Your kids’ safety is always at the forefront of your mind when they’re near water – whether it’s a backyard swimming pool or the ocean waves that touch the shores of Florida and California. That’s why so many of us are eager to enroll our children in swimming lessons each summer.
Unfortunately, finding the right program isn’t always easy.
Today in Summer ‘17, we’re starting a two-part “mini-series” on local swimming lessons. And first on our list are the options available to you from Hilliard Recreation and Parks.
Sea Urchins, Sea Turtles, Sea Dragons … oh my!
Hilliard’s self-paced swim lessons are an attractive, local option for Glen parents. Their multi-day tracks – each program consists of four, 55-minute sessions, one per day between Monday and Thursday – allow kids to advance through an assortment of skill-based tiers at their own pace, while still providing the social benefits of a group experience.
Beginners will learn basic skills like blowing bubbles, submerging their heads underwater, and floating on their fronts and backs in the Sea Weed and Sea Urchin sessions. Intermediate swimmers will develop their strokes as Sea Turtles, Sea Gulls, and Sea Horses, and advanced students will practice the full medley of strokes and styles as Sea Dragons and lap swimming as Sea Sharks.
Hilliard Swim Lessons
Schedule
Hilliard East Municipal Pool
4450 Schirtzinger Road
June 5-8 – 10 a.m., 11 a.m.
June 12-15 – 8 p.m.
June 19-22 – 10 a.m., 11.am.
June 26-29 – 8 p.m.
July 10-13 – 10 a.m., 11 a.m.
July 17-20 – 8 p.m.
July 24-27 – 10 a.m., 11 a.m.
Hilliard Family Aquatic Center
3850 Veterans Memorial Drive
June 12-15 – 11 a.m.
June 26-29 – 11 a.m.
July 10-13 – 11 a.m.
July 24-27 – 11 a.m.
Kids must be three years old and toilet trained by June 1 to participate in swim lessons.
Sea Pups
If your junior swimmer is between six and 36 months old, don’t fret: Sea Pups is the program for them – and you!
These parent-child classes take the fear out of swimming by letting kids experience the water in a safe, comfortable environment. Through Sea Pups, your little one will get to practice basic skills that will help them thrive in future swim lessons – and you get to be by their side the whole time.
Sea Pups is offered at the Hilliard East Municipal Pool. The single-session classes are $6 per child; pre-registration is not required. Children who are not toilet trained are required to wear a swim diaper.
Adaptive Aquatics
Adaptive Aquatics and Sea Pups
Hilliard East Municipal Pool
9 a.m. on the following Saturdays:
June 3, 10, 17, 24
July 8, 15, 22, 29
For children between three and 12 years old with special needs, Hilliard’s Adaptive Aquatics program includes the type of individualized attention that group sessions can't provide.
Offered at the Hilliard East Municipal Pool, Adaptive Aquatics not only lets swimmers progress at their own pace, but also provides a program based on individual students’ needs. Parents are welcome to independently arrange for an “in-water assistant” to support their children during lessons.
Pre-registration is required for participation in Adaptive Aquatics.
What else parents should know
Swim lessons are held at both the Hilliard Family Aquatic Center and Hilliard East Municipal Pool. At the HFAC, four-day swim classes are planned for June 12-15, June 26-29, July 10-13, and July 24-27. HFAC sessions begin at 11 a.m.
The Hilliard East Municipal Pool’s four-day classes will take place between June 5-8, June 19-22, July 10-13, and July 24-27, with 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. start times. The pool also has evening tracks scheduled for June 12-15, June 26-29, and July 17-20. These sessions begin at 8 p.m.
Sea Pup and Adaptive Aquatics classes are scheduled for 9 a.m. at the Hilliard East Municipal Pool on the following Saturdays – June 3, June 10, June 17, June 24, July 8, July 15, July 22, and July 29.
Resident vs. Non-Resident
Individuals who live within Hilliard city limits or have paid at least $150 in Hilliard city income tax between January 1 and June 1 qualify for resident pricing.
Hilliard City School District residents who live within Columbus city limits – such as residents of The Glen – do not qualify for resident pricing.
Four-day classes are $40 for Hilliard residents and $50 for non-residents. Registration for swim lessons and Adaptive Aquatics can be completed online.
One more thing…
In addition to its many other programs, Hilliard also invites parents to “bring [their] shrimps to swim before their afternoon nap!”
The Sea Shrimp program is an “open swim” at the Hilliard East Municipal Pool for children five years old or younger that takes place on Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 11:45 a.m., after the morning’s swim lessons.
Free with a pool membership and $3 per person for families without a membership, the Sea Shrimp open swim is an excellent opportunity for little swimmers to explore the water without the normal chaos of an outdoor pool.
That’s it for today. Check back on Wednesday when we’ll talk about swim lessons available from Columbus Recreation and Parks.
Before you go, don’t forget to catch up on the rest of Summer ‘17:
- Cool off at one of Hilliard’s two municipal pools
- Your Columbus “Leisure Card” is a passport to fun
- Dive into one of Columbus’s outdoor swimming pools
- Spraygrounds, “open fountains” provide quick relief from the summer heat
See you Wednesday!
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