Best Swimming Courses For Babies In Washington Near Me

Lauren Coonen: I took my 8 month old here for his first swim class. Tyra and Sydney were the instructors and they were excellent! They were knowledgeable and friendly. At this age your just getting your baby used to the water. Bouncing them, getting their ears and face wet, holding their belly’s and encouraging them to kick. They had toys and a large floating surface for the babies to take turn playing on. Highly recommended!

Aja Shabazz: Jennifer was very helpful and understanding! Great small business

Katherine Ruth Holloway: My children's SafeSplash swim instructors kept their lessons very focused. Both children had impactful 30 minute private lessons. As a bonus, the pool is nice and warm. One of the owners is a former Olympic swimmer! Both owners have a true passion for swimming and teaching kids to swim.

Amanda Gilman: My children came to swimming at a later age, 9 and 10. Safe Splash was absolutely perfect for them! They were able to learn together in a non competitive environment with caring instructors. They both loved learning to swim, and my son overcame his fear of the water! After a year, they both qualified for swim team! I cannot recommend the company more highly!

Ashra Maude: Our children have been taking classes with SafeSplash for a few months now and we are extremely delighted with their progress. The coach has been wonderful and nurturing with them. The staff is supportive and fun to be around. We were, at first, a little scared to start swimming lessons because of the pandemic, but the owners, Michael and Jennifer, have done a tremendous job at following the safety protocols that ensure everyone can enjoy swimming safetly.They are communicative, flexible and just lovely people. We highly recommend SafeSplash.

Kristen Arbuckle: SafeSplash has been so great for my kids, my kids have improved so much. The staff are well qualified and good with kids, and take COVID precautions. My kids look forward to going and come home feeling good about themselves. With pools closed this summer, I was worried they wouldn't learn to swim, which I think is a very important skill. It was nice to be in a nice indoor pool during the summer, and I think it will actually be great to be able to continue lessons past summer.

Autumn Glenn: We've had such a great experience with Safe Splash for the last few months. They are wonderfully patient with the kids. My daughter went from afraid to get in the water when we started to jumping in just two months later. The staff has always been friendly and helpful. Right now instructors and other adults on the pool deck are wearing masks, and they're being great at temperature checks and providing hand sanitizer.

Eleanor: My family has very much enjoyed being a part of the Safe Splash family. Our daughter has relished her time in the pool each week and has grown so much in confidence and skill over the last year +. Safe Splash's instructors are kind, patient, and eager to teach and be a part of our children's growth. During the global pandemic, particularly, Safe Splash has gone above and beyond for its students, caretakers, and instructors with all necessary precautions. Each class remains physically distant from the other and times of entry are staggered and regulated appropriately as well. They have also made clear their adherence to CDC regulations - every adult in the pool (instructor or parent) as well as around the pool thankfully wears masks at all times. The transparency and effective communication between Safe Splash and its clients is also greatly appreciated. Even with these measures, the children are still able to focus on their lessons and have fun in the water safely. The safety of everyone involved in each class (as well as hotel guests and staff in the building) is clearly of utmost concern to the School. We are so happy to continue to be able to take part in Safe Splash's fantastic lessons and look forward to many more years together! Thank you!

Gen R: SafeSplash has been amazing for my 3 year old son. He has been taking lessons for nearly 2 years and has made so much progress. He is now very comfortable in the water and has started to swim on his own. He always loves his instructors and they have been really great about helping him come out of his shell. They are very supportive and encouraging and let him go at his own pace while still challenging him when they know he can do it! We LOVE SafeSplash and are so grateful for the care they put in teaching our son how to swim and be safe in the water. THANK YOU! They have also made sure to be very cautious when it comes to COVID. Our son is in a class with only 1 other student who we know and who’s family is as careful as we are about taking precautions. We are also so grateful that the staff is willing to wear masks to protect our children.

Caitlin Clark: We have been with Safe Splash for over a year and are so happy to be back safely after time off due to Covid restrictions. Not only have the owners been incredibly transparent about all the precautions they are taking but the instructors have been so reassuring to my twins who were excited but nervous to start back up again after months off from lessons. I highly recommend these swim lessons. They teach children how to swim in a very thoughtful and strategic way.

Melissa Kaplan: I’ve been taking my daughter to Safe Splash for years and it’s been an amazing experience. The instructors are kind and encouraging, making the lessons productive but also a fun experience for my daughter. The owners, Jennifer and Michael, run their business with care and professionalism and are clearly invested in making the experience valuable for their clients. The price is a very good value compared to other swim schools in the area. We love Safe Splash!!

Shawn K: David at WeAquatics is a phenomenal swimming coach for infants and kids. We started working with David about 4 years ago when our first son was about 10 months old after David had been highly recommended to us from a friend who had herself 3 boys who he had coached. He was extremely pleasant and friendly and took things on a gradient so that my son warmed up to him after a few sessions- and he was totally willing to work with us on our input as parents because seeing our kid get accustom to swimming as new parents was terrifying :) After that, we had David back each summer after to teach our 8 month old daughter and then the year after for our second son- and he gave touch up lessons to the older ones too. It all worked out great and Dave was totally cool and flexible on everything from schedule, to multiple lessons, etc. We actually just had him back again this summer for another set of touch up lessons- he really is committed to doing what it takes so that our kids ended up as confident swimmers. Thank you David! ML, The Kimmels

Kimberlee Simpson: We had already tried 5 other rounds of swim instruction in various other states before landing with WeAquatics in Alexandria, VA. The ISR lessons with WeAquatics were by far the best swim instruction we have received. After 6 weeks both of our boys can rescue themselves if they were to accidentally fall in the pool. My 4 year old can actually swim and is working on strokes now. My baby loves the water and is so proud of himself that he can flip over and float. Both kids are confident in their skills and there is really no price you can put on the value of their safety. If you are on the fence about the time commitment just go for it! It is so worth it!

