Here at Riverdale Y, our group swim program follows the American Red Cross Learn to Swim curriculum, ensuring a structured and effective approach to developing water safety and swimming skills. Our professional and enthusiastic instructors are dedicated to working with swimmers of all ages and abilities. Our goal is to create a positive and safe environment for everyone in order for students to build a lifelong love of water.
If you have any questions about what is best for you, email swim@riverdaley.org.
You may also want to try private lessons or open and lap swimming for members.
- If a group class is canceled by the Riverdale Y before the first session, a full refund will be issued.
- In the event Riverdale Y needs to cancel a session of a class, Riverdale Y has the discretion to schedule a make-up class at an alternate day and time.
- Riverdale Y will offer prorated credit for sessions canceled after the first class begins, up to the first two sessions of the class held.
- There will be no refunds or credits after two sessions of a class.
- A $10 administration fee will be charged for any changes or transfers to a class after the first session of the class held.
- Riverdale Y is not responsible for providing makeup classes or issuing refunds for programs missed due to client illness, scheduling conflicts, emergencies, or other events beyond our control.
Group Swim Offerings
Parent and Child Aquatics introduces you and your child to basic skills. As parents, you learn how to safely work with your child in the water, including how to appropriately support and hold your child in the water and how to prepare and encourage your child to participate fully and try the skills. In addition, you are introduced to several water safety topics. Your child receives an introduction to basic skills that lay a foundation for learning to swim.
Great experiences and fun activities are provided to teach infants to:
* Feel comfortable in the water
* Enter and exit the water safely.
* Explore breath control and submerging.
* Explore floating on the front and back.
* Change body position in the water.
* Play safely in the water.
The ratio of student to teacher is 10:1.
3/16/2025–06/08/2025
Sundays, Various Times
Member Price: $240
General Rate: $315
Parent and Child Aquatics introduces you and your child to basic skills. As parents, you learn how to safely work with your child in the water, including how to appropriately support and hold your child in the water and how to prepare and encourage your child to participate fully and try the skills. In addition, you are introduced to several water safety topics. Your child receives an introduction to basic skills that lay a foundation for learning to swim.
Great experiences and fun activities will be provided to allow your child to:
* Learn more ways to enter and exit the water safely.
* Retrieve objects below the surface and submerged objects with eyes opened.
* Glide on the front and back with assistance.
* Perform combined arm and leg actions on front and back with assistance.
* Change body position in the water.
The ratio of student to teacher is 10:1.
03/16/2025–06/08/2025
Sundays, Various Times
Member Price: $240
General Rate: $315
Our young swimmers are introduced to the aquatics class setting through fun games, songs, and age-appropriate activities. They learn basic skills such as bubble blowing, floating with assistance, rudimentary arm and leg motion. Emphasis is placed on water confidence and safety.
Milestones include:
* Submerging mouth and blowing bubbles at least 3 seconds.
* Exiting the water safely.
* Gliding on front for at least one body length with support.
* Rolling from back to front with support.
The ratio of student-to-instructor 3:1.
03/16/2025–06/08/2025
Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays available at Various Times
Member Price: $325
General Rate: $430
Beginner
Children are introduced to basic skills. These skills lay the foundation for developing water competency and the future skill development of swimming strokes. In addition, children start to develop positive attitudes and safe practices around the water.
Milestones include:
* Entering the water independently using ramp, steps or side and travel at least 5 yards.
* Submerging mouth and blowing bubbles for at least 3 seconds.
* Exiting the water safely.
* Gliding on front for at least 2 body lengths with support.
* Rolling to back and floating for 3 seconds with support.
* Recovering to a vertical position with support.
The ratio of student-to-instructor 3:1.
Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays available at Various Times
Intermediate
The ratio of student-to-instructor 3:1.
Mondays available at Various Times
Advance
03/16/2025–06/08/2025
Member Price: $325
General Rate: $430
Level 1
Participants are introduced to basic skills as the foundation for future skills and the development of water competency (the basic minimum skills needed for water safety).
Milestones for successful completion of Level 1 include:
* Entering the water independently using the ramp, steps or side.
* Traveling at least 5 yards, bobbing 5 times and then safely exiting the water.
* Opening eyes underwater and retrieving submerged object.
* Gliding on front with assistance at least 2 body lengths.
* Rolling to a back float for 5 seconds with assistance.
* Recovering to a vertical position with assistance.
