress recognition?

The Lifesaving Society Swim for Life program will continue to utilize report cards for swimmers at the end of each session. Stickers and badges will not continue into the new program.

Will the change ensure that my child will pass a level?

No. Each child will progress at their own rate. Our instructors are trained to adapt the program skills to each swimmer’s needs, helping all participants achieve their personal best in swimming and fitness.

We take lessons at different pools in Clarington. Will all pools run the same programs with the same evaluation?

The program will be the same at each location throughout Clarington.

Are the ages still the same (Parent & Tot, Preschool, Youth, Adult levels)?

Yes, age ranges will remain the same.

Why is my child now in a different level than before?

My child has not been swimming for a long time. Should I still put them in the next level from the chart?

If there has been a period where your child has not participated in formal swimming lessons, we encourage you to reach out to your closest community centre and speak with the customer service team to inquire about a swim assessment.

Are there changes to the Leadership programming?

No, leadership programs will remain the same.