Diplomatic ERA: We initially tried other swim schools in the DMV and were less than impressed with the level of instruction and lack of progress we saw in our son’s ability to learn how to swim. We felt like the classes for small children/babies consisted of parents in the pool with their children doing a lot of splashing, playing, singing and just about everything other than giving our son swim skills. Not that playing with your kids in the pool isn’t fun, but we don’t need to pay a swim school to do that. Anyway, all that changed when we found We Aquatics and started classes with Mr. David. We started with the ISR lessons and within the first week we saw great progress. Since then my son has mastered ISR and is now working on perfecting different swim strokes. Mr. David is an exceptional teacher and his calm demeanor, expert knowledge and teaching skills makes this the best option in the DMV area for swim school. The other instructors are also top notch. Our only regret is that we didn’t discover We Aquatics earlier!

Hossein Noshirvani: David and his team are courteous professional and are quite frankly amazing at what they do! Next step is turning my toddler into the next Michael Phelps!

Tanya Smith: The staff were great with the kids and very pleasant.

Anthony Slade: Goldfish is awesome. Love the confidence that this helping my son develop. At first in the infant classes, the quality of the coaches was pretty inconsistent. But now he’s in the toddler class and, Coach Jess, is amazing! Highly recommend Goldfish to any parents that want to keep their kids active.

Alex Navarro: My children have been attending swim lessons here for nearly a year. The facility is great. It’s always clean and they have everything you could need. There are changing rooms, showers, blow dryers, and even a bathing suit dryer that spins the water out of their suits before you take them home! The staff is just lovely! They always welcome you as you walk in the door and every instructor my child has had is absolutely wonderful. They are so great with the kids and make them love swimming. We had only planned to go for the summer, but my children did not want to stop because they loved it that much. Now the reason I did not give goldfish 5 stars is because there is some room for improvement. One, the app is great and shows where the children are assessed on different skills at each level, however my children’s scores have only been updated once. They have clearly mastered skills as they’ve moved up levels but it is not reflected in the app. If they have this great tech, I just wish they’d use it. The lessons are also a bit pricey and they don’t really get as much attention as I’d like because the classes have up to 4 children who take turns with the instructor. So in actuality a 30 minute lesson is more like 10 or less minutes of actually swimming per child. Lastly, using your make up tokens is nearly impossible at times. They only open a week before so it’s difficult to plan and some classes never seem to have any available makeups. Overall, we do like this swim school and will continue to go because the staff and instructors truly care about our kids (shout out to Mr. Alex who is awesome!)

kathy yang: Nausea even think about the goldfish this brand name. Greedy, sham. They used lots of beautiful words and smiles to tempt you to join. But once you join, things became totally different. All the promises turned out just liars. Too much deceiving and misleading. They also have huge turnover. Don’t trust this brand. I can’t believe you paid over 30$ for half hour only get this kind of service. BTW, under no circumstances they will refund you. Because you signed the unfair contract imprudently under being deceived. There are many other swimming schools in this area. Safe, clean, and honest, with dedicated teachers who has passion with teaching, who can actually help your kids make continuous progress. Way better. Not a group of students here occasionally to make some pocket money. Again, stay away from Goldfish commercialised swimming school

Jacob K: This GoldFish Swim School is very good, how the environment is decent and clean, instructors are very patient and caring. Recommended to all.

Danika Denzer: We had such a great, accommodating experience at Goldfish Swim School! Miss Grizelda took my 4 yr old from zero to swimming by herself in just a few months. She went above and beyond as a teacher and really put her at ease. My daughter looks forward to class and we love her confidence in the water!

Pam Johnson: Goldfish Swim School-Alexandria: Swim Force is DANGEROUS for Children Our six-year-old son successfully progressed through all of the Pro Swim levels at Goldfish Swim School-Alexandria between 2019 and 2022. We were very pleased with the high-quality instruction he received and enthusiastically enrolled him in Swim Force. Based on our son’s success with the Goldfish approach and our positive experiences with the Alexandria location’s swim instructors, we expected nothing but good things from his participation in Swim Force. However, based primarily on a Swim Force instructor’s abusive and unsafe behavior toward our child in May 2022, we ended our affiliation with Goldfish Swim School-Alexandria. Details below. In an incident during a poorly managed dodgeball game in the pool at the end of Swim Force on May 15, I witnessed a swim instructor (who probably weighs at least 250 pounds) grab my six-year-old son’s foot in the pool, pull him under the lane line, hold him very tightly with one arm around my child’s torso, and forcibly move my child against his will to a different part of the pool. My son yelled several times in protest, “Stop!” and was visibly upset and alarmed by the instructor’s unprovoked act. Despite my child’s multiple pleas, the instructor continued to tightly squeeze my son’s mid-section, encouraged the other children in the pool to, “Get him!” and threatened my son several times, “I’m going to make you a hostage,” all of which confused and frightened my child. Though the incident happened quickly, I am certain there was absolutely no justification for the instructor’s aggression against my son. As soon as the instructor released his grip after roughly 20-30 seconds, my son got out of the water and met me at the exit from the pool area because he was afraid for his safety. As his mother, I was afraid too. In the changing stall at Goldfish, during the car ride home, and at home with my husband, my child made it crystal clear that the instructor had hurt him physically and emotionally. My son cried about the instructor’s physical abuse that caused him pain in his mid-section for the rest of the day. My child expressed fear and anger about the instructor’s violent behavior. And my son repeatedly said that he did not want to return to Goldfish, a place that he had previously viewed as the “fun, friendly team environment” touted in the company’s promotional materials. Goldfish’s guiding philosophy claims to be rooted in “a safe environment and learning through guided play at any age." But the May 15 dodgeball game and the instructor’s physical abuse of my child were neither safe nor guided. Even before the May 2022 incident with the swim instructor, my husband and I were concerned that Goldfish’s advertised safety standards—which were consistently applied during Pro Swim lessons—were not applied during Swim Force lessons at the Alexandria location. On multiple occasions, there was no dedicated and properly equipped lifeguard on the pool deck. Also, the ratio between students and instructors was often unbalanced, with the lane for the least advanced swimmers lacking consistent adult supervision. Finally, my husband and I were very concerned that during the “free” period at the end of every Swim Force, many of the instructors left the pool area to prepare for closing at the end of the day, or engaged in rough horseplay with each other in the pool instead of watching the students. Plain and simple, Swim Force is dangerous for children. Based on the instructor’s betrayal of my family’s trust, combined with the lackadaisical attention to basic water safety standards during Swim Force at the Alexandria location, we will never return to Goldfish. Never.

