Swimming Lessons

The focus is on swimming

Designed for school-age children five and up, our Day Camps Swimming Lessons stress lots of in-water practice to develop solid swimming strokes and skills. We incorporate the Lifesaving Society Swim for Life program Water Smart® education that offer knowledge and skills that last a lifetime.

Swim for Life logo

program overview

The Lifesaving Society's six-level Swimmer program makes sure your children learn how to swim before they get in too deep. Swimmer progressions accommodate children five years and older including absolute beginners as well as swimmers who want to build on the basics.

We stress lots of in-water practice to develop solid swimming strokes and skills. We incorporate Water Smart education in all levels.

As an integral part of the Swim for Life® program, Water Smart education provides information and experiences that helps participants make smart decisions when they are in, on and around water and ice. Learn more about the Society's Swim for Life program.

Boy swimming underwater

Swimmer levels 1-6 descriptions

Swimmer 1: These beginners will become comfortable jumping into water with and without a Personal Flotation Device. 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 Personal Flotation Device. They'll be able to support themselves at the surface without an aid, learn whip kick, swim 10-15 m on their front and back, and be introduced to flutter kick interval training (4 x 9-12 m).

Swimmer 3: These junior swimmers will dive and do in-water front somersaults. Their new bag of tricks includes handstands and completion of the Canadian Swim to Survive Standard. They'll work on 10-15 m of front crawl, back crawl and whip kick. Flutter kick interval training increases to 4 x 25 m.

Swimmer 4: These intermediate swimmers will swim 5 m underwater and lengths of front, back crawl, whip kick, and breaststroke arms with breathing. 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. Surface dives will take them down to underwater swims. They'll refine their front and back crawl over 50 m swims of each, and breaststroke over 15-25 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 10-15 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.