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Best Swimming Lessons and Classes for Kids in Los Angeles

Dive in! The water is always fine. Photo courtesy of the Academy Swim Club
Dive in! The water is always fine. Photo courtesy of the Academy Swim Club
8/8/22 - By Kylie Williams

LA kids are practically born in the water, which is why it is important to enroll kids in swimming lessons in Los Angeles at an early age. With the help of a patient, qualified instructors, kids can learn water confidence, comfortability, and crucial safety skills. Whether your child is just getting familiar with the water or looking to hone their talent and join the school swim team, there are plenty of wonderful schools all over Los Angeles that offer a variety of swimming lessons, including schools in the South Bay, Westside, and the valleys. We've even compiled a list of schools with instructors that will come to your private pool. 

If you're looking specifically for baby and toddler swimming lessons, we rounded up the best places that teach babies as young as a few weeks old! And you can find more great classes for kids, and even book a class online, in our directory of classes and listings. Check our Los Angeles Classes for Kids Guide for more kids’ activities and classes for kids of all ages and interests.

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Kids that are happy in the water are kids that are safe in the water. Photo courtesy of SwimRight Academy
Kids that are happy in the water are kids that are safe in the water. Photo courtesy of SwimRight Academy

Swimming Lessons at a Pool of Your Choice

SwimRight Academy

At-home lessons or West LA and West Hills locations
The inland side of the 405 has long been the territory of swim school impresario and Olympic gold medalist Lenny Krayzelburg, whose academy location at the JCC on the Miracle Mile boasts a patented learn-to-swim method developed by the Olympic star himself. Classes include private, group, parent and tot, as well as pre-swim team training. READ MORE

North Valley Swim - Children's Swimming Lessons

At-home lessons or Chico location
Servicing Los Angeles and Santa Clarita, North Valley Swim brings lessons to you, including private or small group lessons. Lifeguarding and CPR lessons are also available. READ MORE

Head Above Water

At-home lessons or West LA location
Families with private pools can arrange home visits, and everyone else can take lessons at the saltwater pool in West LA. Lessons are all private, with the exception of semi-private Parent & Me classes, and available to buy per lesson or in blocks. HAW also offers Lifeguard services. READ MORE

kidSwim

At-home lessons or locations in Cheviot Hills and Torrance
kidSwim is a developmental swim school for kids 5 months and up, offering parent-child classes, one-on-one lessons, and in-home lessons. The unique program teaches motor, sensory, and communication skills aligned with the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines.  READ MORE

Sunsational Swim School

At-home lessons available throughout LA County
Sunsational Swim School offers private in-home or your-pool-choice lessons in dozens of cities throughout LA County. Whether you have a tiny baby at home that you want to introduce to the water, or have older children who want to brush up on their skills for swim team, Sunsational Swim School matches students with the right instructor for one-on-one, custom-scheduled lessons. The school also offers specialized instruction for children with disabilities. Results are guaranteed starting at 3.5 years old.  READ MORE
LA kids are natural swimmers! Photo courtesy of LA Surf and Swim
LA kids are natural swimmers! Photo courtesy of LA Surf and Swim

Best Swimming Lessons for Kids on the Westside

LA Surf and Swim

Venice and Santa Monica
The legendary Coach Syd of LA Surf and Swim is responsible for decades of successful swimmers on the Westside. He and his team apply a zen-like calm that eases the fears of students from infants to toddlers to older kids, in private or semi-private lessons at three locations around Santa Monica and Venice. The school also offers ocean swimming classes and surfing lessons. Lesson times can be booked individually online. READ MORE

One With the Water

Culver City, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and Burbank
Harmony, inclusion, and mastery are the tenets of One with the Water swim school, which specializes in guiding students to feel safe and comfortable in the water. The school also has expertise with special needs students. There are four different locations throughout LA County: Burbank, Los Angeles, Culver City, and Santa Monica.  READ MORE

YMCA Swim Classes

Various locations throughout Los Angeles
It's more than just a catchy song! The Y provides safe and affordable recreational spaces all over Los Angeles. There are so many locations we can't list them all, but many of them offer baby and youth swim classes. Use the website to find your nearest location and check to see the swim class schedule.  READ MORE

Culver City Plunge

Culver City
The Plunge offers swim classes for babies and toddlers six months to three years old. Upper-level courses for older children are also available. Emphasizing both fun and safety, the Plunge classes teach babies how to be acclimated to the water, learn how to breathe properly when swimming, and get ready to learn basic swimming techniques.  READ MORE

