Swimming Lessons
Our group swimming lessons help children build skills, confidence, and a lifelong love for the water. We offer age-appropriate classes from parent-tot programs to advanced levels following national standards.
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On this page:
- Session Dates and Registration
- How to choose the right level
- Swimming Lesson levels
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Advanced Aquatics Lifesaving Society Certification Courses
- How to Register
Session Dates and Registration
| Session | Weekdays | *Session Dates | Registration Opens | Online Registration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-session | Tuesdays and Thursdays | June 3 to June 26 | May 13 at 8:30 am | Register Here |
| Session 1 | Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday | June 30 to July 10 | June 17 at 8:30 am | Register Here |
| Session 2 | Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday | July 14 to July 24 | July 8 at 8:30 am | Register Here |
| Session 3 | Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday | July 28 to August 7 | July 22 at 8:30 am | Register Here |
| Session 4 | Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday | August 11 to August 21 | August 5 at 8:30 am | Register Here |
*All private lessons run Mon-Fri in one week increments for days of the week.
How to Choose the Right Level
Not sure which swim level is the best fit? We're here to help you choose the right class so your child feels confident, safe, and set up for success in the water.
| Skills Assessments |
| We’re happy to help! Free swim assessments are available at the Paris Community Pool. Call 519.442.7311 to book an assessment. |
| Progress Cards |
| Children will receive a report card at the end of each session showing the skills they’ve learned and any recommended next level. |
| Repeating a Level |
| It’s common for swimmers to repeat levels to build confidence and master skills. Our instructors will work with your child’s comfort and readiness in mind. |
Swimming Lesson Levels
Our swimming lessons follow a structured level system designed to help swimmers of all ages and abilities build confidence, develop skills, and progress safely at their own pace.
Parent and Tot for ages 0 to 3
| Parent and Tot |
| Spend quality time with your child while you both have fun, learn, and socialize. Through structured water interaction between parent/guardian 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. Designed for children 4-months to 2 years old to learn to enjoy the water with the parent/guardian. This class will cover age specific content from Parent and Tot levels 1 to 3. |
Preschool Levels for ages 3 to 5
| Preschool 1 |
| We encourage the parent to participate until their child lets them know they can do it themselves (thank you very much). 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. |
| Preschool 2 |
| 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. They'll also glide on their front and back wearing a lifejacket. |
| Preschool 3 |
| These youngsters 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. |
| Preschool 4 |
| Advanced preschoolers will learn to do solo jumps into deeper 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. |
| Preschool 5 |
| These youngsters get more adventuresome with a forward roll entry wearing a lifejacket and treading water for 10 sec. They'll work on front and back crawl swims for 5 m, interval training, and get a giggle out of whip kick. |
Swimmer Levels for ages 6 to 12
| Swimmer 1 |
| 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. |
| Swimmer 2 |
| 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 m on their front and back, and be introduced to flutter kick interval training. |
| Swimmer 3 |
| These junior swimmers will dive and do in-water front somersaults and handstands. They'll work on 15 m of front crawl, back crawl, 10 m of whip kick, and increased flutter kick interval training. |
| Swimmer 4 |
| These intermediate swimmers will swim 5 m 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 25 m and 4 x 25 m front or back crawl interval training. |
| Swimmer 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 m swims of each, and breaststroke over 25 m. Then they'll pick up the pace in 25 m sprints and two interval training bouts: 4 x 50 m front or back crawl and 4 x 15 m breaststroke. |
| Swimmer 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 m. They'll easily swim lengths of front crawl, back crawl, and breaststroke, and they'll complain about the 300 m workout. |
| Rookie Patrol /Swimmer 7 |
| Swimmers continue stroke development with 50 m swims of front crawl, back crawl and breaststroke. Lifesaving Sport skills include a 25 m obstacle swim and 15 m object carry. First aid focuses on assessment of conscious victims, contacting EMS and treatment for bleeding. Fitness improves in 350 m workouts and 100 m timed swims. |
| Ranger Patrol/ Swimmer 8 |
| Swimmers develop better strokes over 75 m 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 assessment of unconscious victims, treatment of victims in shock and obstructed airway procedures. Skill drills develop a strong lifesaving foundation. |
| Star Patrol /Swimmer 9 |
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Swimmers are challenged with 600 m workouts, 300 m timed swims and a 25 m object carry. Strokes are refined over 100 m swims. First aid focuses on 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. |
Swimming Lessons for Youth ages 12 to 17
| Dive into Confidence |
| Beginner swim lessons for youth ages 12-17 years to build water confidence. Instructors will meet your youth at their level and work to build fundamental swim skills surrounded by same aged peers and skill levels. |
| Making Waves |
| These lessons are designed for youth who have completed their swim levels and are at the in-between stages of earning their Advanced Aquatics certifications. They goal of this class is to continue learning and keep up with skills taught in Bronze Star, Medallion and Cross. |
Frequently Asked Questions
| What swim lesson instruction program do you use? |
| We use the Lifesaving Society’s Swim for Life and Star Patrol programs. |
| How do I register? |
| You can register online through your COB Connect account or in person at the Brant Sports Complex. For Sessions 1–4, registration is also available at the Paris Community Pool. |
| Are swim lessons still running in bad weather? |
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In the event of severe rain, thunderstorms, or lightning, the pool will be closed until further notice. During thunderstorms, all patrons must stay out of the water and off the pool deck until 30 minutes after the last sighting of lightning or thunder. When lessons are paused due to weather, instructors will lead first aid and water safety activities in the changerooms, tailored to the age group of participants. |
| What is the swim admission criteria? |
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| What are the rules of the swim test? |
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Swimmers must confidently swim two full widths of the pool without stopping. This includes:
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| How much does it cost? |
| See our Fees and Charges webpage |
Advanced Aquatics Lifesaving Society Certification Courses
The County of Brant offers Advanced Aquatics Lifesaving Society Certification courses to help swimmers towards their lifeguarding aspirations.
| Bronze Star |
| Develops swimming proficiency, lifesaving skill and personal fitness. Candidates refine their stroke mechanics, acquire self-rescue skills, and apply fitness principles in training workouts. Bronze Star is excellent preparation for success in Bronze Medallion and provides a fun introduction to lifesaving sport. |
| Bronze Medallion |
| Challenges the candidate both mentally and physically. Judgment, knowledge, skill, and fitness – the four components of water rescue – form the basis of Bronze Medallion training. Candidates acquire the assessment and problem-solving skills needed to make good decisions in, on, and around the water. Bronze Medallion is a prerequisite for assistant lifeguard training in Bronze Cross. |
| Bronze Cross |
| Begins the transition from lifesaving to lifeguarding and prepares candidates for responsibilities as assistant lifeguards. Candidates strengthen and expand their lifesaving skills and begin to apply the principles and techniques of active surveillance in aquatic facilities. Bronze Cross emphasizes the importance of teamwork and communication in preventing and responding to aquatic emergencies. Bronze Cross is a prerequisite for advanced training in the Society’s National Lifeguard and leadership certification programs. |
How to Register
- View the Aquatics Guide online for activity information, dates and activity codes
- Login to your account or create a new account on our COBConnect webpage
- Register for your activities
- If you experience any difficulty signing up after registration is open, contact Community Services at 519.442.1944 during regular business hours. (Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm)