It's a good place to learn how to swim for the little ones .! I seen my kid improve a lot, in a little time .! A lot of coaches too in this facility.! Great staff . I give 4 stars just because sometimes they spend time fixing googles , it can take them ( 5 minutes by doing that , looking at the time ( clock wise) too I se them a lot .! In every minute count for me .! Instead of checking the clock they should focus more on starting the class. read more

Not a great place unless you don't have other options. Both Gold Fish and Big Blue are designed to keep you in the program and paying money by having your kids make very slow improvements, but not really to teach them how to swim as quickly as possible. They get hung up on micro movements and use it as an excuse to stall progression. It's rediculous. Off the two we did like Gold Fish better. This issues is was particularly pronounced when we brought our daughter to swim lessons in another country. The approach was night and day. She learned more in two lessons there than she did in 20 lessons at Gold Fish. The teacher even pointed out that our daughter hadn't made much progress in one year since he had seen her last. Gold Fish is a racket. They will teach your kids to swim.... eventually. But you are much better off putting your kiddo in a different swim school or in another activity they enjoy. Note: we did share this concern directly with management last year. It resulted in our daughter magically being passed to the next level... which her instructors had stated she was ready for weeks prior, but the "tester" refused to pass her. We again spoke with the "tester" this time and expect to hear back from management, but like last time it won't change their business model or practices of keeping you in the program vs. teaching kids to swim efficiently. read more

Been there three times. Great facility, the pool is designed specifically for kid and divided into zones for children in different age. Warm water and warm air so great for winter time. There are clean changing rooms at the entrance, open shower area by the pool. Staff and coaches here are nice. The only thing I wish could be better is the class duration - classes are 30mins, icl. 5min warm-up and 5mins wrap-up so the actual learning is only about 20mins... since the school has a packed class schedule, students need to get out of the pool as soon as the class is done. We may consider another facility later this year where we can stay in the water a bit longer. Nevertheless, it's a good place to get the kids acclimated to water at a young age. read more

*** I'm so tired of companies like your claiming that they are trained and ready to work with kids with special needs when they aren't!!! thank you for the generic response. Since you claim to provide the staff with training that supports children with special needs then I would recommend that you improve the training your staff on training children with special needs. Your actions say everything. Every single interaction we have had has been confrontational and very apparent that your staff doesn't understand the first thing about children or early childhood development. You have 5 staff standing around barking at my 3 year old to sit still instead of using them as resources to redirect unwanted behavior. Multiple times my son was seated next to a bucket of toys outside the pool and expected to not touch them while waiting his turn. Very unprofessional and discouraging. You have to realize that when you constantly yell at a neurodivergent child or scold them, the less likely they are willing to listen to you. They have different sensory needs, they do not communicate in the same way. I have to include here and Juan and Allen understood how to care for my son. Apparently, the only staff that had issues with my son were the ones that never worked with him- Matt the supervisor, the manager, instructors Abby R, Michelle C. The whole purpose of starting these lessons was to improve his social skills and help him gain confidence. Instead, I have to tell him we cannot go swim anymore. Thanks! read more

Definitely not for us. It's a factory for swim lessons. It's super busy and pretty overwhelming to little ones. The teachers aren't very consistent or stable and they insisted on my 2 year old staying in a lesson alone without me (not allowed on the pool deck) while he screamed his head off for 45 minutes. I highly suggest looking elsewhere if your kiddo isn't older read more

I am extremely happy I enrolled my daughter to this swimming school. She had her 1st free class prior to Covid shut down. I was a little sad but I'm glad they opened back up and they are taking all social distancing measures very serious. I feel pretty save and my daughter's teacher is amazing with her! Thanks Kendal for having the patience to teach my daughter! read more

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

My daughter needed to gain confidence swimming without a life jacket and we tried this facility out of convience. The swimming pool area and floatees are clean and don't reek of chlorine. Shower divider is made of glass overlooking the indoor pool. Restrooms, locker room area, and changing area separates from the swimming pool area. Depending on the age and swimming level of your child under 12 years old, monthly cost is either $90 or $120+. The professional staff, esp the lifegaurd, focus on both fun and safety. Always can make up a class missed within that week without a penalty. We especially love the daily family swim, which is included in the membership. Family swim another activity for my daughter and I to bond and away from hot temperatures. My daughter's swimming coach encouarges each lesson to build on present skills that makes her come every week. Based on one of the employees, that their program os so effective that each level of advancement is on an average of 3 months. read more

