American Red Cross Group Swim Lessons

Face Wetter

• Typical ages range from 2 to 4 years
• Children need to be able to listen to the instructor
• Parents will learn how to teach their children various skills to increase their child’s confidence, coordination and safety in the water. Only one adult can accompany a child in the water. Children that are not potty trained are required to wear swim diapers.

Level 1

• Typical age starts at 4
• Children need to be able to sit independently on the step of the pool or at the pool edge. Children need to be able to listen to and follow directions of the instructor.
• This class is an introduction to swimming. Swimmers will learn to bob, open eyes underwater, glide on their front and back, back float, and begin to use alternating arm movements. The class is held in the shallow end of our pool, which is 3 1⁄2 feet deep.

Level 2

• Typical age range starts at 4
• Children need to be able to sit independently on the step of the pool or at the pool edge. Children need to be able to listen to and follow directions of the instructor.
• In this level, swimmers will master holding their breath underwater, continue bobbing and opening eyes underwater, learn front, jellyfish, tuck and back floats, tread water, begin rotary breathing, and move at least 5 body lengths.

Level 3

• Typical age range starts at 6
• Children need to be able to sit independently on the step of the pool or at the pool edge. Children need to be able to listen to and follow directions of the instructor.
• Swimmers who pass level 3 will be able to jump into water over their heads, as well as enter the water head first from seated and kneeling positions. They will bob, and use the survival float for 30 seconds. They learn rotary breathing and float on both front and back for 1 minute. They must also swim the elementary backstroke and front crawl for 15 yards. They learn the flutter, scissors, breaststroke and dolphin kicks.

Level 4

• This level is held in the deep end.
• At this level include diving, swimming underwater, treading water and survival swimming for at least 1 minute. To pass this level, swimmers must also swim the front crawl and elementary backstroke (25 yards), as well as the breaststroke, back crawl, butterfly and side stroke (15 yards).

Level 5

• Mastery includes shallow angle dives, tuck surface dives and pike surface dives as well as treading water (5 minutes), treading water using only legs, and sculling. To pass this course, a swimmer must swim the front crawl and elementary backstroke for 50 yards (2 pool lengths) and the breaststroke, butterfly, back crawl and sidestroke for 25 yards. They will perform front and back flip turns.

Level 6

• Swimmers can dive into the pool and retrieve an object on the bottom of the pool (8 feet deep). They will swim the front crawl and elementary backstroke 100 yards and the breaststroke, back crawl, butterfly and sidestroke 50 yards, including swimming 500 yards continuously using any 3 strokes of their choice. They use open turns as well as front and back flips.

**Program modifications may be required to meet safety guidelines