Erick Nemec: So far it has been great for my toddler son. Her current couch, Lily is great and very encouraging. My son loves his class and I can see how fast he is improving.

Val G: Nice set up. COVID safety conscious which is great.. Instructors are good and friendly.. Easy and free parking. Not a great value for the amount of time spend with each child. Extremely expensive! Private lesson prices for group classes.

Malika Salim: Initially I posted a review regarding my opinion on the assignment of instructors. After a very lengthy discussion with one of the owners, I must say I was extremely impressed, not only with his patience with me, listening to all of my concerns; some he adamantly disagreed with, and others he took into consideration. I have totally changed my mind AND my review. Thank you for hearing me out, and making me rethink my opinions, and realize some were based on emotions, not facts. A sign of a good, sincere, customer service oriented owner.

Anastasiya Sidorova: Aquamobile and our instructor Carla G was awesome during the entire process. I signed my 3 year old daugher up for swim lessons mentioning that it was her first time and that she felt "too comfortable in the water." I asked for Carla G as the instructor and she was awesome! She definitely has a way with kids, teaching them proper breathing and swimming in a way that is memorable and enjoyable. My 3yr old (after only 4 lessons can swim half-way across the entire pool now!! I would have never expected that. Thank you Carla G! 5 stars!

David Silver: In 5 days, Ray helped our five year-old son develop his swimming skills to the point that he can swim across the pool. We recommend him highly!

Devin Iannone: Great communication at first, and very responsive. But, after three weeks of attempting to narrow down our 10 session dates with them I kept receiving last minute cancellations. My last email to them was never responded to. They take your card for their files at the beginning of the process so hopefully nothing is charged! Was so excited to have someone come to the house for my 11 month old lessons, very disappointed :(

Eric Hanson: The gym is a "hidden gem" in Dupont Circle. Small but has everything you need. Off-peak hours discount avail.. The whole gym will be yours if you go before 4pm. Ms. Howell is really nice.

Angela Obstein: Anything I’m saying has been observations while visiting or things I’ve heard from workers that has led me to write a review on the preschool here. At this school, there seems to be a lack of structure. No staff or employee seems to know what is going on on a day by day basis . This can be observed just solely based on how the school is ran. The vibes of the people are a little off and it seems to be a very messy place. I don’t personally think students benefit much from it. There doesn’t seem to be a curriculum / lesson plan that ACTUALLY teaches kids 123’s or ABC’s , you know, essential things young kids need to move forward. I had an opportunity to speak to a few workers and the following are complaints or concerns : future well being of kids( due to no lesson plans and no school discipline - apparently you are forced to deal with outrageous behavior), the work environment ( apparently it is a very “messy” place and it shows ), and also, the overall future of the school ( with the lack of structure it is hard to know what will happen)

Heath Stewart: I tried calling to reserve a racquetball court and they were very unresponsive. I wanted to play racquetball and was fine with paying the visitors fee. After many phone calls and several voicemails they finally answered their phone but then did not help with what I was calling about. All they tried to do is push buying a membership. I was very disappointed with their service to say the least.

Lisa Paquette: The DCJCC overall is a wonderful place. First, the gym was recently renovated and has good equipment. They also offer a nice variety of exercise classes such as spinning, zumba, body pump and more. The best part about the gym is that the price of membership is less than that of other gyms in DC, so you really get your monies worth. The JCC is also a great venue to see shows or attend any of the other awesome cultural events they host. The staff are friendly and welcoming. You feel like part of a great community!

kira xamashi: Why you didn't fix the operating mode. The web site contains information that you are open. In fact, everything is closed. Absolute disrespect for visitors.

Nicole Lohr: Saw a play here and it was a great, intimate playhouse. Friendly staff.

Alison Rubin: Awful unfriendly place unless you have money...

Sam Greenberg: Great, friendly resource.

אלי מגן: (Translated by Google) An excellent community center for everyone. (Original) מרכז קהילתי מצוין לכל אחד ואחת.

Cpuglia11: This school had very poor Covid-19 safety protocol and even worse customer service. I pulled my daughter out shortly after enrolling her the instructors only wear disposable masks which are wet for several classes. They don’t enforce any kind of mask requirement for parents in or around the pool and they don’t sanitize toys or tools used between classes. After loosing my mother to Covid I wasn’t comfortable with their lack of safety protocols. I have called and emailed for over a month with no avail and continue to be charged.

Trina C: Great staff and great value for the price! The adult classes are fun and easy going! I never felt intimidated or embarrassed and kids leave the pool when it’s the time slot for the adults. After a month, I was actually swimming! I would highly recommend!

Megan Majerowicz: This swim school is fantastic! Their program is extremely effective for teaching swimming and water safety in a fun way for kids. The instructors are always friendly and patient- They couldn't do anything better!

Stephen Majerowicz: We are so impressed with the instructors at British Swim School Patapsco Valley. The care they take with their students shows real dedication to teaching.

Adelaide May: I was so impressed by how great the staff is at British Swim School Patapsco Valley! They make the kids comfortable by providing a safe and fun environment to learn how to swim.

Plush threepeater But the picture is horribly taken: I love how the teachers have such patience. My son loves swimming and it is great that he is not afraid of the water anymore. Great school . People are great .

Rhoda Kroeker: The British Swim school/Patapsco Valley instructors are knowledgeable and so patient! My children look forward to each lesson.

