Learn to Swim Lessons

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The Township of Wilmot offers swimming lessons for swimmers of all ages and abilities; from beginner swimmers through lifeguard and instructor training. We offer the Lifesaving Society Swim for Life learn to swim programs and Leadership Development Programs, Lifesaving Society Bronze Level Awards, First Aid and Lifeguarding Awards. Learn More about Leadership Courses.

Winter 2024 registration dates:

Resident Tuesday, December 3 at 9:00 a.m.

Non-resident Tuesday, December 10 at 9:00 a.m.

To register online:

You first need a set up an account at recWeb or you can visit the Wilmot Recreation Complex to set up your account with our Customer Service staff. Please ensure you are adding all family members onto the account at the time of set-up.

If you already have an account, please visit recWeb to register for the programs of your choice.

Swimming Lesson Levels and Information

Parent and Tot/Preschool (Ages 4 months to 5 years)

Lifesaving Society Swim For Life Program

Parent and Tot Program

Spend quality time with your child while you both have fun and learn and socialize.

Through structured in-water interaction between parent 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. Certified instructors provide guidance and answers to your questions.

Because activities and progressions are based on child development, you register in the level appropriate for your child’s age: 4–12 months, 12–24 months, or 2–3 years.

Parent and Tot 1

Duration: 30 minutes

Age: 4- 12 months with parent

Designed for the 4 to 12-month-old to learn to enjoy the water with the parent. They will have the opportunity to experience buoyancy and movement through repetitive songs, activities and play in the water

Parent and Tot 2

Duration: 30 minutes

Ages: 12 to 24 months with parent

Designed for the 12 to 24-month-old to learn to enjoy the water with the parent. The participant and their parent/caregiver will have the opportunity to practice getting their face wet, parent-assisted skills such as front and back floats, movement in the water, and shallow water entries and exits through repetitive songs, activities and play in the water.

Parent and Tot 3

Duration: 30 minutes

Age: 2-3 years with parent

Designed for the 2 to 3-year-old to learn to enjoy the water with the parent. Toddlers and their parent/caregiver will have the opportunity to work on parent-assisted skills such as submersion, front and back floats, glides and kicks, jumping into the water through repetitive songs, activities and play in the water.

TOT Program (Ages 2 to 3 years)

Lifesaving Society Swim For Life Program

Give your child a head start on learning to swim. Do you have a child that is ready to go in the water with out you, that is not yet old enough for the preschool levels?

In our basic aquatic progressions, we work to ensure 2 to 3-year-olds become comfortable in the water and have fun acquiring and developing a foundation of water skills. We incorporate Lifesaving Society Water Smart® education in all Preschool levels.

TOT 1

Duration: 30 minutes

Age: 2-3 years with parent

In this transitional class we encourage the parent to participate until their child lets them know they can do it themselves (generally between lesson 3 and 5). 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.

TOT 2

Duration: 30 minutes

Age: 2-3 years and completed TOT 1

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. Wearing a lifejacket they’ll glide on their front and back.

Preschool Program (Ages 3 to 5 years)

Lifesaving Society Swim For Life Program

Give your child a head start on learning to swim. The Lifesaving Society Preschool Program develops an appreciation and healthy respect for the water before these kids get in too deep.

In our basic aquatic progressions we work to ensure 3 to 5-year olds become comfortable in the water and have fun acquiring and developing a foundation of water skills. We incorporate Lifesaving Society Water Smart® education in all Preschool levels.

Preschool 1

Duration: 30 minutes

Age: 3 to 5 years with parent

Preschool 2

Duration: 30 minutes

Age: 3 to 5 years and completed Preschool 1 or TOT 1.

Preschool 3

Duration: 30 minutes

Age: 3 to 5 years and complete Preschool 2 or TOT 2

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

Duration: 30 minutes

Age: 3 to 5 years and completed Preschool 3

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

Duration: 30 minutes

Age: 3 to 5 years and completed Preschool 4

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 1 to Star Patrol (Ages 5 years and up)

Lifesaving Society Swim for Life Program

Note: Participants must be 5 years of age or the completion of Preschool levels to move into the Swim for Life program. To move up in levels the swimmer must successfully complete the requirements of the previous level.

Swimmer 1

Duration: 30 minutes

Age: 5 years and/or completion of Preschool Levels 1 to 4

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

Duration: 30 minutes

Prerequisites: Completion of Swimmer 1 or Preschool 5

These advanced beginners will jump into deeper water with assistance. They’ll be able to support themselves at the surface without an aid 10 seconds, kick 7 m on their front and back, and side. Swim front and back crawl 5m. They will be introduced to flutter kick interval training (2 x 5 m)

Swimmer 3

Duration: 45 minutes

Prerequisites: Completion of 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 (4 x 5 m).

Swimmer 4

Duration: 45 minutes

Prerequisites: Completion of Swimmer 3

These junior swimmers will do in-water front somersaults and handstands. They’ll work on 13 m of front crawl, back crawl and 5 m of whip kick. Flutter kick interval training increases to 2 x 15 m.

Swimmer 5

Duration: 45 minutes

Prerequisites: Completion of Swimmer 4

These junior swimmers will dive and do in-water front somersaults and handstands. They’ll work on 15 m of front crawl, back crawl and 10 m of whip kick. Flutter kick interval training increases to 4 x 15 m.

Swimmer 6

Duration: 45 minutes

Prerequisites: Completion of Swimmer 5

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 7

Duration: 45 minutes

Prerequisites: Completion of Swimmer 6

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 8

Duration: 45 minutes

Prerequisites: Completion of Swimmer 7

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 300m workout.