* Combined arm and leg actions on front and back with assistance.
* Alternating and simultaneous arm and leg actions on front and back with assistance
The ratio of student to teacher is 6:1.
Sundays available at Various Times
Level 2
Participants begin to perform skills at a slightly more advanced level and begin gaining rudimentary propulsive skills on both the front and the back. This level marks the beginning of independent aquatic locomotion skills.
Milestones for successful completion of Level 2 include:
* Stepping from the side into chest-deep water.
* Fully submerging and holding breath.
* Pushing off the bottom, moving into a treading or floating position for at least 15 seconds, swimming on front and/or back for 5 body lengths and then exiting the water.
* Moving into a back float for 15 seconds, rolling to front and then recovering to a vertical position.
* Pushing off and swimming using combined arm and leg actions on front for 5 body lengths, rolling to back, floating for 15 seconds, rolling to the front and then continue swimming for 5 body lengths.
The ratio of student to teacher is 6:1.
Sundays available at Various Times
Level 3
Sundays available at Various Times
Level 4
Participants are introduced to new swimming strokes and water safety skills and build on previously learned skills, improving the swimming stroke proficiency and swimming for longer distances.
Milestones for successful completion of Level 4 include:
* Swimming the front crawl for 25 yards.
* Swimming the elementary backstroke for 25 yards.
* Swimming the breaststroke for 15 yards.
* Swimming the butterfly for 15 yards.
* Swimming the back crawl for 15 yards.
* Swimming the sidestroke for 15 yards.
* Headfirst entry from a stride position
* Open turns on the front and back.
Level 5
articipants refine all six swimming strokes including swimming for longer distances. Participants are introduced to new water safety skills while building on ones previously learned and perform flip turns on the front and back. The expectations are higher now in regards to distance and quality.
Milestones for successful completion of Level 5 include:
* Performing a shallow-angle dive
* Performing a tuck and pike surface dive
* Swimming the front crawl for 50 yards
* Swimming the elementary backstroke for 50 yards
* Swimming the sidestroke for 25 yards
* Swimming the breaststroke for 25 yards
* Swimming the back crawl for 25 yards
* Swimming the butterfly for 25 yards
* Front and back flip turns
Basic Swim Development
This course teaches participants the fundamentals of front crawl, elementary backstroke and breast stroke. This course also teaches skills and concepts needed to stay safe in and around water and to help themselves or others in an aquatic emergency.
Milestones for Basic Swim Development are:
*Rolling from front to back and back to front
*Treading in deep water for 1 minute
*Front Crawl for 25 yards
*Breast Stroke for 15 yards
*Elementary Backstroke for 15 yards
The ratio of student-to-instructor is 4:1.
Sundays, and Wednesdays available at Various Times
Fitness Swim Development
This course builds up from the fundamentals of front crawl, elementary backstroke and breast stroke. Swimmers are taught to improve endurance and refine stroke proficiency.
Milestones for Fitness Swim Development are:
*Treading in deep water for 3 minutes
*Front Crawl for 100 yards
*Breast Stroke for 50 yards
*Elementary Backstroke for 25 yards
The ratio of student-to-instructor is 4:1.
Sundays, and Wednesdays available at Various Times
03/16/2025–06/08/2025 (Half sessions available)
Member Price: $225
General Rate: $300
Competitive swim team training with a focus on building technique and endurance in the four competitive strokes: front crawl, back crawl, breaststroke, and butterfly. Participants will improve on competitive starts and turns and work on refining their technique to get on a competitive team or look to improve their swim fitness level. There are no makeups for missed sessions.
About the American Red Cross Learn-to-Swim Approach
The American Red Cross Learn-to-Swim program focuses on building skills one step at a time. By giving them the opportunity to master one element before moving on to the next, kids’ swim classes make it easy to build confidence in the water.
During their swim lessons, children will spend time on the following levels:
- Level 1: Introduction to Water Skills: Students will learn how to feel comfortable in the water and safely enjoy it.
- Level 2: Fundamentals of Aquatic Skills: Children will learn basic swimming skills.
- Level 3: Stroke Development: Additional guided practice will help students improve their skills.
- Level 4: Stroke Improvement: Kids will gain confidence during swim lessons, improve their stroke and gain additional aquatic skills.
- Level 5: Stroke Refinement: Guidance allows kids to refine their strokes and become more efficient swimmers.
