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Best Swim Schools and Swimming Lessons in Chicago for Kids

Chicago has many great swim schools in the area. Photo courtesy of Lakeside Swim School
Chicago has many great swim schools in the area. Photo courtesy of Lakeside Swim School
8/6/23 - By Maureen Wilkey

Swimming lessons in Chicago provide safety, fun, and fitness: which is what we're looking for in most kid activities. Luckily, there are lots of swim schools in Chicago to choose from. Wait for summer or get started anytime—these centers are indoors, open year-round, and hold lessons in heated pools. From babies to toddlers to reluctant swimmers, there are swim lessons in Chicago for kids of all ages and abilities in every part of town. We recommend making sure your child is continuing to make progress by getting in the water with them at a family swim from time to time, like at your favorite pool, family-friendly beach, or even a thrilling water park.

Check out our Best Classes for Kids in Chicago guide for more types of classes and lessons for kids.

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Swimming lessons in Chicago will make your child more confident around water. Photo courtesy of Lakeside Swim School
Swimming lessons in Chicago will make your child more confident around water. Photo courtesy of Lakeside Swim School

Swimming Classes and Swim Schools in Chicago

Chicago Blue Dolphins

Lincoln Park
Ages: 6 months and up
Founded by a dad who wanted to share his love of swimming with his children, Chicago Blue Dolphins offers a unique endless pool experience where swimmers can see themselves in underwater and ceiling mirrors, and see 360-degree videos of their stroke after the lesson. Kids and adults of all ages and abilities can take lessons to learn to swim or improve their technique in the heated indoor pool. Baby and toddler classes focus on songs, games, and toys to reduce pressure and anxiety. Take a lesson in the studio or at Ohio Street Beach or UIC. READ MORE

CAC Swim Lessons

West Loop, Lincoln Square, Lakeview, and Evanston
Ages: 6 months and up
Chicago Athletic Clubs offer swim lessons to aquatic enthusiasts of all ages and abilities. CAC lessons focus on swimming as one of the best forms of exercise. Parent-tot classes start at age six months and focus on safety, while children's level classes from age 4 to 8 build on those skills by teaching strokes. Swim team is available at the Linoln Square and West Loop for kids ages 6-14 who can swim 20 meters of freestyle and backstroke. READ MORE

The Salvation Army Kroc Center Chicago Swim Lessons

Pullman Ages: 6 months and up
Develop swim readiness and skills through fun and confidence building experiences in these classes that emphasize water safety and drowning prevention. Infants and toddlers and their parents will learn to feel comfortable in the water with supervision. Kids ages 5-17 can learn breath control, floating, strokes, and endurance. READ MORE

UIC Group Swim Lessons

University Village Ages: 6 months and up
Families can teach their kids to swim throughout various ages with parent tot, preschool, learn to swim, and adult lessons at UIC. Lessons apply Red Cross standards and include weekly 45-minute classes for a five-week session. Discounts are available for members and UIC students.  READ MORE

Lakeside Swim School

Edgewater Ages: 6 months and up
Kids ages 6 months and up can learn to swim in a safe and comfortable environment at Edgewater Athletic Club with Lakeside Swim School. Many classes have a limit of three swimmers per class. Kids learn everything from breathing to floating to mastery of the four basic strokes. Kids can even learn dive starts and flip turns to help get started in a competitive swim team.  READ MORE
Swimming lessons teach important water safety. Photo courtesy of Foss Swim School
Swimming lessons teach important water safety. Photo courtesy of Foss Swim School

Swim Schools in Chicago with Locations in the Suburbs

British Swim School

15+ Chicago area locations
Ages: 3 months and up
British Swim School typically uses health club and hotel pools, but it has also recently opened its own pool in Villa Park. The program focuses first on water safety and survival for even the smallest swimmers, and progresses to stroke improvement for big kids, and even lessons for adults.  READ MORE

Big Blue Swim School

North Center (Chicago), Buffalo Grove, Glendale Heights, Hoffman Estates, Naperville, Niles, Wilmette
Ages: 6 months and up
Big Blue Swim School emphasizes professional teachers who tailor lessons to each swimmer's needs. All five Chicago-area locations offer programs for kids as young as six months old. Kids ages three to five can learn more about balance and kicking through games and songs, while older kids can join the Bold Blue or Big Blue programs, depending on their skill level. Locations have opened recently in Naperville and Glendale Heights. READ MORE

