They swim only like 5 yards for little kids, don't challenge them. They made the biggest progress when I took them for swim myself. Money wasting experience. read more

Updating my review because I need to give some love to our amazing teacher Crystal!! We took the fall & winter season off from lessons since we would be out of town quite a bit and end up missing classes anyways. We started up with lessons again in the spring and needless to say we regressed quite a bit. Luckily for us, our new teacher has been so supportive and encouraging to our 2 year old. Our first lesson back was pretty rough with lots of tears, but Crystal encouraged us to keep at it and not give up. Over the last four weeks, our son has become so much more comfortable in the water. Crystal has cheered him on the whole time and always moved at a pace he is comfortable with, while slowly encouraging him to try new things. She has been so patient and encouraging, and he has grown to love swim again!! Thanks you Crystal for getting us comfortable in the water again! read more

Excellent, patient and caring teachers. They have consistency in who teaches your child week to week as well which is not what we experienced at another swim school near our house. We'll gladly drive farther for a better facility and teachers. read more

Every single one of these five stars is directed at our kiddo's instructor Crystal. She's the absolute best. Crystal brings awesome energy, patience, and care to teaching our lil one all about the water and swimming. The facilities themselves are great- very clean and well laid out- but honestly all of my warm and fuzzies are truly dedicated to Crystal read more

Foss has a lower rating than Goldfish? That blows my mind; it seems like they have a curriculum and are trying to teach it. That seems like the definition of a good swim school. Facilities are generally clean. There is variation in experience based on teacher though; some are very conscientious and pay close attention to "your swimmer's" specific needs, others treat the class more homogeneously and that can impede development. I like that they allow makeups, but their makeup policy is bad. (1) you have to have missed the class to schedule a makeup, (2) you can only schedule a week out, (3) the makeup times are generally awful ("I can offer you 10:15am on a Tuesday or 7:45pm on a Friday"). (Regarding a number of the 1* reviews: I do think though, that similar with the idea of this being a school that teaches certain skills you need to master to pass, you might have to come to grips with the idea that your child is NOT mastering them IN SPITE of the teachers making a good effort to teach them in a group setting. Look, I'm super type A, it drives me CRAZY when they tell me my child needs more time in the level...but I also want them to learn to swim, not drown while wearing a badge that says "I know how to swim"). read more

Horrible customer service and shady business practices. My son had an illness last year so I was told I could cancel my session and apply the credit to a future session. I was never told the credit would expire. When I contacted the school to book my session and use the credit as promised, I was told it had expired and that no exception could be made. Very frustrating experience and not a good way to build a relationship with a family looking to invest in a swim school. I decided to take my business elsewhere and to a school with more integrity. read more

I want to share my deep disappointment regarding my son's recent swim inconsistent evaluation. He took extra classes for his opportunities and according to Jonathan's assessment, he met the stated expectations for his level. However, I was surprised to learn that the recommended solution was to enroll him in additional classes at his current level again. This feels inconsistent with the evaluation results and raises concerns about the criteria being applied. As parents we trust that evaluations are conducted fairly and transparently. When the outcome does not align with the assessment provided, it creates confusion and impacts my confidence in the program. I also reached out to supervisor, and so far nobody has reached out to us to explain his evaluation process. read more

Our instructor Estella was wonderful! She was extremely encouraging with my son during his classes. Especially helping him overcome his first day jitters. If he was struggling she was very supportive. She would give him tips or suggestions. She's extremely personable and just made the class enjoyable. The curriculum is great; I was able to see progress throughout each session. I was grateful she gently challenged him without being too overbearing. The facility itself is updated; water temperature is warm, plenty of showers and of dressing rooms, always clean, and ample parking. Front desk is welcoming, an overall friendly atmosphere. I would definitely enroll for another session. read more

See all

We love this place. After trying a different swim school we found this one upon referral from a friend. We found buying a series is the most effective way to ensure we are consistently able to take the kiddo to classes. Overall the curriculum seems to be helping the kiddo to improve week over week. The staff has been incredibly friendly and helpful. The facilities are clean and layed out in a practical way where it is not completely chaotic between classes getting out and classes starting. read more

My son has been going here for 5 years and since Covid this place has deteriorated. The instructors are new and hit or miss. The billing dept constantly messes up and the manager shows up whenever they feel like it. This place is horrible now read more

