We attended Big Blue for parent child classes for about 2 sessions. Every week we had a different instructor, and 1 week no instructor showed up. Which, that happens, I get it, but it was the staff response to that situation that completely turned me off from Big Blue altogether. No one on staff seemed to notice we were instructor-less and we were left awkwardly waiting by ourselves. When we asked what happened, why they failed to notice, and what they were going do to rectify the situation... the answer was incredibly underwhelming. No responsibility or apology was given. I quote, the front desk staff person said "well we have a lot going on, what do you expect us to do?" That response made me see red, because there are plenty of staff standing around the pool deck messing around on iPads. I ended up talking to a supervisor, who refused to give a refund but offered a class credit... which we never used.... So thanks I guess? The whole exchange left a bad taste in my mouth so we stopped going and just forfeited our money for the rest of the session since my daughter never really seemed to have a good time going to swim lessons anyways due to the high instructor turn over and the fact that they really pushed her to go underwater without a parent holding her... so not sure what toddler would be comfortable with that, so it just shows that the instructors aren't really familiar with tailoring swimming lessons with children's developmental levels. I sent a complaint to corporate via email, and called and left a message but no one got back to me. Ironically, I'm getting non stop marketing emails and texts despite unsubscribing multiple times... so that seems appropriate...This issue happened about a year ago at this point, and I still feel weird about it. If they were too busy to notice an instructor didn't show up to teach class, I'd hate for them to be too busy to notice if a kid is struggling in the pool or a kid needs help for any reason. This strikes me as a corporate facility designed to get as many kids in and out of the pool asap. Don't expect to have any customer service issues made right by this location, they just want your money. read more

We first attended the free trial when my son was 1 year old, I think it was a great option to offer to parents who are shopping around for swim lessons. The infant/1yr old trial calls for a parent/guardian to be in the water with their baby which is a sweet way to bond. We ended up holding off on enrolling him for no specific reason but once he turned three we knew we shouldn't put it off any longer. We returned for weekly lessons and it's been really great to have something for him to do during the winter and we especially love how warm they keep the water & the entire pool area. The teachers have all been really enthusiastic and patient with our rambunctious 3 year old. There are benches in close proximity to the pool so parents can be nearby, but there are windows surrounding the pool and plenty of seating for parents to sit outside the pool area (which can get pretty warm). The facilities have spacious changing rooms, showers and hair dryers which is a nice touch! I would definitely recommend this place for any kiddos in need of lessons . read more

See all

The good: friendly staff and overall atmosphere. Easy to park. The bad: pool deck is filthy and unsanitary . They allow people walk right to the side of the pool and shower area in their outdoor shoes. In rainy weather there are chunks of dirt along the pool and shower area where children walk barefooted and this dirt ends up in the water. They have a sign to remove "dirty shoes" but they don't enforce it. Both my husband who was in the water and my child developed some vomiting and diarrhea after attending an infants class, that made them really sick for several days. This is a shame, because I would otherwise continue to take our child there. read more

Big Blue Swim School - people bring outside shoes right to the pool - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Highly recommend. My granddaughter has had Great teachers- huge thank you to Eva M for her consistently great teaching and compassion. Teachers have so much training and are naturals with kids. read more

While the swimming skills and foundations were the goal. We were pleasantly surprised by the confidence our little guy left after Big Blue Swim School Sessions. My son is ready for summer fun this weekend at the lake house with his cousins! Thanks Big Blue Swim School! read more

Even though I'm giving them 5 stars I do have two cons but not enough to lower their rating in my opinion. My son has been taking classes here for almost a year. We started with Saturday mornings and it was very crowded. In the parents, viewing area you were lucky to get a seat at times. So I changed him to Sunday mornings which was perfect. It's not very crowded. Here are my pros and cons. The pros are that the water is warm, individual dressing rooms, semi-private classes, and the ability to reschedule sessions. The cons are sometimes there are 4 kids in a lane and I feel the max should be 3, especially with an instructor in the lane as well. I am afraid that a child may be kicked in the face. Also even though I like that you can reschedule a session you have to wait until the week you want appears on the portal before you can schedule the session. I wish the calendar was available on the portal by the month and not week. Sometimes I forget to go back the week I want to reschedule. Overall my son like the place and we are continuing our classes. read more

Updating my review: after the initial experience, I was able to speak with the school about how it went. They offered another trial lesson to give it another go. We were able to arrange to work with the teacher who had had such a nice rapport with my kid while she guested in the baby class. Her trial re-do went really well! She went in the pool on her own and did the whole 30 minute class. (Shout out to teacher Zach for making her comfortable.) Now she's asking me when we're going to go back for more classes. This is a real relief as a parent because she needs to learn to swim and the less resistance the better. I consider the whole situation redeemed. read more