Angela Renrick: After watching a class, it's hard not to get some of the songs BSSPV sings to the kids in your head! The kids absolutely love going to class and learning to swim!

Erin Majerowicz: The instructors at BSSPV are great! They make learning a lot of fun for the students!

Jacquie Frazier: Echoing review below. Business is non-responsive and has not communicated with clients regarding canceled classes, etc.

Ellie Liu: we paid $300+ for private lessons to your Sterling location two years ago. That location was permanently closed. We’ve been waiting for a refund for more than a year. Could you please get back to us, or should we go through courts?

Ryan Mercer: My 2 daughters love coming here. They ask all the time when they can go again. The building is very clean, the staff is friendly and helpful, and the instructors are great at watching the kids and keeping them safe. We love it here

Logan Matsushige: My son has been taking swim lessons here for 4 years, and he has grown from being a kid who was scared of the water to now one who will jump in any pool in the dead of winter. The instructors focus on technique and provide lots of one-on-one time with students due to their small groups. Whenever there has been an issue (e.g. we are out of town, we need to change the class, etc), Michelle and Rebecca are so responsive and helpful. We are lucky to have found this facility!

Julie Maxfield: We have been coming to the North Bethesda location for years. The kids have graduated from the structured levels to the 'swim team'. When they were younger, the smaller pool (compared to the county ones) was both warmer (a plus when your kid hates cold water) and not as intimidating. As they progressed, they were able to master free style and the complicated strokes due to the instruction provided. The coaches really enjoy their job and it shows with their interactions with the kids. When your child wants to go to practice, that always a good sign.

Sonia Novik: I’ve had my kids in Kids First swim schools for several years. First in Falls Church - a wonderful facility with great instructors; and then, when they closed during the pandemic, at Springfield - where the pool was a little bit small and crowded, but we continued to be very happy with the quality of instruction. We decided to move to this Bethesda location in order to coordinate with some other local activities and because we noticed the pool was larger and not crowded. Big mistake. Our 6 year old is in a private lesson with an instructor who appears completely disinterested and has yet to actually add anything to what she had already learned. Much worse, however, is what we observed in our 3 year old’s group class. The instructor was a young man who had no idea what he was doing. Going through various motions, but incorrectly ( for example, holding them on their backs to float, but without actually having them hold a position that will allow them to later float on their own) - and even worse than that, he would turn his back on the group for long stretches of time while working with one kid — and we’re talking about 3 year olds, without floatation devices, gradually bouncing up and down into deeper water. We felt like we couldn’t take our eyes off our daughter for a moment. We pulled her out after 3 classes and asked for a refund. We were told it is “against company policy” to give refunds and they offered to have a manager get in the pool with them for one class. Not good enough. We are paying for swim lessons from a knowledgeable instructor, not for an untrained person to watch our kids splash around in the water for 30 minutes — or NOT watch, in this case. Do yourself a favor and avoid this location, I understand why it’s so empty now. We’re heading back to Springfield.

Lydia W: This was my go to swim school. I’ve two daughters who are practicing at the one in N Bethesda. I used to recommend it because I was satisfied with most of the instructors standard of teaching and the clean facility. I had an encounter with a front desk associate yesterday that changed my perspective. My younger daughter who started at age four has been able to switch between instructors she’s comfortable with, at sign up. We did the same for this fall season. It’s usually hard to work the schedule with other activities my kids have but that’s on us when we get specific about which instructor we want to work with. This time we missed the first day of practice and found out, when we came back, that the instructor we chose had been replaced. I expect to be notified ahead of time, at least to prepare my kid. If that was not an option I would expect to be told when we get there for the lesson which didn’t happen either. I’ve even checked in at the front desk to confirm if we came at the right time mentioning the name of the instructor. The front desk employee ignored that I should be informed about the change. I went back to the front desk again to check what went wrong, when I found my daughter with a different teacher. Then only I was told that there was a change because there is a new special need student that signed up two days ago that this teacher has to teach, and also that they can not guarantee the availability of a requested teacher. That doesn’t sound appropriate. I had to work my schedule to align with theirs and they can’t guarantee a teacher I requested. I asked if I could roll over my account incase my daughter isn’t comfortable and they can’t do that either. Not to mention that there was no apologies what so ever. My daughter was ok with the change but Kids First’s regulation and my encounter, yesterday, with the front desk manager was a disappointment.

I-Wei Lee: Both of my kids graduated from this swimming school. Staffs are super helpful and instructors focus ed on teaching the kids techniques rather than just passing so kids could move up the levels quickly. Highly recommended!!

Dianez Pilon: I don't recommend the parent and me class. This review is for the parent and me class only. The noise level of the pool distracted my child and there are no refunds. If there an infant, they don't really pay attention to other kids, but toddlers look all around and are overwhelmed. There are no refunds, so I suggest taking this into consideration. Also, we are on the deepest end of the pool, so I have a small section to swim in because I'm 5'4".

Jessica Veffer: my daughter had attended several months of fun swim lessons at Kids First prior to COVID. we recently returned and she had a bit of trouble reacclimating- not sure if it was new (safe) covid procedures at the pool or just shock at resuming normal life stuff but Michelle spent significant 1x1 time with my daughter and helped reintegrate her to the class and achieve most of her level 1 benchmarks in stride! thanks to Michelle and the staff, we plan to return in the Fall with a little sister in tow.

Sofia Borisov: My experience has been good overall. But today unfortunately was the first day that my son started a next level and someone confused the schedules and ended up coming Friday at 7pm instead of 5pm. Although I had right to two make-up tokens because I pay for to sessions monthly, and I hadn't used any, the lady at the front desk denied me to use any arguing that she couldn't let me use any because I have to call beforehand. I understand the rules but I'm a busy patent and mistakes happen. My husband assures was their mistake and were told 7pm this week. Regardless a little flexibility would had been appropriate.

Megan Kvandal: This is a great swim school. My two sons are enrolled and my nephew and all have made significant improvements. My son started at 4 months and is now 14 months. He can get out of the pool independently, he’s working on his kicks and float, and going underwater for a quick dip. My older son is 10 and started this session and has mastered his front kick, back kick, and dive. Such a great value and an invaluable life skill!

