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212 Cross Street, Ypsilanti, MI 48197Tuesday to Friday: 9:00 am to 12:30 pm · Saturday: 8:30 am to 12:00 pm · Sunday and Monday: ClosedTuesday to Friday: 9:00 am to 12:30 pmWoman owned(734) 555-0104
Tadpole Swim School
Book a first class
Book a first class
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Parent-and-child swim classes in Ypsilanti, Michigan

Your little one's first swim class, with you in the water

Tadpole is a small school with one warm pool. Classes are thirty minutes, for babies from three months to toddlers of three, and an adult is in the water with every child.

Book a first classSee the age stages
  • Babies from 3 months
  • An adult in the water with every child
  • Classes of 30 minutes
A mother in a swim hijab holding a smiling toddler in warm water, with an instructor beside them

Your first class

Four steps from the front door to the water

A first class is an ordinary class. You come, you hold your baby, you sing.

What a first class is like
  1. 01

    Choose a time

    Pick an open class for your baby's age on the schedule, or tell us the age and we will suggest one.

  2. 02

    Come ten minutes early

    Shoes go in a cubby at the door. Your baby arrives in a swim diaper and a snug swim cover, and you bring two towels.

  3. 03

    Get in together

    You hold your baby from the first minute. The instructor sings and shows simple moves, and you follow at your baby's pace.

  4. 04

    Wrap up and plan the next one

    A hooded towel and a bench are waiting. Tell the front desk how it went, and we will find you a time for next week.

Classes are by age stage

Babies change every few months, so classes follow age and not skill. Ages are a guide, and you and the instructor decide when it is time to move up.

  1. 01

    Babies

    3 to 8 months
    Skills

    • Songs and rhymes in the warm water

    • Floating on your chest and along your arms

    • Slow turns and gentle splashes around the pool

    Moving up

    Babies move to Crawlers at about eight months, when you and the instructor agree it is time.

  2. 02

    Crawlers

    8 to 15 months
    Skills

    • Moving along the wall with you close

    • Reaching and kicking toward a toy

    • Sitting on the step and sliding in to you

    Moving up

    Crawlers move to Walkers when walking begins, which for some families is earlier than fifteen months and for some later.

  3. 03

    Walkers

    15 to 24 months
    Skills

    • Walking in the shallow water with a hand to hold

    • Splashing, kicking and blowing bubbles

    • Songs with actions, and a turn on the ramp

    Moving up

    Walkers move to Toddlers at two years, or sooner when you and the instructor both see a child asking for more.

  4. 04

    Toddlers

    2 to 3 years
    Skills

    • Kicking on a front float with you beside

    • Bubbles, and climbing out at the wall

    • Short turns with a toy, then a song

    Moving up

    Around three, some children are ready for a class without a grown-up in the water. We talk it over with you, and nobody has to move.

Where to startBook a first class

Sample levels.

