Teaching kids how to swim is arguably one of the most important safety skills they can learn. Confidence in the water allows them to enjoy pool parties, river days with friends, family time at the beach and so much more. Swimming is a classic pastime that every child should have the opportunity to experience.
While we always intend to watch children closely near the water, it only takes a second of distraction for a child to fall in without anyone noticing. Terrifyingly, drowning is often silent—it rarely looks or sounds like the dramatics presented on TV shows and movies. More children ages one to four will die from drowning than by any other cause of death; while drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children ages 5-14, according to the CDC. Yet over half of U.S. adults have never taken a swim lesson before!
“Swim safety is so critical for our children, especially with all the water activities around the area,” says Kristyn Deckard, head coach and swim instructor at Swim – On Deck. “We want kids to not only feel safe in the water, but also enjoy their time in it, which is why our lessons program is highly focused on safety skills, consistency and having fun in the water. We are providing a program that educates both parents and children with water safety skills starting from the very beginning. We are so excited to provide an additional program for kiddos so we can help everyone in our community have access to lessons for all ages.”
Equipping kids with the lifesaving skills they need to swim to safety is essential. It’s also recommended to buy bold, brightly colored bathing suits, avoiding light or water-like colors, so adults can better spot kids who have sunk beneath the surface. Swim lessons are key to lessening the risk of drowning for kids of all ages.
As summer comes to a close and families return to school, fall is the perfect time for swim lessons—classes are a little less crowded in the off season, plus kids will have a whole year to develop their skills before next summer begins. If you sign them up in September, they’ll be swimming like dolphins by the time next June rolls around!
“We have more instructor availability this summer and going into fall, so now is a great time to sign up for swimming lessons through BPRD,” says Bend Park and Rec Recreation Facilities Manager, Susan Glen. “It is our goal to positively impact community-wide water safety by reaching the maximum number of community members through swim lessons.”
The good news is that there are many different options when it comes to lessons in Central Oregon. The bad news is that spots often fill quickly, especially for younger children, leaving families on the waitlist feeling frustrated. Nonetheless, if you’re persistent and willing to explore different options, you should be able to find a good fit for your family.
We are so fortunate in Bend to have not one, but two amazing public pools run by our local Bend Park and Rec Department: Juniper Swim & Fitness Center and Larkspur Community Center. Juniper is known for its famous outdoor splash zone and water slide, while Larkspur boasts a lovely, lazy river, all of which the kids enjoy. BPRD offers small group lessons at both locations for children ages six months and up, including parent-tot, preschool, elementary age, teen youth and even adult programs for those wanting to brush up on skills.
Early parent-child classes offer fun, encouraging introductions to the world of water, where parents work directly with their baby under an instructor’s guidance with the primary goal being to accustom young children to being in the water. Adults often forget how scary it can be for a little one to simply dip their face or whole head under water, so the first step is to play and get used to the pool.
“We want kids to not only feel safe in the
Kristyn Deckard
water, but also enjoy their time in it, which is why our lessons program is highly focused on safety skills, consistency and having fun in the water.”
Head Coach and Swim Instructor at Swim – On Deck
From there, BPRD takes a sequential, developmentally appropriate approach to lessons, where each level progresses in skill development from basic to more intermediate to advanced. Children receive a skills-based report card at the end of each session so parents can track exactly what skills were mastered. Classes might run once a week, twice a week or daily, so families can customize what works best for their schedule. Registration for BPRD swim lessons opens weeks before classes start and parents often need to get up at 6 a.m. to try and snag a spot through the digital lottery online.
“Our lessons provide opportunities for all ages from parent-tot to adults and new this year we are partnering with Central Oregon Masters to provide an introduction to water for adults to help community members feel comfortable,” says Glen. “Parents and guardians wishing to learn to swim to support the children in their lives have several pathways to learning from the COMA Adult Learn to Swim Program, BPRD Adult Swimming lessons to our family swim lessons in Spanish.”
Another option is to sign up for private or semi-private lessons at one of the local independent swim schools or athletic clubs, such as SafeSplash Swim School, Mary McCool Swim School, Happy Shark Swim Lessons, Swim – on Deck, ISR Swim School, Seahorse Academy or Sisters Athletic Club.
Unlike the group lessons offered through BPRD, these alternatives often offer individual lessons for one child or a sibling set at a time. This can be a good fit for kids who learn better with individualized instruction. Like BPRD, spots often fill quickly and waitlists can last for months, so it’s wise to sign up early at multiple locations giving you a better shot of getting in the door.
Swim instruction also helps kids in many areas of life. “Beyond the necessity of knowing how to swim, there are equally important life lessons tucked into the learning process: how to discern between fun and danger, improving body coordination and breath work, building confidence, listening to our bodies and the value of consistency,” says private swim instructor Lauren Ahlgren, owner of Happy Shark Swim Lessons. “There is incredible magic in learning. When students begin to trust not just their instructor but themselves, they begin to understand how very capable they are. Often, that is when things begin to ‘click’”.
Sometimes, a child may struggle with the idea of swimming lessons and refuse to participate. Many times, a little attention to the problem can set things right. Is their bathing suit uncomfortable? Are they afraid of inhaling water? To prepare your child for lessons, consider letting them pick out a new swimsuit and don’t forget a pair of goggles, as many kids fear getting water in their eyes. Some sensitive children also struggle with water in their ears or nose too, so consider goggles that cover the nose or water-specific ear and nose plugs.
Books and stories about children who overcame their fears around the water can offer a great resource as well. Another way to make lessons fun is to build in a special family tradition or treat to enjoy afterwards; my kiddos, for example, love picking up sub sandwiches from Jimmy John’s every Wednesday night for dinner after their weekly swim lesson.
“Swimming is a life sport that is really important especially in an area like ours with so much water around!” says private swim instructor, Mary McCool, owner of McCool Swim School. “Kids that get to learn when they are little are so very lucky, not only does it make them safer but also helps their coordination! Working through things that are hard and sometimes scary is a life bonus by itself. They learn to be very proud of how hard they can work and what they can accomplish. [It’s] so fun to watch swimmers with strong kicks and strokes at very young ages!”
Ultimately, swimming lessons are one of the best investments parents can make in their child’s future. Encompassing both safety and fun, they offer children the chance to play, explore, learn and grow, while also giving them the skills they need to stay safe in the water.
This article appears in Bend Nest Fall 2026.
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