Louise Chamberlin: We attended parents/infant classes about 2 years ago and knew KFSS was a nice and efficiently-run place, but coming back for classes now that our daughter is 3 had me really impressed. I know the facility has been updated since we came previously, I'm not sure exactly what but it feels new and very clean! I love the new check-in system (on iPads with a phone number, and it appears to record who is checking the child in for safety) and the staff members at the front desk strike me as friendlier - I've called a couple times with questions and they were polite and helpful, and when we came in today I was a little disoriented (my husband had brought her last week) but they were quick with a smile and directed me what to do. I was also surprised the person at the pool door already knew my kid's name (or at least deduced and bothered to greet her by name) and throughout the lesson I noticed that not only are the instructors competent and teaching the kids in a fun way, but that there were lots of people supporting and watching from the sides. It made me feel like not only do I trust them to keep her safe, but that she is getting a quality learning experience - at one point I was chuckling at how she was trying to go along with the instructions to lean her head back in the water while the teacher worked 1-on-1 with another student, but was not doing it correctly - someone else then leaned down to guide her, really making the most of every minute of her being there. I'm so glad to have KFSS in our community!

Amy Lee: Their covid prevention policy falls far short of expectations. After a coach tested positive, it took them 2 FULL days after the positive test to inform parents. When we questioned them, they quickly changed their timeline and tried to talk down the risk. And after we asked to pull our child out and get a refund, they said they can do a refund but charges a 10% fee. So we will let them have $6, in exchange for negative reviews everywhere. Overall very bad customer service, disorganized, and haggle with customers over $6 when they put children and their families at risk of Covid.

gina jackson: This place has been amazing! They are easy to work with for scheduling and make ups. Carly is super fun and engaging and my kiddos have learned so much! I highly recommend KFSS for swimming lessons!

Ellie Liu: Hi, we paid $300+ for private lessons to your Sterling location two years ago. That location was permanently closed. We’ve been waiting for a refund for more than a year. Could you please get back to us, or should we go through courts?

Natalia Padron: Kids First has implemented great safety protocols that include: wearing face masks, face shields for instructors, social distancing and continuous cleaning of high touch areas. They open the front door for you and apply hand sanitizer to anyone who enters the facility. There is a 10 minutes break between classes to disinfect all the facility included the pool area, from pool handrails to door knobs, changing rooms and bathrooms. I appreciate all their efforts and would definitively recommend them to others. Front desk staff is always friendly and very helpful with rescheduling missing lessons. Instructors are very knowledgeable. They bumped up my 4 years old boy from level 1 to level 3 when they saw he was above level. They have also been very patient with my 7 years old boy with short attention span. This is the only place where he has done great improvements, we tried different REC centers but larger pools made him anxious and the smaller class sizes allow instructors to engage more with the kids. My 3 kids are always looking forward to their swimming lesson and they really enjoy it.

Julia Davis: The staff at Kids First Swim School have gone above and beyond time after time for my daughter with special needs. They have her best interests in mind and will do whatever it takes to make sure she has a good experience in the pool. Costumer service is top notch and the swim instruction is great. I highly recommend Kids First Swim School to anyone.

Sabz: Staff is exceptional!!!! I’m very pleased with this swim school. Instructors are great and my kids love it! My daughter had lost her earring in the pool. It wasn’t a big deal, but the staff went above and beyond searching for it. Thank you to all staff for being so friendly and accommodating.

Roxette Caba: Went today for a tour. The young man who gave me a tour was very nice. The women at the front disk was not friendly or welcome at all. The monthly fee is outrageous for the YMCA! $109/month?! The facility is nice but not worth that much! Plus the whole mission of the YMCA is to be affordable and community driven. Overall very disappointed. I’ve been a member of YMCA in Massachusetts all over and it’s not this expensive and unfriendly.

Andrew Jacobs: Echoing the poor front desk service. I called membership yesterday and they encouraged me to show up today for a tour and three-day guest pass. When I arrived the front desk was skeptical of my call, asked me who I spoke with, at what time, etc. They said there are no such thing as three day trial periods. They also told me they couldn’t bring me on a tour without an ID on me (which I didn’t have because I ran over to the gym from my apartment). I was immediately turned off — they missed out on a member!

Ana Marioni: Very poor customer service from the front desk. As a nationwide Y member for 4 years, I have never been treated with such disrespect. Extremely unprofessional and rude. Overall the gym is great besides the front desk receptionists.

Gigi Mathews: Great facility, location. Since pandemic the schedules/classes are in disarray - very few classes offered now are at the weirdest hours for anyone who works during the day. Thursday - Sunday, when most people are relatively free, they have the least amount of classes.

g Bernard Wandel: Great, well managed urban Y I remember when they tore down the old one and created this space as a flagship to hold down the condos and the sprawl of 14th St They did so in the nick of time! Pleasant staff, pool, weights, classes, plenty of amenities including a sauna I am blessed I get to come here Out of town Y members: The AWAY deal here is less generous than in other urban settings It's $10 a visit Well worth it Perhaps as they get more established they can afford to be more generous

Claudia Fernandez: Was told that memberships were put on pause for the pandemic and then was charged full price every single month in the summer and fall of 2020, when gyms were not even allowed to be open. I didn't receive a single email, letter, or phone call alerting me that they had started charging again. Honestly this is such a scam. They kept charging despite the entire fitness facility being 100% closed for months, and despite the fact that they said both on the phone and on their website that they were putting memberships on pause. No clear communication on their website either.

Brian Bradley: I wouldn't recommend this gym. The trainers and floor staff are rude. You also pay over $100 a month. I give it two stars because the facilities are nice and there's a good number of machines to mix up your workouts. But your money is probably better spent elsewhere.

Andrei Jacobs: Well maintained but too small if you wanna get to a few pieces of equipment. Its a Nice community but smallish gym.