I'm a retired swim and water polo coach and am extremely picky about how my sons learn to swim. Goldfish has blown away my expectations with their amazing staff and developmentally focused swim curriculum! I can't imagine having my boys learn anywhere else and the staff have always been so friendly and helpful. The whole facility is always clean and I especially love the progress reports they provide so that you know how your child is advancing in their swim skills. read more

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

My son does Swim Force here 2x a week and he really enjoys it. (We do wish they had more times for Swim Force). It's not as tiring as other Swim Clubs in the city but they do a great job at working on fundamentals (strokes, flip turns, stamina). Also during Covid quarantine and limits, we feel safe. Chairs are 6 ft apart, children are spread apart and parents and staff wear masks read more

I feel sort of "Meh" about Goldfish. I wanted to love it. The facts: Goldfish is literally the assembly-line equivalent of swimming lessons. They have it down to the science, moving large groups of kids through lessons every 30 minutes on the dot. There are a lot of class times to choose from, so there's a good chance you can make the classes work with your schedule, even as a working parent. The good: The facilities are great - they have a ton of changing rooms, bathrooms with kid-sized toilets, showers with soap, hair dryers, swimsuit drying machines, basically everything you need. They have toys and a fish tank in the waiting area so siblings can be entertained while their brother/sister is in lessons. After each lesson the teacher gives you a brief (30 second) overview of how your child did, what they should continue working on, etc. So there is some feedback provided which is nice. Everyone that works there is nice and friendly and seems to be generally good with kids. Our experience: Our first lesson experience wasn't great. This is, of course, just an anecdote and I'm sure wouldn't happen to everyone. What happened is the first instructor just dunked my daughter (who has been terrified of putting her face underwater, which is why I brought her to lessons in the first place) with little warning. She ended up in tears and wouldn't finish the lesson, and didn't want to come back. When I told the front desk what was going on, they asked me if I had told the instructor that it was her first lesson. Um, no? I figured they had that in the system... we signed up for a Level 1 class. I never would have thought I should tell the instructor, "oh by the way this is my daughter's first lesson, please don't just dunk her". We were able to convince her to try again with a different instructor. Roxana is the new teacher and has been great with my daughter and careful about pushing her too far. But because of the situation, my daughter now refuses to go with any instructor other than Roxana. The bad: The lessons are 30 minutes long and are 4 kids per instructor. Sounds great right? Well the problem is that your kid won't get 30 minutes of instruction. They will get about 7.5 minutes of instruction. The instructor takes each kid one at a time, while the others wait near the edge of the pool. Then the instructor brings that kid back and takes the next kid. All the while the other kids just wait their turn. I would love it if they did exercises with the full group of 4 all together so that all kids are doing things for the full 30 minutes. Or at the VERY least if the waiting kids were told to hang onto the edge and kick their feet while they wait, or something. But they just stand there waiting. So since it's one at a time, each kid really only gets about 1/4 of the total time. So I feel like it's really expensive for essentially under 10 minutes of lesson per child. Also, their website for booking classes is not great. Needs a complete UI/UX overhaul. Just thinking about going back on the site to sign up for more lessons has me considering other options... read more

Amazing swim school PRE covid for 2yo all the way to competition. I am so impressed by their Covid work. The level of detail and thought shows clear health experts helped to develop this. Temperature screening, queue outside, face shields in the water for teachers, masks, flow of people in and out, and Even DOORS OPEN for airflow. This is simply so well done. The school is a better and safer experience with 3/4 fewer students, more room, more personalized instruction for my 7yo (who is swimming amazingly well). Nice work. I am so impressed (this is coming from a health care provider) read more

Our family went for an open swim, and enjoyed our time there! It is a beautiful facility and super clean. Set up great for families with the individual and family size changing rooms. Lots of toys for the kids to play with in the pool. Water was warm too, so thankful for that! The check in process was just okay. Seemed like the staff was a bit confused we were just there for an open swim, otherwise great! read more

This place is awesome and so much fun! All of the staff are solely concerned with the safety and well-being of your child. The amenities are clean and well stocked. In between swim classes there is a little congestion with access to changing rooms, but a surprisingly ordered line forms and moves quickly. If you have questions, staff or other patrons are happy to help you. We will be back! read more

