Swimming Lessons

Clarington's Learn-to-Swim program for all ages

Learn-to-swim programs for all ages

View our Learn-to-Swim program guide (PDF).

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Swimming lessons are divided into five age groups: Parent and Tot (four months to three years), Preschool (three to five years), Swimmer (six to 13), Teen (14 to 17) and Adult (18+).

Participants start in a level based on their age and progress through each level when they can demonstrate the required skills.

For example, when a child turns six, they move to the Swimmer levels whether or not they have completed all the preschool levels.

Teens and adults wishing to learn to swim can register directly into the teen and adult programs without completing any previous lessons.

If you're new to swimming lessons, use the guide on the left to select the appropriate level based on your swimmer’s age.

Learn about our new online progress cards

Swim for Life swimming lessons descriptions

Parent & Tot | Ages 4 months to 3 years

Parent & Tot 1 | Ages 4 to 12 months

Spend quality time with your child and have fun while learning and socializing.

Through structured in-water interaction between parent and child, we stress the importance of play in developing water-positive attitudes and skills. We provide Lifesaving Society Water Smart tips on keeping your child safe in any aquatic setting. Certified instructors provide guidance and answers to your questions.

Designed for the four to 12-month-old to learn to enjoy the water with their parent.

Parent & Tot 2 | Ages 12 to 24 months

Spend quality time with your child and have fun while learning and socializing.

Designed for the 12 to 24-month-old to learn to enjoy the water with their parent.

Parent & Tot 3 | Ages 2 to 3 years

Spend quality time with your child and have fun while learning and socializing.

Designed for the two to three-year-old to learn to enjoy the water with their parent.

Preschool | Ages 3 to 5 years

Preschool 1

These preschoolers will have fun learning to get in and out of the water. We’ll help them jump into chest-deep water. They’ll float and glide on their front and back and learn to get their faces wet and blow bubbles underwater.

Preschool 2

These 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. Wearing a lifejacket, they’ll glide on their front and back.

Preschool 3

These preschoolers 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 deep 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 advanced preschoolers get more adventurous with a forward roll entry wearing a lifejacket and treading water for 10 seconds. They’ll work on front and back crawl swims for five metres, interval training and get a giggle out of whip kick.

Swimmer | Ages 6 to 13 years

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 (four five-metre intervals).

Swimmer 3

These junior swimmers will dive and do in-water front somersaults and handstands. They’ll work on their 15-metre front crawl, back crawl and 10-metre whip kick. Flutter kick interval training increases to four 15-metre intervals.

Swimmer 4

These intermediate swimmers will swim five 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 15 metres and four 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. They’ll pick up the pace in 25-metre sprints and two interval training bouts: four 50-metre intervals of front or back crawl and four 15-metre intervals of 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 metres. They’ll easily swim lengths of front crawl, back crawl, and breaststroke, and they’ll complain about the 300-metre workout.

Swimmer 7 – Rookie

Swimmers continue stroke development with 50-metre swims of front crawl, back crawl and breaststroke. Lifesaving sport skills include a 25-metre obstacle swim and 15-metre object carry. First aid focuses on the assessment of conscious victims, contacting EMS, and treatment for bleeding. Fitness improves in 350-metre workouts and 100-metre timed workouts.

Swimmer 8 – Ranger

Swimmers develop better strokes over 75-metre swims of each stroke. They tackle lifesaving sport skills in a lifesaving medley, timed object support and rescue with a buoyant aid. First aid focuses on the assessment of unconscious victims, treatment of victims in shock and obstructed airway procedures. Skill drills develop a strong lifesaving foundation.

Swimmer 9 - Star

Swimmers are challenged with 600-metre workouts, 300-metre timed swims and a 25-metre object carry. Strokes are refined over 100-metre swims. First aid focuses on the treatment of bone or joint injuries and respiratory emergencies, including asthma and allergic reactions. Lifesaving skills include defence methods, victim removals and rolling over and supporting a victim face up in shallow water.

Private and Semi-Private Lessons

We offer private and semi-private lessons in 10-week blocks. Private lessons have a ratio of 1:1 and semi-private 2:1. All lessons are 30 minutes long.

Teen and Adult

It’s never too late to learn a new skill. Try our teen or adult levels to learn to swim at any age. While the curriculum is the same, our teen levels cater to teenagers aged 14 to 17, while our adult program is for anyone aged 18 plus.

Teen 1 / Adult 1

You’ll work towards a 10 to 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 flutter kick with four nine to 12-metre interval training.

Teen 2 / Adult 2

Kick it up a notch by working on two training workouts with four 25-metre intervals of kicking and front or back crawl. You’ll be able to perform dive entries and demonstrate breaststroke arms and breathing over 10 to 15 metres. You’ll support yourself at the surface for one to two minutes and show off your handstands in shallow water.

Teen 3 / Adult 3

You’ll learn eggbeater, stride entries and compact jumps. You’ll be doing a 300-metre workout and sprinting 25 to 50 metres. You’ll also master your front crawl, back crawl and breaststroke.

Swimming Lesson Progress Cards are going paperless

Clarington is modernizing how participants receive their swimming lesson progress cards. Before the last class of the session, parents, guardians or adult participants will receive an email with a customer ID and instructions for accessing their online progress cards. After the last class, use each unique customer ID to access progress cards for each participant.

Progress card emails will be sent to the main contact on your Clarington Be Active account. Make sure your account is up to date by visiting www.clarington.net/BeActive.

If you do not receive an email by the final lesson, please contact 905-623-3379 ext. 2552 or swim@clarington.net to verify your email address.

Access your progress card

Progress Card Frequently Asked Questions

Why transition to online progress cards?

There are many reasons to transition, including:

It eliminates paper waste.
Progress cards are accessible to parents/guardians any time, any place, anywhere.
A faster more efficient system for staff.

How do I sign up for online progress cards?

No sign-up is necessary. Parents, guardians, or adult participants will receive an email with a customer ID and instructions for accessing online progress cards. After the last class, use the unique customer ID to access progress cards for each participant.

How do I access my child's progress card?

To access your child’s progress card, visit www.clarington.net/ProgressCards.

Before the last class of the session, parents, guardians, or adult participants will receive an email with a customer ID and instructions for accessing online progress cards. After the last class, use the unique customer ID to access progress cards for each participant.

What if I don't receive an email with my child's customer ID?

If you do not receive an email by the final lesson, please contact 905-623-3379 ext. 2552 or communityservices@clarington.net to verify your email address.

When can I view the progress card?

Progress cards will be viewable within 48 hours after the final swim lesson. Swim instructors will provide verbal feedback on whether the swimmer has completed the level in person during the final swim lesson.

Can I request a paper copy instead of the online version?

We no longer offer printed copies of progress cards. You may print your progress card from the online portal if you wish to.

How long are progress cards viewable?

There is no current expiry date for online progress cards.

Can I access my progress card offline?

You need an internet connection to retrieve progress cards. Progress cards are accessible from any computer, tablet and phone with internet access.