Indoor Swimming Lessons for Long Island Kids

Goldfish Swim Schools' three locations offer programs for children as young as 4 months.

Indoor swimming lessons are a great way to ensure kids are safe can enjoy year-round fun at Long Island’s beaches and indoor pools. From private swim classes to lessons in community pools, there are plenty of destinations for indoor lessons. The great thing about these pools is that when summer is gone, kids can continue lessons, adding to their skills.

Find more classes and enrichment opportunities in our directory.

Editor's note: While we are trying to promote safer activities that occur outdoors or with social distancing guidelines in place, please keep your family and others safe by always wearing a mask and practicing social distancing.

Children as young as 2 months old can begin swimming lessons, and life-long training continues through lifeguard classes for teens. For more wet-and-wild fun—and destinations to try your tot's newfound swimming skills—be sure to bookmark our post on LI's best amusement and water parks.

Indoor Swimming Lessons for Kids Across Long Island

Saf-T-Swim – Multiple Locations

See the website for a full list of locations
This popular franchise offers baby-and-me classes starting at 2 months of age, and small-group classes are available for kids ages 4 years and older. Private lessons are also available. Saf-T-Swim pools are heated to 88 degrees, and classes are available year-round.

YMCA of Long Island – Multiple Locations

See the website for a full list of locations.
All seven Long Island YMCA locations offer swim lessons for kids of all abilities, following the instruction template of the national organization. The YMCA is the leading provider of swim instruction in the nation. Instruction is available privately or in group sessions for ages of 6 months and older. Teens can take lifeguard prep, and there are more serious swim team programs at select locations, too. Special-needs children are also accommodated. YMCA members receive discounted lesson fees.

Goldfish Swim School swimming lessons
Goldfish Swim School's Jump Start program gets kids water ready in a hurry.

Goldfish Swim Schools – Multiple Locations

See the website for a full list of locations.
This facility offers swim programs for children from 4 months to 12 years of age. Offerings include Jump Start clinics—daily classes designed to get kids water-ready in a short time—and in a pool that's heated to 90 degrees. During Family Swim, the whole family can participate. Advanced swimmers can join the Swim Force, a competitive team. Goldfish operates on an annual membership plan.

Indoor Swimming Lessons for Kids in Nassau County

Hofstra University – Hempstead

Hofstra University’s Saturday Classes for Young People program offers swim lessons for kids from beginner to advanced levels and resumes this summer with a one-week summer camp. This camp is for children entering grades 2-10 and includes swim and diving instruction, water safety, and aquatic sports like water polo, relays, and water basketball. Mornings are spent in the pool; afternoons are filled with traditional summer camp activities.

Long Island Swim School – Garden City, Syosset

As the swim school branch of the Long Island Aquatic Club caters to children ages 2-10. Kids under 3 years of age learn on a 1:1 student-to-instructor ratio, and over age 3 learn with a 1:3 ratio. Private lessons are available. This swim school also hosts a skill-based stroke clinic for children ages 6-15 years and the competitive LIAC team.

Nassau County Aquatic Center – East Meadow

The aquatic center in Eisenhower Park offers American Red Cross certified swim lessons for children ages 6 months through teens. Lessons are offered only to Nassau County residents with a Leisure Pass. The first session since 2020 began in mid-May and runs through the end of June. A summer session is yet to be determined. Access to bathrooms and locker rooms are limited, and there is a 1:6 student-to-instructor ratio.

Sid Jacobson JCC – East Hills

Take a group or private swim lessons at the recently renovated Kroll Family Aquatics Center at the Sid Jacobson JCC. There's a six-lane lap pool available, as well as a heated kiddie pool. Parent-child lessons are open to babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, starting at 6 months old and up. Those ages 5 and older can go solo in class, and the very best swimmers can try out for the competitive swim team here. Currently, only private lessons are offered. It also offers Family Swim Time on Sundays.

Lessons at the School of Fish and Scuba in Rocky Point
Kids can be introduced to the water at the School of Fish and Scuba in Rocky Point.

Indoor Swimming Lessons for Kids in Suffolk County

School of Fish Swim and Scuba – Rocky Point

This school teaches swim classes year-round. Children must be potty-trained (swim diapers are not permitted). All instructors are Red Cross certified, and swimming lessons are sold in packages of six half-hour private lessons. There are never more than four students and four teachers in the water for instruction, and parents may watch from a viewing area that includes a fully stocked playroom.

Other Options for Swimming Lessons on Long Island

UrSwim – Huntington

If you have a residential pool or access to a private pool, you can schedule a UrSwim instructor to come to you. Owner Marina Mentzel has developed a program for personal swim coaches to provide individual or group lessons catering to all ages from babies to adults. It also offers lifeguards for hire for private events and American Red Cross certification courses. It currently serves Nassau and Suffolk Counties, plus Fairfield, Connecticut.

A version of this article was originally published in September 2014; it has since been updated.

Photos courtesy of the schools.