Now enrolling · Saturday mornings
Parent and Tots
Swim classes for children six months to three years. One adult in the water, two coaches leading, thirty minutes of songs, splashing, and the first real water skills.
Classes meet at the Kendall Pool on the Gallaudet University campus. Pick your Saturday time, sign the waiver, and pay online in about five minutes.
1
You are in the water
Your child learns from your arms. You hold, you float, you cheer. The coaches show you exactly what to do and why it works.
2
Two coaches lead
Small groups of families, two coaches, thirty minutes. Small enough that every child gets seen, structured to build fundamental swimming skills.
3
Real skills, not just play
Breath control, floating, kicking, and getting out of the pool on their own. The same skills Level 1 starts with, learned early and without fear.
What your little one learns
Each month has a focus. You will see it in your Parent Portal.
Water comfort
Getting wet on purpose. Splashing, pouring, and being held in the water without tensing up.
Breath control
Blowing bubbles, then putting the mouth in, then the whole face. At their pace, never forced.
Floating with support
Front and back floats in your arms, learning what it feels like when the water holds them.
Kicking
Big kicks on the wall, on a noodle, and holding on to you.
Safe entries and exits
Sitting on the edge and coming in with a helper. Climbing out on their own: elbow, elbow, tummy, knee.
Songs and games
Every class runs on songs and games. The mix changes about once a month with the skill focus, and each lead coach brings their own favorites.
Every Parent and Tots family gets a Parent Portal login. After each class the coaches log which of the month’s skills your child worked on, so you can see it add up.
The details
Parent and Tots
- Ages
- 6 months to 3 years. You can enroll the month your baby turns six months.
- When
- Saturdays 8:30 AM, 9:30 AM, 10:30 AM. One 30-minute class a week, same time each week.
- Class size
- 8 parent and child pairs, two coaches
- Tuition
- $175/mo + tax, monthly membership, 30-day cancellation
- Where
- Kendall Pool on the Gallaudet University campus, NoMa. Indoors, year round. Note this is a different pool from the MSSD pool where Levels 1 to 10 swim.
- Make-ups
- None for the toddler programs
- Bring
- Reusable swim diaper (a Happy Nappy over it is strongly encouraged), adult swimsuit, towels
Enter your child’s birthday and the wizard shows the Parent and Tots times with open spots. Tuition is $175 a month by bank transfer or $180 by card.
Questions
Who gets in the water with my child?
One adult per child, and it can be anyone over 18 who is comfortable in chest-deep water: a parent, a grandparent, a nanny. You name up to two adults when you enroll and can switch who comes week to week. Naming an adult does not give them access to your parent portal.
Does the adult need to be a strong swimmer?
No. The class runs in water you can stand in. You need to be comfortable holding your child in the water for 30 minutes.
What do we bring?
A snug reusable swim diaper for your child (a disposable one on its own is not enough). We strongly encourage a neoprene cover, the kind sold as a Happy Nappy, over it; it is the layer that actually keeps an accident out of the pool. Also a swimsuit for the adult and towels for both of you. Goggles are not needed at this age.
Can I bring my other children?
Yes, with another grown-up to stay with them. There are bleachers inside the pool area for your belongings, the other parent, and siblings, but we cannot have unsupervised kids on the pool deck while you are in the water with your toddler.
Where do we change?
Kendall has locker rooms connected to the pool, with showers, restrooms, and a changing area, and parents are welcome to use them.
My older kid swims with you. Can we do both on the same morning?
Yes, with one thing to plan around. Parent and Tots and Advanced Toddler meet at the Kendall Pool, and Levels 1 to 10 meet at the MSSD pool. Both are on the Gallaudet campus, a few minutes apart on foot, but they are different buildings, so you cannot be in both at the same time. Pick a Parent and Tots time that does not overlap your older child’s class and the morning works.
My baby is not quite six months. Can we enroll?
Yes, if they turn six months within the month. The enrollment form works off the birthday: a baby within a month of six months can pick a class and start, and a younger baby joins the waitlist and we email you when they are old enough.
Are there make-up lessons?
Not for the toddler programs. Tuition is a monthly membership for your Saturday time, and missed classes are not credited.
What happens when my child turns three?
Most children move from Parent and Tots into Advanced Toddler first, where they swim with the coaches and without you, once the coaches say they are ready and they are potty trained. From there, they move into Level 1 as soon as a place opens. Advanced Toddler graduates go to the front of that line. The full path is laid out in the Advanced Toddler section below.
Next step
Advanced Toddler
Advanced Toddler is for toddlers who are ready to be in the water without a parent. Coaches are in the water at one coach for every two children, the same ratio as Level 1, and there is no parent in the pool. It is the bridge from your arms to the Level 1 group.
Ready when your toddler
- goes to the coach happily in Parent and Tots and stays with them
- follows simple instructions and the class rules
- gets into the pool without hesitation when the coach asks
- is potty trained
What the class works on
The same songs and skills as Parent and Tots, now with the coach in your place, plus what SwimAmerica Level 1 will ask of them: holding the wall on their own, listening to the coach, putting their head under the water with or without nose bubbles, and easy, confident entries.
How your child moves up
- Parent and Tots, 6 months to 3 years, with a parent or another adult in the water.
- Advanced Toddler, when the coaches say ready and your child is potty trained. We move them for you; there is nothing to re-enroll.
- Level 1 at age 3, as soon as a place opens. Advanced Toddler graduates go to the front of that line.
Toddler already comfortable without you and not in Parent and Tots? Email admin@oldcityswimschool.com and we will find the right class.
- Ages
- About 18 months to 3 years, when the coaches say ready and potty trained
- When
- Saturdays 8:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM
- Ratio
- 1 coach to 2 children, coaches in the water
- Tuition
- $225/mo + tax
Ready?
Pick your Saturday
Saturdays at 8:30 AM, 9:30 AM, 10:30 AM. Eight pairs per class, so the time you want may fill quickly.
Enroll nowNot ready yet?
Keep us posted
Under six months, waiting on a time that is full, or just have a question? Leave your details and we will reach out.
Already three? Enroll in Level 1.