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

Unbelievable! First off, I can say, the swim force class is a good class. His first class about 2 weeks ago, nobody introduced themselves to us, kind of robotic, he is already on a swim team but their pool is closed. Then, booked for another session, accidently with Goldfish-Roscoe Village, wanted to go to another Goldfish so I emailed and asked if I could do that, they said yes, but I would have to disenroll him, ummm, he only took a "casual" class, what was there to disenroll? Then when I called them, told them my situation, the girl put me on hold and talked to her manager, came back on the phone and told me they cannot transfer the money. So to clarify I repeated it back to her, "so your telling me that although I have emails saying you would do it, now you are saying no?" Then she said, "yep". Wow. read more

I'm not giving Goldfish Swim School 5 stars for their facilities, instruction, or even how quickly my daughter has progressed from being a nervous swimmer to mastering some skills in only two months. Although all of these would equally get five stars from me any time we've visited. They get five stars because today they made a mistake and corrected it quickly and efficiently. There was both a lane change (different class location) and instructor change without any prior notification. I get it, things happen, but with a three-year old who is used to consistency, it was a challenge. I couldn't get her into the class with out a struggle that wasn't worth the battle. I expressed my concern to Amy, the floor supervisor. She handled it professionally and with complete understanding. After about five minutes, it was clear that the class was going to be a bust. She informed me that she had already spoken to the manager and he was ready to schedule a makeup immediately. He was polite and understanding. I feel awful for not remembering his name, but he was equally wonderful. Within a few minutes, not only did he reschedule us, we were also able to salvage the day with going into the next class time with Issac. I don't know if Issac knew of our situation or if he's just an incredible instructor every day. He had a very grumpy three year old smiling and laughing within minutes. Amy even came back to me during this class and explained exactly what happened again and followed up with an additional apology. What could have been a disaster of a day ended up to be such a great experience. My kiddo is excited to come back to class next week with a brand new instructor. Their customer service is what I think sets them apart from other children's programs. At no point have I ever run into a staff member that isn't 100% focused on helping the kids have a great experience. We were big fans of Goldfish, and after today we're even more! read more

You know you've found someplace great when every time you walk into a place your kiddo exclaims "I'm SO excited!" He's been taking swim lessons at Goldfish a little over a year now and every week he can't wait to go in for his lesson. In the last year I've watched my son (who loved the water, but had no real swimming experience) float on his back, blow bubbles in the water, dive to the bottom of the pool and now he swims short distances on his own. Goldfish teaches in a fun, no-pressure way so kids of all ages and abilities are comfortable and confident in the water. A few weeks ago I watched a little boy who was around 1.5 - 2 cry and fight getting in the pool. So the instructor sat on the side with him and they played with pool toys. They dipped bowls in the pool and sprinkled water on each other's heads. They splashed from the side and then when the boy was relaxed and comfortable with both the coach and the water, he was seamlessly lifted into the pool and was happy as can be. Even though that wasn't my child, I was so touched and pleased with that approach. No forcing the kiddo to do something he was scared of; just working with the child on his level until he was ready. This is a place that really gets kids and how they work! read more

Facility is brand new. Everything is cater to kids - individual changing rooms, water temperature is always at 90 degree, kid-size potty.... etc. Perfect place to take my four-year-old boy to learn swimming. My husband has fun swimming with my little guy, too! read more

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My son has the lucky (or unlucky, you decide) status of being born to parents who are avid swimmers and love the water. So you can just imagine how important it was to us that he learn to swim. The only other formal swim instruction he's had is via British Swim School a couple years ago. I found BSS a nice intro, but because I can only do so much instruction with him in the pool now too, I think Goldfish is perfect for where he is now with his activity level (non stop energy) and his social skills (chatterbox). Goldfish is a swimming instruction machine. With daily classes all through the day going on year round, it's easy to see how they are churning out successful swimmers. Safety does come first though, so you can imagine my delight to see instructors getting CPR renewals completed when we arrived for our first class. The pool is also stacked with lifeguards and they are really observant. All levels are welcome too. Each lane has an instructor with a small group of kids to ensure some dedicated 1:1 time. Goldfish does not mess around with swim instruction...I saw kids as young as 4 already swimming freestyle and learning backstroke. My almost 5 yr old son has only had a couple lessons and is already swimming a modified freestyle 5 yards without a float vest. William's instructor knows how to get the kids to try and keep trying, even if it's new skill. To do that in any learning environment is tricky, but in the water? That's pretty amazing. But the best part was seeing how much fun the kids are having too. The space is clean, very bright and inviting with a goldfish/beach theme. I love that there are warm showers for the kids to rinse off. AND private changing rooms with enough room for parent and child. Some of those rooms are big enough for strollers too. Hair dryers and lockers/cubicles available too. Goldfish is pricier than your park district lessons, but seeing the successful swimmers, seeing how excited the kids are when it's their turn to line up for class and knowing that my son is learning a valuable skill, the $ is worth it. read more