This place has been so annoying recently. Pros: if you get a good instructor and your child meshes well with that individual, things proceed relatively well. Some of the instructors are solid. Cons: If you don't get a great instructor, the organization will *not* do much to help you. It's unclear who's in charge. There are different "managers" at every shift, and they don't all provide much useful assistance. My biggest gripe: parents get practically zero feedback on how their children are doing even at evaluation time. Your kid might be stuck in a particular level, and you'll have NO IDEA WHY or what to do about it. You are given practically no information about how to build skills outside of class time (ie, in a pool with your child). So progress can be slow! Classes can be large (as many as 4 children), and half an hour goes by quickly. Are private lessons the solution? They're expensive ($100 a class), and they will only book private lessons during off-peak hours, so that's incredibly inconvenient. Miss a class? You can receive a voucher to go swimming at some other time, but it's really hard to redeem them! They might open the pool once a month for this purpose! You have to register separately for spring, fall, and summer sessions. That means that you have to be very much on the ball, next to your computer at 10 a.m. on a random weekday. Hard for working parents. This place has potential, but right now, the whole thing is an exercise in frustration. read more

We've been customers for the last 5+ years across my 3 children. Today, my wife showed up for our scheduled class to find out they were cancelled due to weather. The manager answered the door, instantly copped an attitude, then ultimately slammed the door in my wife's face and locked it. Disgusting display by a manager. Will not be returning. read more

Can't speak to actually attending the swim school because their registration process is a hot mess. I registered on the first day spring classes/times opened (2 hours after the "go live time") and plenty of classes/times available. They make you select a first and second choice but don't tell you if the classes are full (one would assume if it's showing up that it's available...not the case). I didn't receive a call until a week later notifying me that neither my first or second choice were available and the waitlist was 40-50 people long. There was no way for me to switch classes sooner or get higher on the wait list (no transparency on how it's actually created). It's a mess of a process and honestly not worth the effort - go to another school that uses a more updated system and is more transparent on sign-ups. I'm baffled that I tried to sign my son up 2 hours after it opened and find out a week later that it's full. read more

Love this place. My son loves coming here. Thanks to his coach "Mr. JIM" who is super awesome. My son always has a hard time getting comfortable with his instructor since he only spends 45 min a week. We have been to Gold Fish and some other pool but ever since we joined Foss (I think it's Mr. Jim), my son loves to swim. The place is clean, ample parking and there are so many routes to get to this place. The water temperature is super warm, so many changing rooms, not like goldfish where there is a line which is simply ridiculous. The front staff is friendly and overall I like the atmosphere. You must put this place on your list. read more

See all

My niece takes lessons here and my son just did a trial lesson. He was SO happy and has begged to go back ever since. He didn't like the competitor OrangeFish haha at ALL. This place is super clean, organized and well trained staff. read more

We've been taking our oldest son here for years. Now our youngest is taking classes as well. The staff is incredibly friendly, and the instructors keep the kids focused and motivated. I've seen them persuade a dozen reluctant, crying children into the water. If a kid swallows a bit of water, they talk them out of the fear and quickly get them back to swimming. Oh! And they're great at teaching swimming. Which is probably what I should have started with... read more

We have been swimming with Foss for 5 years. They were great at the beginning lessons and good at teaching toddlers. But my recent experience is very disappointing. Their assessment staff is intended to make assessments very strict and make you to repeat the whole session over and over. They even won't give you opportunity to try for next level if they think you are not qualified. They are not flexible to adapt to individual need in their group lessons either. You have to repeat what you have already know. They won't give you opportunity to practice your own technique if it's not that day's curriculum. It's very rigid. read more

Irresponsible COVID protocols! We have had hit or miss experiences with Foss (some good teachers, some not, a lot of dragging out of having a kid pass a level to stretch out the number of classes needed). We have been a COVID cautious family, but as Chicago infection numbers fell, we felt it was important to return since it's a life skill and their protocols sounded as good as they could for something like this. Unfortunately, we received an email today (and confirmed with the Lakeview location via phone) that they have now removed the mask mandate for vaccinated individuals. They are not requiring proof of vaccination though, which puts all of the risk squarely back on the kids they serve who are almost exclusively too young to currently be vaccinated. Such a disappointing and unnecessary choice for an indoor environment serving young children. read more

