Summer has officially begun and that means it's time to get outside and enjoy that sunshine (and maybe some pool time too). Swimming is a great time to tone your muscles and build your strength with some cardiovascular fitness that keeps your heart rate up and takes some of the impact stress off your body. If you're looking to enroll your kids, or maybe yourself, in some swimming lessons this summer, here are some suggestions. 

Upper Valley Aquatic Center

100 Arboretum Lane in White River Junction

Beginning at 6 months, parents and children can work with an instructor through songs and games in a fun, family environment to learn back floats, submersions, rollovers, and an introduction to breathing. From 3-5 years, Starfish/Minnows can learn to be comfortable in the water, do mouth and nose bubbles, assisted guides and back floats, and develop kicking and wall bobs. A Dolphin child must be ready to move through the water with their face in and work on front and back floats and glides, independent rollovers, kicking technique, jumping bobs, junior stroke with pop-up breathing, and other safety strategies. The Center offers classes for adult beginners and advanced beginners, youth 5-15 years (group lessons or independent development), and components of such strokes as the front crawl and the crawl stroke. For further information, contact Karen Cox at 802-296-2850 x.106 or [email protected]

54 River Street in Woodstock, VT

individuals (adults and children) can sign up for private swim lessons beginning June 20. Lesson availability is on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information, contact the Center at [email protected] or 802-457-1502. 

Storrs Pond Recreation Area

59 Oak Hill Drive in Hanover

The Center offers instructional swim lessons on a group or individual basis. Classes are offered for children and adults of all ages and abilities. Instructors are certified Water Safety Instructors. Each swimmer needs to bring a swimsuit, towel, and goggles. Swimmers meet their instructor on the pool deck in the designated area with all lessons. Swimmers need to arrive on time. If a swimmer is more than 10 minutes late, the swimmer will not be allowed to participate in the lesson and will be considered absent. Parents are welcome to view all lessons outside of the fenced-in area. Parents are not permitted in the water with their children during the lesson except for the parent in the “Parent & Tot” lessons who must be in the water with the child. For further information, contact 603-643-2134 or [email protected]

Other area centers offering swimming lessons include:

The River Valley Club (RVC) at 33 Morgan Drive in Lebanon, NH (contact 603-643-7720 or [email protected]).

CCBA at 1 Taylor Street in Lebanon, NH (contact [email protected] or 603-448-6477).

Good Beginnings at 93 Main Street, West Lebanon, NH (contact [email protected] or 603-298-9524).