My son had 5 lessons of fun and then he suddenly was scared and crying. I was ready to quit but I saw the Goldfish staff work as a team. While teacher Tony was teaching my son's classmates, there is one staff who sits with my son and talks to him (which my son enjoys). My son is still crying but I was assured by the teacher that he is willing to work with my son. I am very happy about how well they handled the situation. Definitely worth every penny! UPDATE: Because my son started pre K 3, I had to move his class' schedule. As much as we wanted to keep him under Teacher Tony, but we couldn't make the schedule work. My son ended up with Teacher Renee, and she is wonderful. I am impressed that the teachers are very patient and would use different approaches to ensure that any kid would love swimming. read more

This place is great for kids to learn how to swim. You walk in and you feel like you are in a warm beachy climate. It's welcoming for the kids who may have some reservations about swimming. My 4 yr old son took lessons for the better part of 4 months when he was 3.5 yrs old and he's still quite scared of the water. I'm not putting that on Goldfish as we tried changing instructors and both were actually really good...but something is just not clicking and I'm not a swim pro. That's what I hired GF for. We may give it another go and re-enroll in hopes that a few months older will help my son to feel more comfortable in the water. I'd give it 5 stars if make-ups were easier to schedule. read more

We switched from Blue Dolphin - which I didn't have anything against but we won a certificate in an auction. The set up is light years better for a baby, individual changing rooms, diapers, larger pool. You also get a free bag and a cute tee shirt. The lesson seemed more structured and they provided a nice hand out. Oh and it has a parking lot! Needless to say we won't be going back to Blue Dolphin. It's a dollar more and a dollar well spent! read more

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

I don't live in Chicago anymore, but I wanted to check it out on a recent trip back to the midwest. What a neat place! I loved the colorful atmosphere, the large space and, of course, the warm pool. I wasn't expecting the air temperature to be so warm, but I the California girl in me liked it quite a bit. My girls both took lessons and quickly took to their respective instructors. I really like that Goldfish is a curriculum based swim school. I've had swim instructors in the past who didn't follow a specific outline, where each lesson seemed to be very flexible and relaxed, so I appreciate the structure. read more

This place is the absolute best! They take excellent care of the swimmers, recognizing birthdays, individualizing needs , etc. they had our scared little 3 year old swimming In a matter of weeks! I couldn't believe the progress he made! read more

We are big fans of Goldfish! First, I just like the logistics of the place. After trying lessons at gyms around town, I just like the ease of getting in and out of Goldfish. Showers by the pool, changing rooms of various sizes. I also love the parents' waiting area. You can see your kid in his or her lessons without sitting in the heat yourself. They also have toys for siblings who aren't taking their lesson. We also take advantage of the open swim times. As for the lessons themselves, they keep the kids moving, so they are working, learning and having fun the whole time. Two other quick notes: we did a birthday party there and got huge compliments! It is one of the best spaces for a private party in the city. Also, the owners have been supportive of community efforts around the city. We also appreciate that. read more

My 16 month old goes to the mini 2 class with Ariana as the instructor. My son absolutely loves it here. It's the highlight of his week. Everyone is very friendly and Ariana is a great and fun instructor! read more

Hello...its me again! Time to update to give my current review. We signed up our little guy 6 months ago for the Mini 1 class. Our daughter has been in the Mini Junior class for 6 months as well. We love that our instructors are constantly giving us compliments on our little ones accomplishments as well as strategies to help our little fish improve their skills. My daughter is always so excited when she receives a ribbon from her instructor. We love that Goldfish updated their curriculum and is committed to excellence. Such wonderful staff always answering questions and saying hi to the kiddos by name. Overall just a wonderful experience for kids and I'm excited that my husband and I found the Golden Opportunity for our daughter and son! BTW Goldfish, do I get a ribbon for all the new family referrals I have given?! LOL read more

We Love Goldfish and our teacher Denise! Classes are fun and our 9 months old loves it. We have been attending for a bit over a month and our son made such a huge progress. They teach you how to make babies comfortable with water even at home. Our son is no longer scared of water during shower. He is not even scared of diving under the water. Songs during exercises make his comfortable and familiar with swimming task that is ahead of him. I recommend this place to all parents who want to start swimming classes for their kids as soon as 4 months! read more