We would give Big Blue 6 stars if we could. Their facility is clean and safe, with ample parking, and their teachers and staff consistently go above and beyond to make the entire experience easy and fun for both kids and their parents. Ms. Kim is an incredible teacher who works with our little one to learn at his own pace. She is encouraging and supportive and just all around amazing. We highly recommend swim lessons here! read more

Lack of safety, lack of relationships, and lack of credentials -- no life guards on deck. (Eg. Goldfish does have lifeguards and affiliations) I was here last year (around March), and stopped when my son had a trainee take him to another lane. It was one-on-one, so it seems great, but his hair never got wet. The trainee just walked my son around the pool carrying him. He was 4 at the time. I brought it up to their attention, and asked if I could cancel without their hassle of rules... I was nice about it. They didn't contact me about it, and cancelled for me. It would have been nice to have a conversation, but I was happy that they weren't going to give me a hard time about cancelling. (note: the trainee at the time was Fabian, and he's still at this school so that's good at least) *Prior to this day, we did have a wonderful instructor. She was the sweetest to all of the children, and tried to teach my son a bit extra when she could have just 1-2 minutes of one on one time with my son.* So lovely. Present day, he's 5 y/o, and we are back again. We have had 4 sessions Thursday evenings at 4:30pm. Facility is clean and friendly. I did notice a lack of life guards and management/staff appear much different than last year. The vibe felt different too. Note, I'm always sitting at the bench with my son -- not the waiting area. Session 1: Went well. A male instructor. I don't know his name. Session 2: Learned that we have a new regular instructor named Xavier. No Xavier. Last minute substitute. We were notified of the sub, but the instructor that showed up, was not the same person shown on the app and email. All is good though. She was great. Session 3: No Xavier still. Last minute substitute. Same instructor from session 2. All is good. The last and only session, session 4: Still no Xavier. Does he exist? That's fine. Subs have been great anyway. New instructor this time, Kim, and a trainee. My son is 5, and is not a swimmer. He's still wearing a backpack floatie. The instructor and the trainee were too busy talking to each other. There were only two kids in this session by the way. It was my son's turn to "swim" to the floating toy. He went under the water by accident and unsupervised. This is his first time. I froze trying not to make a scene and waited for him to come up -- *because I am not here trying to ruin relationships with people who will help my son thrive.* There are two sets of eyes in this lane, but none were on him. My son got up, and went back to the wall on his own, and told them what happened. They didn't know. ***How it was resolved:*** 1. I received a text message before session 4 started, while I was in the waiting area, asking for feedback in regard to "Xavier." I rated my experience as a 1, and they asked why. I responded about what happened, but they did not respond. 2. I called, and the membership agent was super kind. She was empathetic about my concerns. I am not asking for anything to be spectacular here, but water safety is not to be taken lightly. This agent said she would personally follow up on this case. I wasn't sure if I believed her, but she really did. 3. A senior manager (Lazar ) from the North Center location reached out to me. Talked to me, and was equally as caring and empathetic. I did ask hard questions that he could not answer. The questions were over his pay grade-- and if there is a lack of state regulation, that's over anyone's head too. He can only do so much. He did admit to the high turnover rate and why there aren't life guards. There was no denying here. To try to mend our relationship with the school, he refunded Session 4 back to me, and offered the next 3 months to me at 10% off. He also assigned a specific instructor (Ms. Stevie) to me who was described as someone consistent and nurturing. It sounded like he wanted to make sure my family could gain trust in the school. He said the manager above him would reach out to me to follow up as well. ***How the resolution was undone*** The manager, Patrick Duffy, calls me to discuss. He tried twice and I missed them. He's trying. Cool. I finally got back to him, and this call lasted no more than 3 minutes. He asks what happened, and as I tell the story, he DENIES that my son was unsupervised under the water. That it's CORRECT for my son to be under the water because it's a swim school. I had to stop him to reiterate what happened, "My son was unsupervised and that the two did not know this until he told them." Patrick responded, "Ma'am, I don't think we are the right school for you." He was real quick not to try to make things right. Even if I was irrational and delusional, why was he trying to undue the resolution? I have a feeling he was afraid of a lawsuit. Take this with a grain of salt in case something like this happens to you. read more