We've been taking my now 16 month old to swim classes here since he was 6 months old. We've really had an overall great experience. They have great instructions and my son has always taken to them quite quickly! That's so great when working with children. The facility is clean and everyone, including the desk are so friendly and welcoming every time we enter. I can see the progress my son is making! The reason for 4 stars- it's pricey. I didn't shop around so I can't compare pricing to others in the area but it seems a little high for what a one year old really gets out of it. It's also reallllly hot in there. Prepare yourself if you are on the outside watching! I know it's so the kiddos stay warm but wow. Overall, worth it and we won't be going anywhere else! read more

Used to love Foss, my son had been there taking lessons since 6 months, but their mask policies are pathetic. It infuriates me that they would not follow scientific guidance on what to do and saddens me as well. Masks are highly recommended but not required for students and their families and shields and coverings are "provided" for employees. Just really disappointed. read more

We love this place. My now 3 year old and now 5.5 year old have taken lessons at Foss, YMCA and Goldfish and I like Foss place best. The pool is extra warm and shallow throughout, build for swimming lessons and not for lap swim (both like Goldfish). They have a glassed in play room that you can sit with another kid and watch swimming lessons without being in the pool area (also like Goldfish). Where Foss does differently and better: They have classes on the 15 minute increments, so you don't have crazy rushes for the changing rooms. They have 2 bays of showers and 3 entry ways to the area so even in/out of the pool area is easy. The best part though, is as a parent you can sit and watch your child's class. The instructors are amazing, engaging and just the right amount of pushy to challenge a kid without scaring him off (one of my kids started with a huge fear of putting his head under water from many ear infections and in one 8 week session he was so much better and early in his second session he's swimming under water). They have sessions, so it's easy to switch times if you want. I can see in advance the different ages and levels of classes online, so I can schedule both my kids at the same time, because there is no way I'm going to trek to swimming twice a week and just have another kid in tow. I also like how I'm greeted every time I walk in by someone and I like how they similarly greet us as we leave. It's easy to ask questions of the person at the desk and it's really easy to park. One thing Goldfish does that Foss doesn't is show off the kids progress at the end of every class. But since you can watch the whole class it isn't that big a deal. read more

So far great experience ! My Daughter started lesson last month and it has been great. The greeters in front are very welcoming. The phone reception is always very helpful. The facilities are clean and updated. The instructors are great so patient and effective in their lessons. My daughter looks forward to her lessons. read more

Bad customer service. It seems like the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing. the teachers are fine (we liked two of them but they are never available) but the administration is horrible. They promise to call back and never do, have several different answers to the same question and I guess the worst part is that they don't have their teacher assignments set till AFTER the session starts. And I have alerted them before that these are all problems, but they just don't seem to change them - maybe they can't, maybe they won't. All of these will make me look for a different swim school for my daughters. And that's too bad, because they do have competition. Foss, you have finally LOST our family. read more

This is a great place to take the kids to learn to swim. We currently have our 7 month enrolled in a beginning swim class. It's more about just getting her comfortable with the water. Charlie, our instructor is really great. He makes some of the more advanced activities, like getting our daughter under the water comfortable for us as well as her. Clean and well run facility. read more

I can not say enough good things about Foss Swim School in Lakeview. They are so well organized and incredibly accommodating. The instructors all seem to have a way to make the swim class do much fun. Our child was not a fan of swimming at all (rather scared) and she literally went from fighting us every time she went into the water to talking about swim class and her instructor everyday. She gets so excited when it is time for swim class and she practices at our pool and in the bathtub so that she can improve between classes. I do think all sports are wonderful for kids but I swimming is really a life skill. I feel we have found the best place for our child to learn to swim and would recommend them to anyone! Our daughter has made so much progress and while having the time of her life. A dad couldn't ask for more! read more

Foss needs to improve its registration process. Registration opened at 10:00 Wednesday. I signed up for lessons at 10:00 Wednesday. It looked like it went through and my account indicated my order was " pending." The system even took my credit card. My account remains "pending" today. I have since learned that I did not actually get the spot. However now all the spots are gone. WTF. I would have taken another slot had I been timely informed that the one I signed up for was not actually available. How about you guys get a system that only allows you to sign up if a spot is open? Insanity. Busy parents don't have time for this nonsense. read more