Erica Young: This Y is beautiful and has everything- sauna, hot tub, climbing wall, state of the art equipment, yoga classes, spin classes, body pump, kick boxing, culinary classes, etc. Literally everything. It's a beautiful building with a lot to offer. Further, this was named after Anthony Bowen, an African American man who wanted to create a place for low-income folks and people of color to have access to healthy living services. Low in behold, I came to find out the the gym is $91 per month (not including the joining fee). I would love to go here, but it is NOT realistic for many folks to go here in terms of budget. Super disappointed in the YMCA, as it claims itself to be a non-profit.

Sara Riley: The staff and teachers are friendly and have helped my daughter feel comfortable. The pool is warm, facilities and lockers are clean, and very kid-friendly atmosphere, and my kids love to look at the goldfish tank every time. We have been going for 6 months. My goal has been for my daughter to be able to swim to the edge of the pool so I won't have to worry about her drowning. Unfortunately I have not seen any progress with her swimming and she is still very hesitant to put her head in the water, and we have had several great teachers for her. I have seen other kids in her class progress and move on, but she still does the same drills every week with no progress. It's a wonderful program but it might not be for everyone.

cedric cherry: The facility was always clean and the staff was always friendly and polite. However we just didn’t see the progress in our son’s swimming ability. I get it, everyone progresses at a different rate but we think the issue with our son at this particular location was the high turnover rate with his instructors. We would see progress then bam, his instructor would leave and he would immediately regress and have to get used to another instructor. We went through numerous regular instructors in less than a year. I get it, people leave jobs and no owner/manager wants a high turnover rate, but it is what it is. Also with 4 kids per group per lesson the instructor can only spend a few minutes of 1 to 1 instruction per child. At some point we decided that spending money on private lessons for 6 months somewhere else would be better than dropping $1600 a year for 5 minutes of actual 1 to 1 instruction per class. Goldfish works for some kids but if your kid requires a lot of 1 to 1 instruction you may want to consider private lessons or at least a Goldfish location that offers private lessons

Denelle Robinson: My son has had an amazing experience. He looks forward to lessons every week. We were in another swim school for at least 2 years before joining GFSS and I wish we would have started sooner! And, even more important is the online customer portal - the convenience is unmatched!

Sylvia Bryant: My kids (1 yr old and 3 yr old) have been attending for quite some time. We have loved every minute of it. The organization and execution of the people matrix tin is the best I’ve experienced at a swim school.

Dani Sandler: Warning: This business makes it difficult to unenroll/discontinue recurring payments. My kids enjoyed swim classes. They liked the teachers and successfully learned the basics of swimming. The app makes it easy to enroll and change class days/times. The one thing you cannot do on the app is cancel. I called and learned not only can you not cancel via app, but you have to sign a form in person 30 days in advance, like a telemarketing scam.

Bryan Parthum: While classes are expensive and it’s a big investment, the facilities are great and the instructors (especially Alexa!!) are amazing. Our kiddo wouldn’t be as far along as he is without GFSS.

Ilse Denisse Catalan: This was our first class, but I'm really happy so far with what I've seen. The pool is heated to 90 degrees and it's basically tropical. Very cute and kid friendly decor. Very thoughtful accommodations, even down to having hair dryers available. The teacher seems really nice and there's a lot of adults in the pool. They have a ton of chairs for you to watch your little munchkin. Update: this place is great. Still going. Still loving it. Definitely check it out!

Emily G: We love the small class sizes and personal attention, flexibility to make up a missed class, rolling admissions (not being locked into a defined session) but most importantly the positive and energetic instructors at our location

Margee: We’ve been very leased with the coaches, front desk and support staff at goldfish silver spring. Our girls have enjoyed class and look forward to coming every week. Thank you!

Victoria Poe: We love Big Blue! I’ve tried a few other area swim schools and none have compared to this one. It is clean, the classes are small, and every instructor we have had has been so friendly and engaging. My kids have so much fun they don’t even realize what important skills they are learning. My 2.5 year old was nervous for her first class away from mom, but Steve and Kat had her in the pool and laughing and swimming right away! Highly recommend if you need swim lessons.

Aaron Poe: Really impressed with the progress my kids have made since joining this location. My 4 year old is swimming freestyle and almost has his back stroke down. He loves his instructor and looks forward to coming. My daughter moved out of the parent-child class and is already checking off skills in her new level. Her instructors patience and kindness helped her quickly adapt to her new class without a parent in the pool.

Ben Farley: Our family loves Big Blue. Our kids have been to other swim schools, but their progress at Big Blue has far surpassed those other schools. My kids enjoy it so much, that they are asking daily if they can go swimming. The environment is clean and the staff are always very friendly. All the instructors do a great job, but their favorites are Steve and Sarah. We recommend it to everyone we know.

Stacey Finn: Everyone here is so friendly and encouraging to my kids. I love how everyone, from the managers to the instructors know the names of my kids and what seems like everyone else’s kids as well. I’m happy with the progress I’m seeing from my kids as well. The managers and those working the front desk area are always a huge help if I have any questions and are always very energetic. Overall 10/10

S. Coop: New. Very clean. Friendly staff. Beautiful place. Great hours for working parents. My kids love their instructor. And I loved the free session to try it out before just jumping into something I didn't know if my kids would like.

hasan Al: All the staff does a great job but particularly the instructor of daughter SOFHIE and the supervisor KARI are great assets of the business there.God bless you guys

Leah Shawn: If I could give less stars I would. We took our 4 year old son for a free trial session. We told the swim instructor that it was his very first time. They had him in a class with a child who had been coming for a while and they expected our son to do the same things off the bat. At one point he let go of the wall while the instructor was tending to the other child and the backpack they have them wear flipped him under the water. I stood up to jump in and when she saw me do that she pulled him up and told him he could have drowned. I was so very unimpressed with this “school”. The first lesson should have been one on one or at the very least with other kids at his same level. We will not be going back.