Foss Swim School

Six Chicago area locations
Ages: 6 months and up
In Norwegian, Foss means "fast water." So it feels like the Foss family was meant to found this swim school with six locations in Chicago and the Northern Suburbs. Parents sign up for classes on a quarterly basis, giving kids a chance to take breaks between lessons. Foss classes focus on survival skills and mastery rather than just the completion of each class. READ MORE

YMCA of Metro Chicago Swim Lessons

14 Chicago Area Locations Ages: 3 months and up
Learn to swim or build confidence in your existing swim skills at 14 Chicago area YMCA locations. Whether you start learning to swim at several months old or several decades old, you can find a level that fits your needs at a nearby YMCA. Both private and small group lessons are available, and can be purchased in packages or as individual sessions.  READ MORE

CELTS Swim School

25+ Chicago area locations Ages: 1 month and up
Parents looking for swim classes for kids of different abilities can find them in more than 20 Chicago area locations with CELTS Swim School. Lessons focus on five basic concepts that progress through 10 levels. CELTS offers parent tot classes for kids as young as one month old as well as adaptive swim lessons for kids with disabilities. Each class is focused on the indivdiual swimmer. READ MORE
Photo courtesy of LifeTime Fitness
Photo courtesy of LifeTime Fitness

Swimming Classes and Swim Schools near Chicago

Bear Paddle Swim School

Aurora, Bloomingdale, Kildeer, Lake In The Hills, Orland Park, Woodridge
Ages: 6 months and up
These kid-focused swimming facilities have story-based lessons in a 90-degree saltwater pool. Kids can take weekly swim lessons, or participate in a four-day swim clinic in one week. Kids earn badges for achieving different swimming goals. Family swim is also available at each pool. READ MORE

Aqua Tots Swim School

Wheaton and Orland Park
Ages: 4 months and up
Parents can watch swim lessons from a comfortable viewing area at these swim schools in Wheaton and Orland Park. The pools have fully stocked changing rooms and offer lessons in a 90-degree pool for kids as young as four months old. Classes start at $108 per month for four half-hour lessons. READ MORE

Chicago Swim School

Arlington Heights and Mokena
Ages: 4 months and up
This family-owned swim school focuses on confidence, community, and achievement. Families start with the Starbaby program to learn holds, cues, and skills in a fun and game-filled atmosphere. Babies will begin to learn about water safety. READ MORE

LifeTime Fitness Kids Swim Lessons

11+ Chicago area locations
Ages: 4 months and up
From introductory parent-tot classes to Splash 101 (where kids learn to float, kick, and swim with assistance) LifeTime Fitness locations have classes available for little ones to learn to swim for fun and fitness. After they get the basics down, kids can participate in swim clinics or even join a swim team. LifeTime Fitness currently has 14 Chicago area locations. READ MORE

DuPage Swimming Center

Aurora
Ages: 3 months and up
DuPage Swimming Center teaches kids confidence and survival skills from three months to adulthood. Using a program developed by Australian former Olympic swimmer Ross Seymour, kids build up to being able to swim 400 meters without stopping. The pool is heated to 93 degrees and the school offers a flexible cancellation policy. READ MORE

FFC Kids Swim Lessons

Elmhurst and Park Ridge Ages: 3-12
Kids ages 3-12 can learn to swim while their parents work out at FFC (Fitness Formula Clubs) in Elmhurst or Park Ridge. The lessons are observational, so instructors try to find individual issues with each kids stroke and help resolve those issues so kids can be more efficient swimmers. Additional locations host lessons from British Swim School.  READ MORE

Blue Gems Swim School

Norridge Ages: 6 months and up
Kids from six months to 12 years old can learn to swim at this Norridge swim school. Infant and toddler classes include learning skills like assisted submersion, floating, kicking and gliding. Older kids work on building stamina, swim-roll-swim techniques, and self-sufficiency in the water. READ MORE

Pro Swim Academy

Elk Grove Village Ages: 16 months and up
Babies, toddlers and kids can learn to swim in small classes at this Elk Grove Village swim school. Duckling and Duck classes help kids who are afraid to put their faces in the water, while Tadpole and Frog classes teach basic skills. Kids can perfect their strokes and work toward independent lap swimming in Turtle and Otter classes. READ MORE

Health Track Sport & Wellness Swim Lessons

Glen Ellyn Ages: 6 months and up
Babies and toddlers ages 6 months to three years will work with a parent to get comfortable in the water or bigger kids can learn to swim on their own with lessons at this Glen Ellyn health club. Classes take place in 5-week sessions with one or two lessons per week. Parents can also choose packages of private lessons.  READ MORE

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