The Plymouth Foss, unlike the Maple Grove Foss, has a dangerous situation in the way the end of the pool is marked. Kids can not estimate the distance to the end of the pool during a backstroke. This can lead to head injury This is fixable, and the Maple Grove Foss has fixed it using inflatable toys hung from the ceiling There is the standard row of flags but that signal is calibrated to accommodate adult safety. There are no adults swimming in this pool, only kids with a wide range of speeds, sizes, and situational awareness. I've spoken to the management several times as well as to teachers. Teachers seem to understand this problem, management blows me off. That is the only problem with Plymouth Foss, but it is a very serious concern. read more

I have tried number of different swim lessons with my children, and by far they love this place, and my youngest one finally started swimming here. He has had swim lessons for 2 years before, but always had issues with the place or instructor, or 'being bored.' But he loved it at Foss from the day one, and wants to keep going back. Their pool sizes are tiny and a lot of lessons go on at once. That means kids are all confined in a little spaces splashing. Their deepest end, I don't think is deeper than 4 ft. So I wouldn't recommend this place to older kids or advanced swimmers. But it's a perfect place for little ones to learn to swim. Their instructors are all so happy and energetic. Very very nice to kids and talk to the parents about personal progress after each lesson. read more

My daughter has been swimming at FOSS since she was 6 months old, she is now almost 3 1/2. It is truly amazing what they are able to teach infants, toddlers, then truly little people. Every week you can see progress and even moreso when they make a huge leap and a skill just clicks for her. In general the teachers have been amazing. Has every teacher been an A+, no obviously that is not a realistic standard. Every teacher has been good and had the skill set necessary to handle the level the children are at. I couldn't review the school without pointing out an interaction I had with management and then corporate. There was a time where they instituted a new curriculum for Backfloat Baby 3 which my daughter was taking for the second time (kids can stay at the same level for a year because certain transitions are age based). They changed the class to add more variety of activity but also added a lot more down town between the circuits. I expressed my concerns to the manager who listened and forwarded my concerns to the corporate office. They called me and we discussed it. They were honest and friendly and let me know I was not alone in my concern. By week 4 they fixed the issue. read more

My kids have been swimming here since they were 1 year old. It's been a great experience for 5 years so I'm sad to write this review. Last month there was a trainee shadowing during my son's swim class. The trainee was clearly falling asleep in the water throughout the class and needed multiple prompts from the main instructor to wake up and pay attention. I witnessed this also during the class right before my son's as we were waiting to get into the pool. The main instructor of that class had to splash this trainee and tell her to "wake up" multiple times. I reported this safety issue to the staff and was surprised that they didn't immediately pull the trainee from the water. I wouldn't have said anything else but this morning we came to swimming and the trainee is now running classes solo. It is horrifying that FOSS has allowed this person to be in the water with children after she has been seen falling asleep during her training. We continue to swim at FOSS but I'm really disappointed and will pull my kids from class if they ever end up with this instructor. read more

I love this place. I enrolled my two older girls, ages 3 and 5, two weeks ago. They've spent three full sessions in Chicago Park District swim classes but simply hadn't made any progress. Both love being in the water -- fear is not their problem -- but could basically only float on their backs with assistance after all that "instruction." After two lessons at Foss (two 30-minute sessions), my girls were jumping in (with their heads going under), putting their faces in and kicking on their own, and basically having the time of their lives. We're in the third week of a twice-a-week Progress Builder Camp, and now they're swimming completely on their own. That's after six lessons. This place is amazing. The techniques Foss uses are gentle, encouraging, and developmentally appropriate for each level. The pool is very warm, and the teachers are experienced swimmers who have a terrific manner with the kids. They're fun, and my kids love them. The only downside for us is that we live in Hyde Park and have to drive to Lakeview for lessons! If Foss could open a location on the south side, they'd have business like crazy. read more

Love love love this place! The teaching methods work and they work well. The teachers are great and patient. I saw a manager work with one child that didn't want to get in the water for a solid 15 minutes and he was successful! Prices are high but totally worth it. Tried the ymca and it was basically hold your infant and play with these toys. Foss starts with the real stuff right off the bat. I was a little nervous about submersion but it works best when you just start that out right away. Best investment. read more

