My kids received complimentary swim lessons in exchange for sharing my honest thoughts about our experience at Goldfish Swim School.
For the past 8 weeks, my six-, five-, and three-year-old kiddos have been taking swim lessons at Goldfish Swim School in Hoover, Alabama. Goldfish Swim School is a nationwide swim school with a unique curriculum, programs from infant to 12 years old, state-of-the-art facilities, and more!
We spend a lot of time in the pool in the summer. Our neighborhood has a really awesome swimming pool and we are also members of our local YMCA which has both an indoor and outdoor pool. I primarily take the kids by myself, so it is really important to me that we build strong healthy, water habits. Our last few months at Goldfish Swim School – Hoover have been helpful and fun for our family!
My boys aren’t new to swim lessons. They took private lessons for several months in 2021, but in 2022, our 5-year-old (then 4) fractured his leg. He was in a cast that couldn’t get wet so we didn’t take any lessons at all last summer. But our sweet baby girl (3) had never had a swim lesson before! To top it off, she absolutely does not like to get water in her face or go into water at all without someone holding onto her. This has worked out well for us as far as water safety goes, but I knew going into swim lessons that this would be an obstacle that she would have to overcome.
FACILITIES AND FIRST IMPRESSION
Our first impression of Goldfish Swim School – Hoover was that it was very updated and truly looked like a place that caters to kids. It gives the vibe of a tropical beach club mixed with a kid-focused fitness center. When you enroll, you get a reusable tote with a t-shirt for each child, some Goldfish crackers, and other goodies.
Goldfish Swim School has amenities much like any other upscale fitness center, but everything is set up to perfectly cater to kids! The facility is only a year old and everything is very new and updated. There is a large waiting area with seating for the parents and children. They also have tables with coloring sheets and crayons where the kids get to hang out while they wait for lessons to start. There is also a stocked fish tank that my kids immediately gravitated towards.
The pool is always heated to 90 degrees, so it encourages families to continue with lessons year-round. I think that is so important because consistency is so important when it comes to any sport, but especially swimming.
Ample changing rooms, clean bathrooms, and showers are a staple at every Goldfish Swim School. The showers were probably my kids’ favorite thing aside from the actual lessons! They provide tear-free soap and are open, so the kids “shower” with their swimsuits still on. We used it as a fun way to wash the kids’ hair clean after lessons and then took full baths once we got home.
The blow-drying station is another favorite of all the kids. Mine always beg to stop by it to dry their hair. I’m totally fine with that because it saves me another step once we get home!
SAFETY
Goldfish Swim School takes safety very seriously. The swimming pool is glassed in so that parents can always see the kids. Most importantly, there are always multiple lifeguards circling the pool during lessons. They are always there to encourage the kids to keep their backs on the wall of the pool while they sit and wait for their turn, and to watch the pool lanes to make sure everyone is accounted for. Another plus is that the classes have a low student-to-teacher ratio of 4:1. All of these things contribute to safety during lessons!
THE LESSONS
Let’s be real: my review of the lessons is the main reason you’re here. My kids absolutely loved taking lessons. Even my super reluctant 3-year-old warmed up after a few lessons and looked forward to our weekly lessons at the pool.
3- and 4-year-olds start off in Junior 1, which is beginner lessons with no parent in the pool. My 3-year-old has no issue getting in the water, but it took her a while to warm up to actually learn to swim. The staff was so patient! She went from refusing to get her face wet and holding the instructor in a death grip for the entirety of every lesson, to being an active participant each week. The most notable thing that they teach even the most beginner students is how to fall in the water, turn around, and kick to find the edge to climb out. This is a major part of pool safety even before the actual swimming starts! My girl has this part down because her main goal is to get her face out of the water .
She’s gained a ton of confidence in water over the past few months working with the Goldfish team. This was a big deal for her and I am grateful for the patience and persistence of her instructors.
My 5-year-old was actually 4 when we started swim lessons so he also started off in Junior 1, since you have to be 5 to take Glider classes. He actually passed his Junior 1 test after around 3 lessons, right around his 5th birthday. Instead of moving to Junior 2, he moved up to a Glider 1 class since he was newly 5.
He has always loved the water and really enjoyed the lessons. In most of his classes, there were usually only 3 students. I love that since he focuses a lot better in smaller class sizes. He is one of the kids who the lifeguards can be found gently reminding to sit correctly while he waits for his turn. He has picked back up most of the skills that he learned in 2021 and is growing every day!
My 6-year-old is also in Glider classes and absolutely loves his classmates and teacher. Last week, he actually asked if he could invite her to dinner at our house – which she and I had a GOOD chuckle about in private. He is always so sweet and loves making new friends wherever he goes.
He has gained so much confidence in the water and it really shows when we go to the pool as a family and I get to watch his swimming in action. He is currently finishing just a few skills so that he can move up to the next Glider level. He is definitely my most motivated learner out of all of my kids, so I think he benefitted most from the curriculum at Goldfish Swim School!
My boys are also in different classes (unless an instructor is absent and classes need to combine) which is another thing that I love. Since we homeschool and they do so many things together, I love it when they can have a little extra individuality in their extra-curricular activities.
CONS
No place is 100% perfect and I’m an honest blogger. There were only a few things that were cons for me, and both are just personal preferences of mine. We homeschool, and there is a pretty large homeschool community where I live. I would have loved it if there were more options for classes during our homeschool day at the Goldfish Hoover location. There were plenty of morning options for my preschooler, but not as many for my 5- and 6-year-old boys. They took a makeup class in the morning, but I never was able to find a daytime Glider class with space for them both. Again, super specific to our life and preferences but worth noting in case you homeschool too!
I also want to mention that there was some teacher turnover during our 2 months of lessons, especially as summer ended and college students went back to school. If teacher consistency is something that is important to you, just keep that in mind. Goldfish Swim School does a really good job of making sure their teachers all stick to the curriculum. So I will say that the lessons were still continuous, and it didn’t feel like “starting over” with a new teacher. I appreciated that.
I definitely give Goldfish Swim School – Hoover an A! The entire experience is top-notch – from the facilities, to the lessons, to the teachers. We are grateful that our kids get to learn to swim at such an amazing place and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for swim lessons for their children. Since it is nationwide, click HERE to find your location and learn more today!
Have your kids had swim lessons yet?
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