Big Blue Swim School - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Let's start with the positive.  The facility is amazing.  The staff is very professional and did a great job creating a fun learning environment for our 3yo daughter.  In all our interactions, they took safety seriously. Our daughter loved taking lessons here and learned a ton.   The one drawback (which was significant for us) is that it was nearly impossible for us to schedule with the same instructor each week.  Due to scheduling changes, sickness, etc; our daughter's regularly instructor was subbed out about 50% of the time over the course of two months (often just a few hours before our scheduled class).  Our daughter is in a phase where she really needs/thrives with consistency from adults and Big Blue Swim School just couldn't provide it.  They really wanted to - and were very receptive to our desire to have the same instructor every week (even if it meant changing our scheduled time).  But despite multiple conversations with the leadership, they just couldn't provide a consistent experience.   All this is to say; if your child can handle a different instructor every week - I have no doubts they will thrive and be happy here.  If your child needs more consistency, I don't think this is the right program. read more

UPDATED REVIEW 2/1/2020 I'm please to update my review after receiving wonderful customer service once I voiced my concerns. The general manager called me personally to apologize for our experience. She reviewed the video of our incident and made notes on our sons file to make sure he was placed with a teacher that I would feel comfortable with. She also gave us a free voucher to make sure we didn't have to pay to try out a new teacher. Our second visit was fabulous. He had a new teacher she was very warm and welcoming. They had another teacher on standby Incase she needed assistance. They also positioned a life guard right with his class for an extra set of eyes. This made my heart so happy. To have my concerns heard and validated as a mother means more than they know. Very happy to continue classes here great communication and customer service. read more

Big Blue Swim School - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My 6 year old son has had 1 class here so far and I must say, it is great! I highly recommend if you are looking for a swim class for your baby, toddler or big kid! The classes are only 30 minutes long and the times are very convenient. Plus, it's almost like having a private lesson as there will only be up to 4 kids per instructor. There is a nice waiting area where you can watch your child(ren) swim with tables for coloring and a train table. Of course this facility is super clean and nice because it's brand new, but I love how it is laid out. Each kid gets their own private changing room, no locker rooms, showers are in the bathrooms, plus hair dryers a plenty. Another great thing is the parent portal where you can log in and schedule everything right from your phone or tablet. We will be going here for several more sessions until the summer and if my son continues to love it and excels, we may do more! read more

We had switched over from a different swim school to Big Blue because my daughter was plateauing at the old school, so we thought we'd try a free trial lesson back in February. It's been 6 months since then, and my daughter has learned so many new skills and can swim so confidently that she thinks she's a mermaid. We have to thank the wonderful instructors Samarah, Stephanie, Kyle, among many others who have contributed to the fun practice atmosphere that makes my daughter excited to swim every week at Big Blue. The one thing we really appreciate with the school is they evaluate the swimmers every week to see if they can test a new skill, or progress to the next level. And they have a flexible make up policy. Highly recommended! read more

My family and I have been going to Big blue swimming school for a long time, namely 2 years, and we are very satisfied with the classes and progress of our children, but in the last 7 months, my children are excited by the teacher Mr. Ros, it is nice to see how my children are engaged in swimming and they still fun, when my eldest son went to Bo2 it was really hard to find the disorder but we still found it thanks to the general manager Patrick and we are looking forward to coming next year because my children want to practice and adore their teacher Mr. Ros, thank you for giving us such emotions. Merry Christmas to you. read more

This swimming school is very good on assurance before you pay that your kids swimming schedule is base on your available schedule and your kids schedule as well. Which I talked to them about it and they said yes but when I check the next 2 following week everything changed they messed it up and my request day off so I can drop and watch my kids during their lesson is gone. So now how can my kids go to their swimming lesson when my day off doesn't work on your schedule and how about the money that I already pay, can I take it back and have a full refund? You guys failed my kids expectation and my effort to make time for this lesson and you just messed it up. read more

My son has attended Blue Fish Swim School since his six month old birthday. I was beyond impressed with the facility and the staff. However, during a make up lesson an instructor asked me to submerge my son under the water for three seconds. After some back and forth on what is appropriate and within the curriculum for Baby 1 lessons, she told me to do with what I feel comfortable with. After this, I brought my concerns up to the manager and wrote a review on YELP (not this one) that detailed exactly what happened and why I was concerned for young swimmers. The VP of the Company contacted me within 12 hours and wanted to discuss what happened and let me know that the swim school was completely revamping its policy for instructors that work with babies that include monthly training and check ins to ensure that someone teaching infants fully understood what was expected and appropriate for the Baby classes. After the incident, my husband and I decided not to attend anymore. After talking with the management staff and seeing their dedication to making their program the safest for little swimmers, we decided to go back. read more