Santa Monica Swim Center

Santa Monica
At the Santa Monica Swim Center, your little fish learns to swim using CDC and American Red Cross guidelines. Starting at 3.5 years old, the Santa Monica Swim Center has parent/child classes at three levels: Polliwog, Guppy, and Minnow. Each session runs for 9 consecutive weekdays and focuses on important water safety and acclimation skills. As children become more confident in the water, they can move on to swim classes without a parent or guardian.  READ MORE

Hall Swim Academy

Mar Vista, Beverly Hills, and North Hollywood
Lessons are also available at home pools
Founded by Olympians who raised an Olympian, Hall Swim Academy is an expansive program offering parent and me lessons, children's learn-to-swim lessons, technique lessons, and adult swim lessons. In addition to the classes available at all locations, Hall Swim Academy instructors are willing to come to you at the pool of your choice.  READ MORE
Photo courtesy of the Academy Swim Club
Photo courtesy of the Academy Swim Club

Best Swimming Lessons for Kids in the Valleys

Water Otters

Winnetka
Water Otters in Winnetka operates on the assumption that swimming is 10% learning to swim and 90% comfort in the water. The school's private outdoor pool is heated and shaded. Lesson options range from Baby & Me to toddler classes or stroke courses for older kids, to kids of all ages with special needs. READ MORE

The Jim Herrick Swim School - Kids Swimming Lessons

Valley Village
Valley Village families sing the praises of Jim Herrick Swim School, a swim school that’s been in the neighborhood for multiple generations. Herrick's personal, laid back, stress-free method is taught by everyone at the school. Classes include private, parent and me, and pre-swim team. READ MORE

Academy Swim Club

Newhall and Valencia
Babies are naturally curious about the water, and Academy Swim Club seeks to develop that curiosity into life-saving water safety skills. Babies can start parent and me swim classes as early as two weeks of age. From there, Academy Swim Club raises swimmers of all ages to thrive in the water. Coaches begin to teach babies water familiarity and how to flip onto their backs when they reach the water. Parent and me courses are 30-minutes long, and all babies must wear two reusable swim diapers during class. READ MORE

Water Wings Swim School

Northridge, Canoga Park, and Agoura Hills
Even the tiniest swimmers can learn to glide independently for three to five feet. Parent and Me classes at Water Wings Swim School start at just three months old and stretch all the way into adulthood. Classes are offered all year round in the indoor facilities, and the pool water is temperature controlled to 90 degrees (bathtub warm!).  READ MORE

Rose Bowl Aquatic Center

Pasadena
The RBAC is located in Brookside Park and offers a variety of aquatic programs for families. The facility's two Olympic-size pools are both outdoors. Baby swim classes start at 6 months. The Rubber Ducky class is for brand new swimmers and teaches water comfort. The Baby Beluga class is for babies who are comfortable putting their face in the water and blowing bubbles. Classes continue for kids at all levels, all the way up through Olympic swimmers! READ MORE
Photo courtesy of Waterworks Aquatics Swim School
Photo courtesy of Waterworks Aquatics Swim School

Best Swimming Classes for Kids in the South Bay

Waterworks Aquatics Swim School

Torrance, Pasadena (two locations), Arcadia, and Diamond Bar
Waterworks Aquatics offers swim lessons for students of all ages at multiple locations in both Los Angeles and Orange County. The swim instructors use specialized “muscle memory” teaching techniques that help students progress at a quick rate. Choose from private, semi-private, Parent and Me, and Stroke Clinic lessons. READ MORE

Deep Blue Scuba & Swim Center

Long Beach
Deep Blue takes students as young as three months for the parent and me baby swim classes. These 30-minute classes help develop a child's natural instincts for water play and buoyancy by leading simple games that teach water safety. All babies are required to wear a swim diaper and a Happy Nappy diaper cover. Lessons stretch through childhood and all the way into adulthood. READ MORE

South Bay Aquatics

Redondo Beach and Torrance
South Bay Aquatics is an indoor swim facility, which means that you'll never have to worry about class cancellations due to weather. Also, that means no need to slather your kiddo in sunscreen before his or her lesson. The staff makes a point to keep the water temperature at 90 degrees and the air-controlled climate at 80 degrees, so your little one won't be shivering in or outside of the pool. It's an excellent introduction to the world of water for kids six months to three years. Older children can enroll in private or semi-private lessons.   READ MORE

Manhattan Beach Aquatics Swim Classes

Manhattan Beach
While not designed to teach your child to swim, the Manhattan Beach Aquatics Center offers tot classes that will get your child comfortable in, on, and around the water. A parent or other adult must accompany each child and babies must wear a swim diaper if they are not potty-trained. Youth lessons start at age 5 and run through age 12. The center also offers pre-swim team classes for aspiring athletes. Classes take place at the Begg Pool.  READ MORE

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