Due to poor air quality conditions, Recreation & Culture programming has been modified for July 15, 2026.
For more information about Air Quality Warnings and ways to mitigate health risks from poor air quality, please visit durham.ca/airquality
This is a progressive program. Participants must complete a level before advancing.
Swim lessons are now offered through the Lifesaving Society’s Swim for Life® learn-to-swim program. Swim for Life® is a complete learn-to-swim program offering courses for Parent & Tot through to Leadership. If you are interested in registering a child for swimming lessons please ensure you review the Lifesaving Society Swim for Life® program transition chart below. The chart will help determine which level a child should be registered in. Program transition charts can also be picked up at any community recreation centre listed in the Contact Information below.
Parent & Tot 1– Designed for the 6 to 12-month-old to learn to enjoy the water with a parent/guardian.
Parent & Tot 2 – Designed for the 12 to 36-month-old to learn to enjoy the water with a parent/guardian.
Preschool 1 – Preschoolers have fun learning to get in and out of the water. They will be encouraged and assisted with jumping into chest-deep water; learn how to float and glide on their front and back; and will learn to get their faces wet and blow bubbles underwater.
Preschool 2 – 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. They will glide on their front and back while wearing a lifejacket.
Preschool 3 – 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 – 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 – 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 – 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 – 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 metres on their front and back, and be introduced to flutter kick interval training (4 x 5 metres).
Swimmer 3 – These junior swimmers will dive and do in-water front somersaults and handstands. They’ll work on 15 metres of front crawl, back crawl and 10 metres of whip kick. Flutter kick interval training increases to 4 x 15 metres.
Swimmer 4 – These intermediate swimmers will swim 5 metres 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 metres and 4 x 25 metre front or back crawl interval training.
Swimmer 5 – 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 metre swims of each, and breaststroke over 25 metres. Then they’ll pick up the pace in 25 metre sprints and two interval training bouts: 4 x 50 metre front or back crawl; and 4 x 15 metre 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. They’ll develop strength and power in head-up breaststroke sprints over 25 metres. They’ll easily swim lengths of front crawl, back crawl, and breaststroke, and they’ll complain about the 300 metre workout.
Swim for Life® for swimmers with differing abilities continues the progressions used in the Lifesaving Swim Preschool and Swimmer programs. Each skill is broken down into small manageable steps to create a positive learning environment and make the success of each swimmer more achievable. These steps have been created to help swimmers learn at their own pace using repetition and integration of new skills, which help swimmers move along the skill progression more effectively.
Located in the lap or leisure pool, this is a 1:1 ratio swimming lesson that focuses on individual personal/physical needs and allows instructors to correct students individually by breaking down skills and techniques outside of a group environment. This lesson can accommodate levels: Preschool 1-5 & Swimmer 1-6.
Swimmer 1 & Swimmer 2 – Learn to swim and improve your swimming strokes. This program allows you to swim with youth who share the same goals. Advance through the Swim for Life® program at a comfortable and safe pace. Duration may change depending on the number of participants.
Swimmer 3 & Swimmer 4 – Learn to swim and improve your swimming strokes. This program allows you to swim with youth who share the same goals. Advance through the Swim for Life® program at a comfortable and safe pace. Duration may change depending on the number of participants.
Swimmer 5 & Swimmer 6 – Learn to swim and improve your swimming strokes. This program allows you to swim with youth who share the same goals. Advance through the Swim for Life® program at a comfortable and safe pace. Duration may change depending on the number of participants.
Adult 1 – You’ll work towards a 10-15 metre swim on your front and back. You’ll do jump entries from the side and recover an object from the bottom in chest-deep water. Improve your fitness and your flutter kick with 4 x 9-12 metre interval training.
Adult 2 – Kick it up a notch working on two interval training workouts of 4 x 25 metre kicking and front or back crawl. You’ll be able to perform dive entries and demonstrate breaststroke arms and breathing over 10-15 metres. You’ll be supporting yourself at the surface for 1-2 minutes, and showing off your handstands in shallow water.
Swimsuit, towel and goggles if needed or preferred. If you have a progress card from a prior swim lesson, please bring it with you. This allows the instructor to have a better idea of the skills that need to be worked on.
Yes. Please join us during the 5th lesson. Watch your children from the pool viewing gallery, and speak with your instructor at the end of lessons, to receive an update on your child’s progress. If you visit, please remember to remove your shoes before walking through the showers and onto the pool deck.
This is a progressive program. Participants must complete a level before advancing.
If you are unsure what level your child is in, screening is available during public swim times when it is not busy. Screening is free. If you stay to swim, the public swim fee applies. Please speak to the Head Guard on duty about screening for class levels. Admission Standards apply and may require a parent or guardian to enter the water with a child being screened, based on age and/or ability of the child.
Summer Lessons – We recommend two weeks to complete a level. Weeks do not have to be consecutive.
If your child is registered into an incorrect level they will be assessed and they will be moved to the correct level (if space is available). Please note, the day and time of the class may change. If space is not available in the correct level or a new day/time cannot be accommodated, the participant will be removed from the program and a pro-rated refund will be provided.
Children and adults are not permitted to wait on the pool deck. For those waiting for a swim program to begin, please stay in the change room until 3 minutes prior to the start time. Please stay with your child until they are with their instructor. Children are not permitted to wait on deck unaccompanied by an adult. Experience has proven that children perform at their best without additional on-deck distractions.
Developing swimming skills requires a lot of patience and positive feedback. In order to be successful, we encourage you to talk to your child about their lessons. Make sure that you have realistic expectations and your child feels no pressure to complete a level. You both should acknowledge the importance of completing the skills taught during each lesson at a pace that is suitable for your child – swimming lessons are a long term progression.
A pool deck supervisor is on duty at all times during our swimming lessons. The supervisors are available to answer any lesson-related questions and assist you with any of your concerns. Should you have a concern, do not hesitate to speak with the pool deck supervisor immediately – we encourage you not to wait until the last class.
No. Due to the large volume of swimming participants, we are unable to accommodate instructor requests.
Due to the large volume of swimming participants, we are unable to reschedule missed lessons. If you miss the last lesson, you may pick up your progress card at the facility where the lessons took place.
