Kids Swimming Lessons

Comprehensive learn-to-swim programs for children of all ages & skill levels

The time to brave the water and learn how to swim confidently is now! Swimming is an essential skill to learn, and there is no age too young to start. The Y offers safe, fun and educational swimming lessons for all ages starting from babies six months old, right through to school children.

Developing the right reflexes and muscle movements as well as learning the swimming strokes and good technique is essential for water safety. Here at the Y, our qualified Austswim coaches have taught thousands of infants and children swimming in our exciting Learn to Swim program. Through fun games, interesting activities and experienced instruction, YMCA Learn to Swim builds children’s confidence in the water while also allowing kids to have fun and make friends.

Kids Learn to Swim is run in a 10-week term of lessons following Queensland school term dates or in school holiday blocks.

Kids Learn To Swim is available at:

Kids Swimming Program Overview

Infant Program (6 months – 3.5 years)
- STARFISH: 6 months – 12 months
- PERIWINKLE: 1 - 2yrs
- MINNOW: 2 - 3yrs
Help your baby or toddler become more comfortable and confident in the water through our Infant Swimming Program. Run by our specially qualified and trained Infant Swimming Teachers, lessons focus on water safety skills, breath control skills, buoyancy and floatation, correct holds, kicking and submersions. Together with you by their side during lessons, we’ll help build your child’s fine motor skills and foot/hand/eye co-ordination. Learn the foundations of water safety and awareness in our Infant Program.
Preschool Program (3.5 years - 5 years)
- TADPOLE: Learn water safety and get an introduction to the aquatic environment for non-swimmers or children that have just graduated from our Infant Program and are swimming for the first time without a parent or carer in the water.
- GOLDFISH: Learn water safety and be introduced to freestyle.
- FLYING FISH: Develop freestyle stroke and be introduced to backstroke.
School-Aged Program (5+ years)
- OCTOPUS: Learn water safety, develop confidence, breath control and get an introduction to the aquatic environment. Suitable for non-swimmers.
- SARDINE: Learn water safety and get an introduction to freestyle and backstroke.
- SALMON: Learn water safety and basic rescue skills, personal survival skills, further development of freestyle and backstroke and get an introduction to freestyle breathing. Introduction of survival backstroke.
- TUNA: Learn water safety, rescue techniques, personal survival skills, a continuation of freestyle, backstroke, survival backstroke and get an introduction to breaststroke.
- DOLPHIN: Learn water safety, rescue techniques, personal survival skills, a continuation of freestyle, backstroke, survival backstroke, breaststroke, development of butterfly and get an introduction to the sidestroke.
- SHARK: Learn water safety, rescue techniques, personal survival skills, a continuation of freestyle, backstroke, survival backstroke, breaststroke, development of butterfly and sidestroke. Introduction of tumble turns and basic squad drills.
- DOLPHIN / SHARK / PRESQUAD: Our Dolphin and Shark levels have been developed into a Pre-Squad program that is designed to prepare swimmers for our Bronze Squad level. Swimmers must be proficient in all four strokes (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly) and be familiar with survival strokes. This program is designed to correct stroke technique and develop swimmer endurance. Correct starts, turns and finishes are encouraged along with an introduction to racing technique and timing. During summer months lessons are held in our outdoor heated 25m pool and in our indoor heated pool during winter.