So far so good.... My 3 year old just started independent beginning classes here.....independent meaning she is not clinging to her parents for dear life. My daughter loves the idea of swimming but is terrified of water:) So we spied on her at her first class from behind a pole and I was very impressed with the instructor and her ability to be gentle and assertive at the same time. She handled my screaming banshee wonderfully ! Bless her. On a different note, the facility is very child friendly, clean and fun. The place is full of mostly happy children. The pool is big and busy. They have lots of interactive materials to coax even the most reluctant children. A little pricey, but we'll worth it to teach my kid future life saving skills. read more

I just withdrew my daughter this past week and we're switching to the Evanston franchise. I've been taking my now 11 month old to Goldfish's mini 1 class since she was 7 months old. In that time we've gone through 4 instructors, none of which bothered to learn her name (the class has less than 5 kids). Despite this, we kept on going because I really enjoyed doing this activity with her. But I can not handle the disorganization of this business any longer. No one seems to be in charge and the staff (especially the front desk) doesn't have any training. One time they had one of the instructors who teaches the older kids sub in and he had no idea what he was doing (and that just felt unsafe). I finally threw my hands up when every single class for the last month has been exactly the same, same songs, same activities, no new skills. It didn't used to be like this! So yeah, we're done. *The administrators note is making my exact point. See a lack of attention to detail. We had been attending this location and are switching to the Evanston location because of our frustration. read more

In a nutshell... There are a lot of classes out there for little kids... and teaching toddlers ballet or hip-hop is pretty awesome (and hilarious), but if you have to pick and choose what to get your kids involved in, I don't consider these essential. Learning to swim is an invaluable skill, ESPECIALLY for young children. Goldfish is a top notch program (and this is coming from someone who was a swimmer, swim instructor & swim coach). Great things about Goldfish: THE RESULTS: My 2 year old asks to go to "waters" every day now (I'm working on her vocabulary...). FLEXIBILITY: Change the level, time or day of lesson pretty much as many times as needed. MAKE UP CLASSES: Reasonable number of them & will let you try out other levels. PRICE: Good - especially compared to cost of other toddler classes which can be ridiculous. (Why does blowing bubbles & dancing with scarves have to cost so much?!) FACILITY: (It's pretty cute... beach theme) Fun area to watch lessons (things for siblings to play with). Nice dressing area to get them ready before & after. They even offer swim diapers if you forgot yours. THE STAFF, aka THE MOST IMPORTANT THING: Staff is enthusiastic, friendly and seems to be well-trained. Lots of serious lifeguards on deck at all times. Class sizes are small so the kids get attention. They work well with demanding parents. THE ONE BAD THING: The parking lot is the pits. Has the narrowest spots so don't drive your SUV or minivan if it can be avoided. And get there early if you come during evening hours. read more

Our kiddos have been going to Goldfish for years. We won't go to another place for lessons! We have done parent & baby classes and our kids have taken classes on their own. The facility is great - any place with parking is a huge plus for me. The water is always super warm!! This is amazing especially if you are taking classes in the winter. Plenty of seating to watch your kids while they swim. Train table and coloring tables if you have other kiddos waiting for their lessons. The staff are always friendly and remember my kids names. With the exception of maybe one coach, my kids have loved all of their coaches. I do have a few minuses which warrant the loss of one star: + There is a fair amount of turnover, I am assuming because the coaches take the job over summer break from school or maybe during the school year and they live elsewhere. However this does mean they lack consistency for the students taking lessons. For example, my son was told in May by his teacher at the time that in a few weeks he would be bumped up to the next level. Well that teacher left, and he's had two different coaches since, neither of them seem to think he's ready...so my son has been a bit discouraged lately. I don't want him to move up when he's not ready - just bummed with the mixed messaging. + Scheduling - if you have multiple kiddos, it can sometimes be a pain to get them scheduled in the same half-hour window. The staff will do their best and if you check back with them for openings you can usually make it work, but it can sometimes take a month or two. + It is VERY busy on the weekends and there can be long waits for the changing rooms. Going during the week is a much more relaxing experience, which we do. + Of course they sell candy and snacks. Sometimes that is GREAT if I've forgotten a snack and we've come straight from school, but usually it is a giant fight with my kids at the end of every lesson about the candy. + I also wish they would have some rules about food in the waiting area - maybe designated tables for snacks. My daughter has food allergies and there are constantly crumbs all over the coloring tables so we have to be careful. + There are signs posted that say your child should remain in their bathing suit in the open shower areas, yet some parents just ignore this and there are naked kids - not just babies, older kids - running around! I'm not a prude but I do find it uncomfortable. I wish someone would talk to these parents and remind them of the rules. + There are also some parents there who don't really keep an eye on their kids while they are waiting for lessons. Kids sprint back and forth through the waiting area practically plowing over other kids and adults. It would be nice if the staff enforced some no running rules since the parents seem checked out. All of these "cons" aside, my kids love going and they have improved immensely in their swimming skills! My kids have become little fish and love swimming at our local park district pool and at the beach - with very little fear of the water. We will keep working our way through the levels at Goldfish for sure! read more

very rude staff, they preach flexible scheduling but then through the policy in your face when you try to just schedule make up sessions.

