• Economical
• Social Opportunity
• Friendly Competition

Fee: $30 per half hour
Our instructors, coaches, water exercise leaders and personal trainers are available for private instruction. You pick the time, the instructor and the skills you want to work on. Individual or small group. For more information and scheduling contact your instructor or our Aquatics Director, Sandy Avery.

Private Swim Lesson Request Form

Group Swim Lessons (Parent and Me available in the summer, others resume in the fall)

Fee: 8 sessions - $60 members / $75 non-members

Parent and Me Swim

Children learn to be comfortable in the water through music, dance and games. Parent will help child blow bubbles, put face in water, jump in and begin to learn to float. Class is once per week for 30 minutes. 8 sessions.
Ages: 6 - 30 months
Dates & Times: Thursday, 9 a.m, 6 p.m.; Saturday 9:00 a.m.

Parent and Me Information and Registration

Climb and Splash (Offered through Kids Fitness - different pricing and scheduling - resumes in fall)

35 minutes of learning rolling, pre-cartwheels, simple vaults, locomotion skills in different directions, swinging, balancing, and weight transfer on and off our specialized equipment. Then 35 minutes of time in the wading pool adjusting to the water and learning pre-swimming skills. Offered through Kids Fitness. RETURNS IN SEPTEMBER 2010!

Level 1

No Refunds. No credit after class start except at the discretion of the Aquatics Director. Make-up classes only when the class is cancelled. See instructor for more information.
This is the right class for your child if: They will leave you to join a small group at the edge of the pool, but are not yet ready to put their head under shoulder-deep water and retrieve a toy at their feet.
Prereq: comfortable in water without parent
Class Size: 4 maximum
Pool: Multi-Purpose Pool
Class Length: 30 minutes

Swimmers will work on building water safety skills and comfort in the water. They will work on blowing bubbles, putting their faces in the water, kicking, jumping in and beginning to learn to bob and float. Children generally take this class several times. They are ready to go to Level 2 when they can open their eyes under water and retrieve a toy at their feet.

Level 1 Information and Registration

Level 2

No Refunds. No credit after class start except at the discretion of the Aquatics Director. Make-up classes only when the class is cancelled. See instructor for more information.
This is the right class for your child if: They can put their head under shoulder-deep water and retrieve a toy at their feet but cannot yet float front and back unassisted.
Prereq: able to submerge head and open eyes underwater
Class Size: 6 maximum
Pool: Multi-Purpose Pool
Class Length: 30 minutes

Swimmers will work on critical pre-swimming skills like kicking, floating and proper breathing. There is a special focus on water safety skills like bobbing and treading water. Children generally take this class several times. They are ready to go to Level 3 when they can float on their back and their front unassisted. The best swimmers master this class before moving on.

Level 2 Information and Registration

Level 3

Level 3 is the right class for your child if: They can float front and back unassisted but cannot yet do front and back crawl for 15 yards. Also, children who do not have a strong, steady flutter kick should stay in Level 3 until their kick develops.
Prereq: can float front & back without support
Class Size: 6 maximum
Pool: Multi-Purpose Pool
Class Length: 30 minutes

Swimmers will work on jumping into the water, swimming front crawl and backstroke for 15 yards, treading water and floating for 30 seconds. There is an emphasis on water safety and on developing a strong, steady flutter kick and proper body position. Children generally take this class several times. They are ready to go to Level 4 when they are ready to swim the length of the Main Pool (25 yards) front crawl, and to kick on their back for 25 yards (with or without arm strokes.)

Level 3 Information and Registration

Level 4

Level 4 is the right class for your child if: they have a strong, steady flutter kick and can swim 25 yards freestyle and backstroke (with or without arm motion.) This class is 50 minutes long, and is taught in the Main Pool. There is a significant difference between Level 3 and Level 4. Swimmers should master Level 3 skills before moving on to Level 4.
Prereq: front and back crawl for 25 yards
Class Size: 6 maximum
Pool: Main Pool
Class Length: 50 minutes

Swimmers will become comfortable in deep water. They will work on front crawl, back crawl, breaststroke kick and butterfly fundamentals. The emphasis is on good body position and stoke mechanics. Children generally take this class several times. They are ready to go to Level 5 when they can swim 25 yards of freestyle and backstroke easily, have a legal breaststroke kick, and can do a basic body wave (butterfly body undulation.)

Level 4 Information and Registration

Level 5

No Refunds. No credit after class start except at the discretion of the Aquatics Director. Make-up classes only when the class is cancelled. See instructor for more information.
This is the right class for your child if: they can swim 25 yards of freestyle and backstroke easily, have a legal breaststroke kick, and can do a basic body wave (butterfly body undulation.)
Class Size: 6 maximum
Pool: Main Pool
Class Length: 50 minutes

Swimmers will improve front crawl and backstroke and learn fundamentals of butterfly and breast stroke. They will learn a racing dive from the pool deck. When they have mastered Level 5 they are ready to try out for the Big V Swim Team. Class is 50 minutes long in the main pool.

Level 5 Information and Registration

Sunday Stroke Work

No Refunds. No credit after class start except at the discretion of the Aquatics Director. Make-up classes only when the class is cancelled. See coach for more information.
Time: Sundays, 5-6 p.m.
Ages: 5-12
Pool: Main Pool
Class Length: 60 minutes
Your swimmer loves the water and swims freestyle and backstroke but needs help learning breaststroke, butterfly, racing dives, etc. They may be interested in joining a winter swim team in the future so they should be introduced to the practice board and clock. This class is for the swimmer that has progressed beyond our Level 5 class and is getting ready for swim team.
Note: This class takes place after the Aquatics Department's normal operating hours. Participants will have access to changing facilities but no showers after class. They will exit through the back gate near the Aquatics Department.

REGISTER ONLINE NOW!

Tween Aquatics

Junior Gym and Swim (resumes in the fall)

30 minutes of climbing, exploring while working on coordination, flexibility, strength and cardio conditioning. Then 30 minutes of activities and cardio in the pool. Classes begin in the Kids Fitness Center; participants must be dressed in swim suits. Offered through Kids Fitness.
Ages: 7-12 years

Scout Nights & Outings

The Big Vanilla offers Scout Nights and Outings for individual Scout troops in Aquatics, First Aid, Fitness, Dance, etc. Check out our Scouts page for details.

GUEST PASSES AVAILABLE! Friday night is family night - 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. Free for Big Vanilla pool access members. Non-members and guests can use our Family Night Pass. No more than 6 children (16 years of age or younger) per responsible adult. 2 Kids + 2 Small Smoothies = 4 hours of fun! One pass is $10 and it admits two swimmers and buys 2 small smoothies in our Big Vanilla Café. Swim and play, bring dinner and eat poolside! It’s fun and a healthy way for families to kick off the weekend.