Cassie Free: Our daughter has been going here since they opened last month. I’ve seen more progress in her in that month than I did in months at our last swim school. I love how personalized it is and how friendly/knowledgeable everyone is. At her last place, I felt like the instructors were just going through the motions with no real purpose. Here they have goals for her and she’s already moved up a level! I would highly recommend bringing your kids here for swim lessons!

Josh Park: We cannot say enough good things. We love this place. Sad to see our favorite instructor go but hard to be upset for her promotion. You’ll love the family friendly atmosphere!

Anna Katt: The facilities are clean and well-maintained. There are plenty of areas for recreational activity as well as lap swimming. They offer some great swim camps for kids. The pool temperature is a tad warm for those looking for more of a competitive swimming style workout but very comfortable for leisure laps.

Kemi Tignor: Large, clean, and well maintained facility. Good for adult swim, great for families, and just perfect for tots and babies who can enjoy their own rather large "little people's pool" with water toys built in! 👶🏾 Mom (or Dad) can happily watch from the bleachers beside the toddler pool or go ahead and get in.

d B: Solid lap pool, with accessories. Fun kid pool with splash features. Locker rooms much improved, but always big and with good water. Better light and air now, and centrifuges. No hot tub. Strong chlorine smell. :( free to DC res.

Andrew Fitch: Great location for a pool and fitness center (short walk from metro). Weight room has all the equipment and machines you would expect a gym to have. Pool has plenty of dedicated swim lanes. Bring your own lock! Lockers no longer have preinstalled locks on them, and stuff can go missing even if you bring it out on deck with you.

Liz Burman McEntire: The pool is clean, I can consistently find a lane within a few minutes of getting to the pool, lockers are secure and free, the showers are private and comfortable. Staff are also super friendly. When I forgot to bring a swim cap or a hair-tye and tired to maneuver my goggles to keep my hair out of my face, the office staff gave me a swim cap out of lost and found so I could finish my workout. This is easily my favorite DCPR aquatics center in DC.

Douglas Postels: Beautiful pool, free for DC residents. Chronic problems keeping hot water in the poorly maintained showers and the locker room's general cleanliness is highly suspect. Nice staff

A FEW GOOD COLLE MEN Movers: Takoma rocks for lap swimmer and pools goers. It underwent a major locker room reno a few years back.Covid restrictions are in effect (god job by the way).Appointment necessary

DC Ernest: Into my 3rd month of 2-days a week weight training and swimming. Just increased my workout to three days a week. My summer body is showing off. Like the atmosphere and nice people. Highly recommend these facilities.

Rachel Grier: Been living in the area for about 7 years, finally visited the takoma aquatic center. My husband, niece & mom came with. Loved the environment! Very nice welcome from the staff at the front desk. Older lifeguard tall slender & louder gentlemen approached us in a superbly rude demeanor. He stated my Mon could not sit on the edge of the baby pool. He then went on to say because she didn't have on N actual swim suit she couldn't be in the pool area. All of what he was saying was completely correct, however his demeanor was so rude. He made such a scene that majority of the folks in the area stopped and looked. This was quite an embarrassing experience. We expressed our situation to the director on staff. She apologized but honestly we left shortly after. She noted this was not the first complaint about this gentlemen lifeguard! Very disappointed!!

Nassim Safadi: This pool is very nice. Have a big changing room with shower and a locker space for you belonging. The kids swim lesson is fun the instructors are very knowledgeable they take time with kids to learn how to independent swimmers

Sarah Cox: We had a blast with our 5yo son. The pool was a bit cold. It worked well when our hotel who advertised a pool did not have one! Thank you!

JX Mrs: I took several swimming lessons here, and the instructors were very nice and I learned a lot. What drive me down to give a 1 star is the management team. After the lessons I got a 3-month membership with this location. However now, they are closed for almost half month. They don’t notice you with email, they just assume you know everything. I emailed the manager to ask if my membership will be extend to make up the half month they close for maintenance, and now 4or 5 days passed, I received nothing reply upon my question. I guess I paid for nothing. Horrible management team, although the good environment of swimming is ruined and wasted. That’s how I feel now with this place!

Vinni: This is a great pool, with six Lanes, sometimes eight Lanes, but it certainly gets crowded Monday through Thursday evening after work. Be ready to swim 3 to a lane on those evenings. Best times to go for it not being crowded is Friday night

Mason Eoyang: The kids area gets real crowded in the evenings with classes, and so. Times its a struggle to find a lane, but the facilities are nice, well staffed and reasonably clean for a public pool. Arlington county residents get a discount for entry, all others pay full price (check website for current prices)

karim jana: Great place to swim for all levels. The bathroom facilities are clean, haven't had problems with parking (6pm-9pm),and there's always space to swim comfortably. The temperature in the bathroom area could be warmer.

Sofía Fonseca Muñoz: It is a very nice pool and they are very organized for avoid contact due to covid. The booking system is nice, I just wish that you could book two days in advance or so.

Michael Goldring: Washington-Lee is a great facility. I always get a good workout there. The competition pool is very well designed and maintained. The water quality and temperature are excellent. The staff is friendly and helpful. It is open both to residents and non-residents. I travel a lot, and swim in many pools. Washington-Lee is one of the best anywhere.

john jonson: 10 swim lanes open seven days a week. It can get crowded so plan on having to share the swim lane. It could be improved by better management as there are often multiple classes going on at once with 1 lane open for everyone else.

Rene Richardson: We came here 4 years ago for mommy and me and I was very pleased with the staff and instructors. We just started back with private lessons. My kid screams and hollers the first 5 min of each lesson (sorry about that🤦🏾‍♀️). And the ride home he tells me how much fun he had and the new thing he did. Thank you for your patience and kindness. After a year of not being around anyone but family, this is quite an adjustment. And we appreciate the kindness.