Absolutely love this place. My son went from sinking to swimming in less than two weeks of the jump start clinic. He's been taking weekly lessons for about 1.5 years now and he skills are amazing. The coaches are wonderful, caring people who are truly focused on the kids' advancement. The pool is always warm and the entire facility is always clean. We couldn't be happier with our experience at Goldfish Swim School in Roscoe Village. One suggestion- You should have offered Coach Steven S. all of the riches in the world to stay ;) My 6 year old son literally fought back tears when he got the news that Steven was moving on. He actually took the time to talk to my son on the phone and gave him his personal phone number to call in case he ever needed anything. What an awesome young man to care so deeply and to take so much pride in the bonds that he's made with these kids. We couldn't have asked for a better coach and we wish him the best in his future endeavors! Goldfish hires only the best coaches! read more

Do you ever answer the phone there? I need to reschedule a lesson and have been calling all day and left a message. Pretty irritating

My kids are ecstatic about their swimming classes! The teachers are really nice and very helpful. The establishment is always clean. Both my kids were scared of the water, however their teacher made these fun classes to make the feel more at ease. Now they swimming! read more

My daughter looks forward to coming here every week! The facility is beautiful and always very clean. The instructors are friendly, happy and encouraging. I'd highly recommend it. read more

The staff is just amazing. Ana, Jesus, Joel, Elsa and Steven. They always greet you with a sincere smile. Now I know Jesus thinks he has the best smile...lol; but all kidding aside. A smile, eye contact, willingness to help always goes a long way. These people are there. Elsa had a few minutes to help me with invitations Though she knew where her priorities were With her job at Goldfish. I have recommended alot of neighbors to Goldfish. The classes are just we need in form of activities. Goldfish is thee B E S T!!! read more

My 2 year old took swimming lessons here for 5 months and loved it. We recently moved to California so she's no longer taking the class but I'm so glad we gave this place a try during the winter. The instructors are hands on, friendly and make it a fun learning experience. My little one is so much more confident in the water now and always looked forward to going. Another reason I enjoyed it there is that it's clean, top priority. read more

All the instructors are great. Nick has been awesome and patient with my 2 year old who cried the first two weeks. Now he loves swimming. Hevert and Megan are so attentive and make swimming fun and my kids work hard in their classes. We have been making up classes lately and all the teachers we have had in our make-ups have helped my kids even in just one class. The facility is clean and the whole staff is very friendly and helpful. read more

I highly recommend Goldfish Swim School, however, please BEWARE of the instructor SAM (a woman). My daughter has been taking lessons at GF for many years and we've had a great experience, so, when my son was 2 /12 y.o., I signed him up for lessons and we got Sam (based on time convenience). Unfortunately, Sam was awful. During my son's second class, she (and another instructor who was training with her) held my son's head under water for 5 LONG seconds. Do it now. Count to 5 slowly. Now pretend you're a two year old who doesn't understand what's going on. Of course, my son started crying uncontrollably afterwards and I had to take him out of class early. When I talked to Sam and asked if he could just not put his head under, she said (in a very bit#*y tone) "Going underwater is a part of swimming." In other words, that's how it's going to be. Period. I also watched her mock another child when she was coughing after going under water. I was totally horrified. Unsurprisingly, my son thereafter hated swimming and going in the water and I was so upset, thinking Sam ruined swimming for my son, but luckily, I talked to another GF instructor who was equally horrified and said that forcing kids under water was not their policy and she would never do that because it could end up doing more damage than good. So I switched instructors and now I tell them all (we've seen several due to make-ups and having to change classes when he turned three) that he doesn't want to put his head under and they ALL respect it. So, in sum, Sam is a bad instructor (mean, uncaring and unqualified), but there are MANY very good instructors there. Here are some of my favorites: Michael, Elsa, Matt, Isaac, Miguel. So, I do recommend the school as long as you stay away from Sam. read more