Make this the summer your kids learn to swim

Swim lessons aren’t just about teaching kids how to do swim strokes. They’re about teaching kids to respect that water can be dangerous if you don’t know how to float and swim. According to Water Safety USA, drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury deaths for children ages 1 to 4. Participation in formal swim lessons can reduce the likelihood of childhood drowning deaths by 88 percent. 

In 2019, the American Academy of Pediatrics began recommending that children should begin swim lessons around age 1. Remember that drowning is fast and silent and can happen in as little as 20 to 60 seconds. (This is true for bathtub drowning, too.)

Not sure how to find a local swim teacher? We can help. We’ve rounded up the names of Northwest Arkansas swim lesson businesses, private teachers, and community programs.

Many of the swim instructors in our area offer lessons but don’t advertise their services and are not affiliated with a specific business. If you know of individual certified swim teachers who are accepting new students, please post a comment or send us an email if the instructor would like to be listed in our directory (at no charge). We’ll keep adding to the list so our readers will always be able to find a swim instructor when they need one.

2024 Swim Teachers in Northwest Arkansas

• Donna Speed, School teacher & swim instructor — private or small group lessons — 479-366-7921
• Gabi Stewart, Shrimply the Best Infant Aquatics – specializing in survival swim lessons for small children (lessons available in English or Spanish) — 479-409-2423
• Morgan Luther, Traveling swim instructor. High school P.E. teacher  and basketball coach who has been teaching private swim lessons for 10 years. (CPR/AED/WSI certified.) Can teach at your pool or facility in Fayetteville only. Private, semi-private lessons. 479-737-5166
• Angie Schuck, swim coach for FHS and Prairie Grove Summer League with 20 years of teaching experience. Can travel for lessons or use Jones Center pool — 916-459-9358 or email aschuck003@gmail.com
• Goldfish Swim School of Rogers — 479-777-9568 Lessons for kids ages 4 months to 12 years from experienced, professional teachers in a heated pool.
• Bentonville Community Center — They have “Parent and Tot” swim lessons plus lessons for preschoolers and older kids.
• Rogers Aquatics Center — 479-936-5482
• Razorback Aquatic Club AquaHawgs — Contact through website at www.aquahawgs.org
• Fayetteville Athletic Club Aquatics Center — 479-587-0500
• The Jones Center for Families, Springdale, offers Water Babies classes for babies 4 months to 2 1/2 years old. Also ask about their Survival Swimmers classes for younger babies. They also have Adults Learn to Swim, which teaches swimming and water safety skills.
• The Joys of Swimming. Specializes in private swim instruction, indoor facility. Bentonville, 919-939-1408
• Little Squirts Aquatics. Fayetteville. Specializes in infants and toddlers.
• Arkansas Swim Academy. Year-round swim school for all ages and abilities, Rogers.
• Survival Swimmers. Private swim instruction for infants, toddlers, as well as children of all ages. They specialize in post-drowning recovery, drowning prevention, fear & trauma associated with the water, and attuned water physicality.

Click the comment button if you know of other businesses and/or individuals offering swim lessons from certified instructors. We’ll be sure to add them to the list!