This session's classes

Fall session

Showing 16 of 16

Tuesday

  • 9:30 am – 10:00 am

    Babies class

    Parent and child · Yeeun

    3 to 8 monthsBabiesOpenBook this class

  • 10:15 am – 10:45 am

    Crawlers class

    Parent and child · Yeeun

    8 to 15 monthsCrawlersOpenBook this class

  • 11:00 am – 11:30 am

    Walkers class

    Parent and child · Iesha

    15 to 24 monthsWalkersWaitlistJoin the waitlist

Wednesday

  • 9:30 am – 10:00 am

    Babies class

    Parent and child · Rolland

    3 to 8 monthsBabiesFull

  • 10:15 am – 10:45 am

    Toddlers class

    Parent and child · Iesha

    2 to 3 yearsToddlersOpenBook this class

  • 11:00 am – 11:30 am

    Walkers class

    Parent and child · Iesha

    15 to 24 monthsWalkersOpenBook this class

Thursday

  • 9:30 am – 10:00 am

    Crawlers class

    Parent and child · Yeeun

    8 to 15 monthsCrawlersOpenBook this class

  • 10:15 am – 10:45 am

    Babies class

    Parent and child · Rolland

    3 to 8 monthsBabiesOpenBook this class

  • 11:00 am – 11:30 am

    Toddlers class

    Parent and child · Iesha

    2 to 3 yearsToddlersFull

Friday

  • 9:30 am – 10:00 am

    Walkers class

    Parent and child · Iesha

    15 to 24 monthsWalkersOpenBook this class

  • 10:15 am – 10:45 am

    Toddlers class

    Parent and child · Iesha

    2 to 3 yearsToddlersOpenBook this class

  • 11:00 am – 11:30 am

    Crawlers class

    Parent and child · Yeeun

    8 to 15 monthsCrawlersWaitlistJoin the waitlist

Saturday

  • 8:30 am – 9:00 am

    Babies class

    Parent and child · Yeeun

    3 to 8 monthsBabiesOpenBook this class

  • 9:15 am – 9:45 am

    Crawlers class

    Parent and child · Jaziel

    8 to 15 monthsCrawlersOpenBook this class

  • 10:00 am – 10:30 am

    Walkers class

    Parent and child · Jaziel

    15 to 24 monthsWalkersFull

  • 10:45 am – 11:15 am

    Toddlers class

    Parent and child · Yeeun

    2 to 3 yearsToddlersOpenBook this class

Sample classes.

Classes are thirty minutes in the pool, and the pool door opens ten minutes before.

The pool

One small pool, kept warm for babies

A wide ramp and shallow steps let you walk in with your baby in your arms. The lobby has cubbies for shoes, hooks for towels and room for a stroller.

  • A ramp and a rail into the water

  • Cubbies for shoes, hooks for towels

  • A bench beside the deck for a second grown-up

See the pool
A tiled bench seat and steps in a warm shallow pool, the pool empty

In the water

An adult with every child, and an instructor in the middle

Adults to children

  • 1 adult to 1 child

    Babies, 3 to 8 months

    Class size: 6

  • 1 adult to 1 child

    Crawlers, 8 to 15 months

    Class size: 6

  • 1 adult to 1 child

    Walkers, 15 to 24 months

    Class size: 8

  • 1 adult to 1 child

    Toddlers, 2 to 3 years

    Class size: 8

  • Ages 3 months to 3 years

Staff checks and training

  • Background checks
  • CPR and first aid
  • Lifeguard training
  • Water safety instructors

Safety routines

  • A grown-up with every child

    An adult is in the water within arm's reach of every baby and toddler for the whole class. The instructor stands in the middle of the group, and a staff member watches the water from the deck.

  • The pool, before the first class

    Before the first class each morning we check the water and write what we find in the log at the pool door. The ramp, the rail and the steps are looked at too.

  • Coming in and going out

    Families come down the ramp or the steps together. Nobody goes through the pool door without an adult, and a child is never left on the steps or the ramp.

  • Swim diapers

    Every baby and toddler who is not yet using the toilet wears a swim diaper with a snug cover. If there is an accident in the water, we clear the pool, clean it and test it before anyone gets back in.

Sample details.

From parents

What families write

“I was nervous about holding a wet baby in a pool. Yeeun showed me where to put my hands, and by the second song I was laughing as much as he was.”

Kamaya J.Parent of a five-month-old

“The pool is small and warm, and half an hour is just right before a nap. Someone always helps with the stroller at the door.”

Niharika R.Parent of a fourteen-month-old

“The instructors sing the same songs every week, and our daughter knows when it is time to splash. We started in the Walkers class.”

Marit K.Parent of a two-year-old

Sample reviews.

Before your first class

How old does my baby need to be?

Classes start at three months. If you are not sure your baby is ready, ask your baby's doctor, and tell us. We would rather start a few weeks later than a few weeks early.

Who is in the water with my child?

An adult is in the water with every child for the whole class, within arm's reach. It can be a parent, a grandparent or another adult your family names, and the instructor stands in the middle of the group.

What do we bring?

A hooded towel for your child, a towel for you, and a change of clothes for both. We have the floats and the toys.

What should my baby wear?

A swim diaper with a snug swim cover on top, put on before you come. A swim shirt is welcome. A regular diaper does not go in the pool.

How do we start?

Book a first class online, or call the front desk. Tell us your baby's age and we will suggest an age stage.

Book a first class

Choose a time that suits you. We have the floats and the toys; bring a towel.

Book a first class
Phone(734) 555-0104
Hours
Tuesday to FridayToday
9:00 am to 12:30 pm
SaturdayToday
8:30 am to 12:00 pm
Sunday and MondayToday
Closed