Whew it's been a busy summer so far! Jacob just finished up a week of Jumpstart clinics at Goldfish Swim School in Canton, MI near my parents house. Goldfish offers traditional swim lessons year round where kids go once a week, but during the summer they offer jumpstart clinics where kids can go everyday to build confidence and fast track their skills.
This was our first experience with Goldfish (but they are opening one near us soon!!!) and we were so impressed. In the words of my brother "I didn't know swim boutiques were a thing!" And he's got a point. The pools we went to for swim lessons as children were cold and sterile, rented from the local high school. Goldfish could not be more different. Everything there is bright, warm, and inviting - 100% designed with the whole child in mind. From the friendly murals on the wall, to the fun surfboard drying stations, to the constant 90 degree temperature in the pool; everything there is just perfect for setting kids at ease and making sure they have a positive experience.
We were usually rushing in for class after dropping my mom at work, so we'd use their changing rooms (designed like cabanas - so cute!) to change and then wait in their large waiting area for them to call his class. The waiting area is huge (and air conditioned!) with big comfy chairs and floor to ceiling walls with a full view of the pool so you can see your little one and note what they are working on the whole time.
Once they called his class I'd drop Jacob off at his lane and then go sit in the waiting area while he had his lesson. Each class has four kids or less so the instructor can really focus on each child and building confidence in their abilities. Jacob has loved all of the instructors that he has had - they are super patient, attentive, well trained, and great with kids! They had Jacob jumping to them without holding on his very first day there - something he never does! My favorite part of the lessons at Goldfish is that they work on not only swimming skills, but safety skills as well.
The last 5 minutes parents are allowed to go in and observe and the teacher will give you a run down of what they worked on and what they need to practice. This is so helpful for working with your child on your own in between lessons and not something we've experienced at other swim schools. At the end of each Jumpstart week you get a progress report (every 3 months for weekly classes) with the skills they've accomplished checked off and a cute ribbon regardless of whether or not they are moving up a level. Just look at how much progress Jacob made in one week, he is SO proud of that ribbon!
Our first stop after class was always the adjoining showers. I noticed most kids just do a rinse off, but I always took the opportunity to bring shampoo so I wouldn't have to give him a bath later. After his shower we'd hit the changing rooms again to change back into his street clothes, and then his favorite part - the drying station! He loves sitting up on the surf board and using the hair dryer to dry his hair "all by himself." I really appreciate the different settings on the hair dryers that let you control not only the intensity, but also the heat. I could let Jacob go to town with the heat set to low and not have to worry about him accidentally burning himself. I'd always bring a wet bag to throw his wet suit and towel into, but they also have a swimsuit dryer there.
Besides a beautiful facility and a sound program in place for swim instruction, the staff at Goldfish is so welcoming and accommodating. If your schedule changes they will reschedule you for another date and if you need a makeup due to illness or travel it's no extra charge. We've had such a great experience at Goldfish, that we are now SO excited for the one near us to open up! If you'd like to learn more about Goldfish click HERE to check out all their offerings and find a facility near you.
*Goldfish provided Jacob with free lessons in order to facilitate this review. As always all opinions are my own and we only promote brands we love.