I can't say enough good things. From the logistics side, you can start your child at any time, and their hours are extensive. You don't have to commit to "sessions" at certain levels. When an instructor sees your child has mastered a skill, they call over a supervisor to confirm, and your child's skills list is updated. When they pass a level, they start the next level the next week. Easy as that! Since they teach so many levels during every time slot, parents can often keep their existing time slot as their child progresses. They have a generous make-up policy as well (which has been helpful during covid times), and the app is super easy- just a few clicks and you have your make-up time scheduled. While I think staffing may have been challenging during the last year or so, my child has had a consistent instructor for I think six months now once she moved out of the first level. Out of the roughly eight or nine months she's been there, she's just started swimming without teaching tools (this school's philosophy includes teaching tools, unlike some other schools). Each child can progress at their own pace but I feel like 8-9 months from being utterly clueless to actually swimming independently (no floaties or anything) is pretty good! Other quick notes- getting in and out of class is very efficient; they have showers on deck, lots of dressing rooms, and hair dryers. Viewing room is huge; the facility is nicely laid out. If your kid lost their goggles they have some for sale that you can just tack onto your account. Front desk staff is always really pleasant too. Highly recommend! read more

First, the swim instructors are great. They're patient and seem to really enjoy working with the kids! What I don't like is the app and the front desk staff. On our first day I explained it was our first time and we didn't know what to do and they just said "ok". And we were left to sort of fend for ourselves. It would've been nice if someone explained the programs to us and any of the rules. Second, the app is awful. It signed me up for a weekly time slot when I wanted to just do drop ins because we have a hectic schedule. And it is difficult to make changes without contacting customer service. I think we'll be finishing out our lessons we paid for and trying somewhere else. read more

At first I thought this place was great. We signed up when it first opened, the facilities were new and clean, class times were convenient, instructors seemed great, and our daughter seemed to really like it. However things changed after a few months. The facilities are still great, times and make up availability was great, but the instructors and flexibility have dropped off. The classes are very scripted and by the book in how they teach- while this might be a good thing if the child is picking up a new skill, its a problem when that one approach doesn't click with a child. I watched my daughter go from confident to frustrated when week after week they kept telling her the exact same thing which she continued to not grasp. There is no individualization if their method isn't working. Instructor consistency was also a major issue- there was a month long period were we had someone different every lesson. read more

This place does not take Covid seriously. I have tried to resolve numerous issues with them and none of them are resolved to full extent. We were notified that we were exposed to Covid last July and then they took no responsibility for all of us testing positive. Their pool then closed on and off for the next couple of months because they didn't have enough staff that was healthy to Open the pool. We were going to be out a lot of money so decided to give it another try this week since we are vaccinated and once we got there there are no additional safety procedures at play. No plexiglass in between lanes. No distance between classes. I requested a vaccinated teacher but they said they couldn't give us that information. However, all the Covid procedures at goldfish are much more reasonable and that is where we're going to try next. read more

They are flexible with changing days or time. Everyone is very friendly. The instructors really seem to care for the kids. read more

My experience over the last few months with Big Blue had been really great. I'm impressed by the management and the care and constant communication they provide parents. In a difficult pandemic world, they have really made things easy. My daughter is progressing with her swim And I'm super happy to have them in the neighborhood! read more

This place is truly amazing. We signed up for lessons when they opened and it has been great. Our son is 3 and autistic and his instructor Chris is the best. He really takes his time and works with him to be comfortable. From not wanting to go into the water when we first went to now asking to go swimming and running through the lobby to check is has been an amazing change. Our son asks when he can see Chris during the week and we tell him soon when we go swimming. We can't recommend this place enough and if you have a little one Chris is an amazing instructor for the child to start with. read more

We've been swimmers at Goldfish, Foss, and Bear Paddle. I cannot tell you how much better this place is than anywhere else we've learned. They let your kid progress at her own pace. At Foss, we were stuck in a level for 10 weeks at a time. If she was ready to "level up" after a week, too bad. She's stuck - or you can move to a terribly inconvenient time that has an opening. Here, you level up when you are ready to progress. My daughter is 4 and was bored at other schools, here she is challenged. She is actually swimming - not just singing songs and getting water sprinkled on her ears. The teachers are amazing. The classes are small. Also, YOU CAN GET IN AT TIMES THAT ARE CONVENIENT. If you've been to Foss, you know the drill, the registration window opens and the class you want is filled before you can click check-out. Here, you've got more options, a smaller student population, and a brand new facility. Also, the online parent portal is really easy to use. The facility is really spacious. There are probably 30 changing rooms - so you don't have to wait in line to get into a changing room after class lets out. There are showers on the pool deck and private showers in the bathroom. Hair dryers with step stools in abundance. The waiting area is awesome. You can chill on their wifi in decent chairs. Kids can play at the train table or color. The only criticism I have, is that the parking space lines were drawn too tightly. shrug. Seriously, if you want your kid to actually learn how to swim, this is a great place. I've never been happier with swim lessons than at Big Blue. read more