Rookie Patrol

Duration: 1 hour

Prerequisites: Completion of Swimmer 8

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

Duration: 1 hour

Prerequisites: Completion of Rookie Patrol

Swimmers develop better strokes over 75m 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

Duration: 1 hour

Prerequisites: Completion of Ranger Patrol

Swimmers are challenged with 600 m workouts, 300m timed swims and a 25 m object carry. Strokes are refined over 100m swims. First aid focuses on treatment of bone or joint injuries and respiratory emergencies including asthma and allergic reactions. Lifesaving skills include defense methods, victim removals and rolling over and supporting a victim face up in shallow water.

Drop In Swim Lessons

Drop-In Swim Lessons are a great way to splash back into lessons if you have taken some time off or you're unsure of your swim level.

We have days and times available in September, October and December.

Upcoming Drop-In Lessons:

December 2024:

Wednesday: December 4, 11, and 18, 2024
- 4:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Fridays: December 4, 13 and 20, 2024
- 4:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.

These ½ hour classes are ideal for those swimmers 3 to 13yrs who are unable to participate in the formal swimming lessons.
Group placement varies depending on the levels of participants and instructor availability
Please note, lessons are final sale and booked times cannot be moved to another date
Registration begins 15 minutes prior to lesson time, and payment of $8.96 is to be made at the Customer Service Desk. Arrive early as space is limited for each class time.

Program Fee Assistance

Wilmot Aquatic Centre will not refuse admission to our Learn to Swim programs due to lack of funds. Please contact the Aquatics Manager for more information. All inquiries are confidential. Fee assistance applications must be submitted 2 weeks prior to the start date of the course.

Non-Resident/ Ratepayer Fee

An additional 25% will be charged to the total registration fee for participants who reside outside Wilmot Township. Participants who do not live in the Township but pay taxes to Wilmot Township should bring in their Tax Form when they register, to avoid paying this additional fee.

Refunds and Withdrawals

Requests for refunds will be issued up to the third lesson. A 20% administrative fee (to a maximum of $42.00) and the amount will be prorated based on the number of lessons that have passed in the session, not the number of lessons attended.

If the customer decides to leave the financial credit on their account, the 20% administrative fee will be waived. Unused credits will expire after 3 years.

Transfer Requests

Class transfers must occur before the start of the 3^rd class and will be based on space availability. After the 3^rd class, transfers will only be allowed at the Aquatic Managers discretion.

Program Cancellations

Please be aware, classes may be cancelled due to insufficient registration. Staff members will attempt to reach persons registered in cancelled programs by phone. Participants will be given the option to move to another time, put a credit on their account or a refund.

Absentee Policy

Students must attend only the class in which they are formally registered. We regret we cannot accommodate requests for makeup classes at other times.

Lessons in the Leisure Pool

The majority of our preschool classes are offered in the leisure pool. However, lessons may be moved to the lap pool without notice.

Personal Belongings

Staff are not allowed to accept personal belongings for safekeeping. All patrons are warned that valuables and belongings should not be left unattended. Take precautions by using the lockers, leaving the items at home or take the items to the deck and leave within your view. The Township of Wilmot is not responsible for lost or stolen items.

Oops! Accidents Happen

Pool fouling causes the pool to be closed. Help us keep our pool germ free by:

Please don’t swim when you have diarrhea or if you feel unwell. This is very important for children in diapers.
Washing your body thoroughly with soap and water before entering or re-entering the pool.
Washing your hands with soap and water after using the washroom or changing diapers.
Do not spit in the pool. In fact, avoid getting water in your mouth.
Eat after swimming lessons or have at least 1 hour between eating and swimming.
Take your child to the bathroom before entering the pool, and frequently during your pool visit
Children not toilet-trained must wear swim pants made for swimming, regular diapers are not permitted. (Swim diapers are available for sale at the front desk.)

The pool will be closed a minimum of 1 hour for formed fecal matter and vomit and 12 hours for Diarrhea (liquid stool).

How to Have Successful Swimming Lessons

Visit the pool before swimming lessons start. Give your child a tour of the facility.
Have fun and swim with your child during a recreational swim before beginning lessons and practice skills they already know.
Set realistic expectations with your child and allow your child to feel that there are no expectations to complete a level each session. Swimmers often need more than one set of lessons in order to gain the skills that will allow them to complete a level.
Make sure you bring any concerns to the instructor in a timely manner.
If your child has a medical concern or a learning challenge, please speak to the instructor during the first lesson. This will allow us to help your child get the most out of their lesson.

Report Cards

Please return your most recent progress card to your Swimming Instructor. These will be updated and returned in the last lesson.
Participants will be screened on the first lesson to ensure they are enrolled in the appropriate level. We will do our best to get your child into the appropriate level. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that space in the level you require will be available during your current lesson time.
Each swimming level has items that must be completed correctly a minimum of 3 times on separate lessons in order for that item to be complete. (According to the standards set by the Lifesaving Society.) Attendance is important in your child’s success in the program.

NEW Fall 2024

Beginning the Fall 2024 session, report cards will be provided online. Visit the Online Report Card page for more information.

Parent & Tot 2: Designed for the 12 to 24-month-old to learn to enjoy the water with the parent. The participant and their parent/caregiver will have the opportunity to practice getting their face wet, parent-assisted skills such as front and back floats, movement in the water, and shallow water entries and exits through repetitive songs, activities and play in the water.

Contacts