Sheree Richardson: I'm giving it a 3-star because their changing rooms have no place for you to set your things on who wants to put their stuff on the floor. That is unsanitary I will used the door knob to hang my things 🤦🏾‍♀️. And when I asked the young have they considered putting a small table, it a chair it was like a dismissive attitude her response was out will be impossible to put a table table it chair in their week have you even tried 🙄 how about adding some hooks something so people don't have to put their things in the floor. I do like the fact the water is warm when we get in the pool

Michael Jackson Jr: Not a bad kids swim school but a very small pool. The pool can get a little crowded with all the different classes they have going on at the same time. No seats for parents to sit and watch their child and for the price I would assume they would have some type of social distance seating available.

Erica R: It is wonderful. The administration and the adults swimming with the children is worked with very well

Nick B.: Kids First Swim School in Bowie is Awesome!!! The staff is extremely friendly and professional, and the Manager, Brandon, will go above and beyond any expectations to satisfy its customers and make sure the kids are well taken care at all times while they are learning how to swim. I have both of my boys signed up for weekly swimming lessons and their progresses are fascinating! They would not put a foot in the water when they started, but through a lot of psychology and great work, their instructor succeeded to make them confident and taught them how to enjoy to evolve in the water. Every week,our kids are now begging us to go to their swimming lesson so they can enjoy touching the deep bottom of the swimming pool! I highly recommend this place, it's a A+ and you won't be disappointed!!!

Kirsten Poe Hill: My six year old daughter is an excellent, confident swimmer thanks to Kids First Swim in Bowie and Phil in particular. We did private lessons straight through and she is just as comfortable in nine feet of water as three feet; best of all she loves to swim and I feel safe with her in the pool.This was a process, my daughter was terrified during Mommy and Me and I feared she would never swim. Brandon was wonderful, extending my class credit until my daughter was ready - which must have been two years later! But when she was ready and found Mr. Phil at about three years old, she soared. I am forever grateful to them.

SunnyTee O: Awesome place with awesome instructors... price is a little more than public swimming lessons at the county level.

Kassi Dawkins: My son absolutely loves swimming lessons at Kid's First. He gets excited every time we go. His first class he came out begging to go everyday afterwards 😂...that was about a year ago and he is almost to level 6. The instructors are all great!

claudia ayllon: My son has been going to KFSS for about a year and a half. He made great progress in a very short time. He is now in the swim team. Coach Corrie and Phil are AMAZING!!!! For them this is not just a job. They take the time to talk to the kids about tools they need to be successful in their swimming as well as life in general. Corrie and Phil give 150%. They are great role models for the boys in the team. I am so grateful to have both coaches in my sons life.

Dalonte Parker: Great pool lifeguards everywhere. Only thing is water VERY cold appearently their water heater is down and has been for a while. Once your in you'll definitely need to keep move and keep most of your body submerged.

Jeneen G: Convenient neighborhood pool that offers classes and has a hot tub. Well-lit and accessible by bike, bus or metro. Good-sized parking lot except when there's an event going on. Pool doesn't seem to be cleaned very often though (supposed to be at least weekly) because there's the same debris underwater week after week. Showers mostly work but at least one of them breaks down every so often. This location has closed down for long periods (at least a month) over the last 2-3 years supposedly for renovations and/ or cleaning but tiles still look old. Hopefully doesn't close down again in the near future

Marla Hunter: One place that makes me very happy due to the fact that I remember when I became a lifeguard and swim coach, I was the only Black one. Here it's awesome to see the Black faces of the lifeguards and swim coaches.

Laura White: This week too much chlorine in the pool. The smell was very strong it had my eyes burning and I didn't even put my head under the water.😏 However the ladies locker room was much cleaner than my previous visit🙄🤨 These are pictures of the ladies showers, where someone has left there hair behind🤨 These other pictures are of the hot tub with this thick ring of dirt and foam, thus forcing people out of the hot tub!🤔🤔😏

Mary Evans: Very friendly staff. Clean and not too crowded.

Kevin Keller: A few years ago this was a great facility. It's fallen into disrepair lately. It's not as sparkly clean as it once was. Some of the showers don't work. The shower that does work has a loose and rusty fitting at the wall. The water pressure is low too. They no longer keep the shower soap dispensers filled with soap. The bathing suit dryer in the men's locker room is out of service. There's grime on tiles in the locker room. They don't always open on time. Still, if your just looking to get in a quick swim and your in the neighborhood it gets the job done.

John Schultz: Was in the neighborhood and wanted to swim some laps. So I call to hear about their policies. 7 dollars for non DC residents. No cash. OK, sounds fair. I'll just bring my wallet and leave it in a locker. Pool facilities are pretty nice. Lots of families taking advantage of the fountain and the life jackets. I swim my laps. Probably in the pool for 45 minutes. Dry off, change, get my stuff. In less than ten minutes the fraud department of my bank had called me. Someone had carefully swiped the credit cards out of my wallet. In 45 minutes. So glad they didn't take my ID and my phone was in my car. I suppose I should be more careful in locker rooms.

a detrick: Had a horrible experience at this pool. The pool manager was extremely rude to the people I was with (a recently-arrived immigrant family from Guatemala who don't speak English). She started yelling at them for no reason and accused them of breaking one of the pool rules that they weren't actually breaking (the pool rules are clearly listed--maybe the pool manager should review them herself). I figured she was just in a bad mood that day, but she was extremely polite to the other guests were actually breaking the rules (including one man who was eating next to the pool) and kindly asked them to follow the rules. I'm not sure if she was only rude to the people I was with because they were the only Hispanic people at the pool, but I do know that no one deserves to be spoken to the way my friends were spoken to. I hope this manager never treats anyone like this again--after all, her paycheck comes out of OUR dc taxes.

Jessica Martinez: What looks to be a nice and clean pool is an actual pool that is dirty. The staff is so rude in particularly an elder lifeguard (guy). We were there no longer than 10 minutes when he was yelling across the pool. He was rude as ever and blowing his whistle every two minutes for no reason. The water was freezing even in the baby pool which is unacceptable. I am highly unsatisfied and will never bring my kids.