I had my two daughters joined. My 9 month old and my 8 year old. We loved the instructors, the atmosphere, the cleanliness of the establishment, but what turned us down was the water temperature in a Sunday afternoon. The water was so cold, all the students, parents and instructors were trembling. The babies were crying, and they still conducted classes like that. Needless to say my two daughters got sick. Specially my baby. When I asked at the front desk what was going on, I had believed that they advertised warmer water temperatures, they excused themselves saying that the water needed to refresh itself, that this happens every so often and that they have no way of knowing when it happens. They have no control over it!! I am so disappointed. We have tried different places and had thought this was going to be a winner. Sadly, we were wrong. read more

I'm usually not one to write reviews unless there's something extraordinary about a place or a product. However, I am compelled to write a review for Foss because our family just absolutely LOVE this place. Our daughter started swim class here over the summer. She is a preschooler so we started her in the Little One class. Prior to starting class she was absolutely TERRIFIED of the pool and water. I was skeptical also because we used to go to GoldFish when she was younger and we ended up quitting after 9 months to one year because I wasn't seeing much progress and it was getting difficult in the winter (there was always long lines for change rooms when we got out of class and she was always cold). And now that we are at Foss, we are absolutely amazed at her progress! I can't say enough good things about them! I have no idea how they do it! Our daughter LOVES coming to class so I never have trouble getting her out the door. The instructors are enthusiastic and great with kids. The front staff are accommodating and friendly. The facilities are always clean and well kept. I never have to wait for a change room and most important of all is that our daughter is so happy every time she comes! Because our summer session went so well, we decided to sign up for the fall session. Unfortunately, due to a number of unforeseen reasons, we were not able to get the time slot that could accommodate our schedule. So guess what? Foss opened up a class for us at a time that would work with us, and then put our daughter with her favorite instructor!!! They are so flexible and so accommodating it's unbelievable! This is really a business that takes care of their families and understand how busy life can be when you have little ones. We will never go anywhere again! read more

Our son has been going here since he was 2 yrs old. We previously did swimming at Goldfish since he was a few months old. We moved to be closer to our house. I love the teachers -- they are excellent with the kids especially when they don't always want to swim. The registration process is definitely wonky but once you get over that - you will have a good experience. They even provided us free private lessons to help our son progress faster to the next level. read more

We have been taking my now 2 year old son here since he was 6 months old and love it. The pools are very warm, which makes it comfortable for little babies to get used to water. The groups are small, up to 5 kids in the group. At our age parent/adult is in the water with the child and class is 30 min long. The instructors are generally very engaging and enthusiastic. One small downside is , that while you do get to pick your date/time of the class you do not know who your instructor will be for the next 3-month session, when you register. I wish you could select the instructor, as we have been coming long enough to have our preferences(Jack and Andrew have been amazing!). In general though they are all pretty good with kids. If you miss the class they allow you to use it towards the open swim ,which at Lakeview location is on Fridays. read more

This place is great. Everyone is so accommodating and was super helpful. My daughter never had lessons. The instructor was amazing. Patient and very kind to her. The staff helped me with any questions I had. I would really recommend this place. Best priced from other swim schools and parking at the lakeview location is great. The facility is really clean and I like that they keep the place and water very warm so it's comfortable during winter session. read more

I am sitting here as I watch Kevin take my extremely swim-resistant son into the water 15 minutes before his swim class begins-just as a warm up to the session. I cannot believe how amazing these people are. I am convinced my son is the most difficult child they've even seen (Foss disagrees of course) but literally they are the best. So patient and they all work well with hesitant, tolerant and strong swimmers. We have had Lily and Sarah and both we amazing. Kevin always comes into our session because my son does not enjoy the water. They get him in each session and make it fun. They're always coming up with new things to do that cater to my son's likes. Couldn't be happier! Thank you Kevin, Sarah and Lily! read more

My son is currently enrolled in a baby back float 2 and he likes the lessons very much. His instructor Ms. Victoria is great. She makes it fun so he really wants to learn how to swim without any assistance. Clean facility with friendly atmosphere. read more

Our son just started at Foss. He is a very shy and timid kid. We tried other swim lessons for him but he was always too afraid to get in the water. During the first level setting, the instructor did a wonderful job of making our son feel comfortable. She played silly games and quickly got him comfortable in the water. By the end of the session he was jumping in and dunking his head in the water. We were very impressed. I'm excited to see how he progresses. read more