We have been bringing our 3-year old to Big Blue for several months now and have nothing but positive things to say. All of the instructors we've had have been excellent. They really care about the kids and making them comfortable in the water. My daughter just turned 3 so graduated to the class where parents aren't in the water. She was really fearful and clinging to me, but her instructor was so calming and encouraging and coaxed her in to the water in no time. In addition, the app is easy to use and makes cancelling class and scheduling makeup lessons so easy. I definitely recommend Big Blue. read more

We have loved our experience with Big Blue! My daughter was very nervous and cautious at the beginning and the teachers were so accommodating. They didn't charge us for 2 lessons that my daughter just sat at the edge of the pool, too scared to go in. They worked with her at her pace until she was ready. She now loves her teachers and is so confident in the water. Seeing teachers that genuinely care has really meant a lot to me. read more

Took my son, on the spectrum, for his first class today. They staff were so wonderful. They were patient and understanding and made my son and me feel so welcome and at ease. Can't wait for the next class! read more

My granddaughter started out at Dolphin at 18 months, then Foss for several years. The best thing about Big Blue is that the swimmer has the opportunity to level up whenever they are ready. We just started there a month ago and she just leveled up yesterday. Love that. Great facility. Agree with one of the other posts that parking spaces are pretty snug. Very happy so far. read more

I took my 2 year old granddaughter for swimming lessons. Miss Mikala is outstanding and she has progressed rapidly. Everyone is very friendly and helpful. Could not ask for a better experience! Highly recommend! read more

We chose Big Blue for our son's swimming lessons and they exceeded our expectations! The facility is clean, welcoming, and the instructors take the time to get to know your child's individual needs. Scheduling is a breeze and their website is extremely user friendly. We highly recommend BIG BLUE SWIM SCHOOL! read more

We've had our son enrolled for 2+ months at Big Blue. I would encourage you to consider other swim schools. We first tried the free trial where we were given real-time swim updates via their app/email. Towards the end of the trial an employee came to review our son's swim stengths, weakness, etc. Seemed great...but it was all down hill from there. Not once in 2 months of paid lesssons has an instructor or other employee given us any feedback on our son's lessons or engaged us in any way. Our son had a different instructor all but one week so there was no continuity or chance to progress. The one time our son had the same instructor over the course of two weeks we could see his progress and confidence growing. All the other lessons consisted of just the same one or two exercises that were practiced on his first day. To make matters worse, 3 of our last 4 lessons were cancelled 30-60 minutes before the start time. Very frustrating when you're weekend day is planned around these lessons. During one of our make-up lessons the instructor clearly had no experience teaching at Big Blue. Our son's instructor was asking the instructor in the next lane/class what they should be doing, which went on for the entire lesson. My son's first words to me after the lesson were "my teacher didn't know what they were supposed to be doing". This was the last straw for us. I twice called to speak to a manager about getting a refund for the remaining make-up lessons that were provided to us because of the cancelled classes. Both times I explained the above experiences to the person answering the phones and they dismissively said they don't issue refunds for missed lessons....these lessons were cancelled by Big Blue and were not missed! Not surprisingly, a manager never called me back either time so my next step will be to contact my credit card company to fight the charges on my account. read more

This swim school is AWESOME! Small class sizes, individual instruction, friendly staff, great scheduling options, clean environment, and fantastic social distancing standards! Pricing is very fair with great referral perks!!!!!!!!! read more

Great neighborhood swim school for our child. Instructors are really great - our child has learned so much while there.

Fantastic swim school! We couldn't be happier with Big Blue Swim School! After trying out other swim schools and classes in the area over the years Big Blue is heads above the best choice for our family. The instructors and staff we met were all very enthusiastic and our kids loved it! The facility is brand new and spacious and has lots of dressing rooms for changing after class. As a parent I liked that I could either watch my children swim from the main viewing area or I could watch inside the pool area as well. Great job Big Blue! Looking forward to our next visit! read more