Kids First houses the Hubbard Family Swim School. The bright colors of the building attract people as they drive by! I was not quite sure what to expect but it was very easy to figure out where I was supposed to go once I got inside. The Hubbard Family Swim School was at the front of the building, right when you walk inside on the left. Every swimmer is required to wear a cloth swim diaper, which can be purchased at the Bee Hive. The Bee Hive is a boutique housed in Kids First and sells swim wear and other types of athletic gear and clothing.
After buying my daughter’s swim diaper we went into the lobby of the swim school, which was air conditioned. Parents can wait in the air conditioned room with other siblings and watch their swimmer through the glass. There is room to sit on the pool deck, but this was a comfortable option as the pool deck is rather warm! Off of the pool deck there is a changing area with multiple stalls, diaper changing stations, restrooms (kid friendly included), and shower heads to rinse off in after swimming. It was very clean and family friendly.
The pool has brightly colored banners with different fish and sea creatures on them hanging above. The pool is divided up into several lanes to separate the different swim classes. When you walk into the waiting room and sign in at the computer it tells you what lane your swim lesson is in. Each lesson is a half-hour long and a few minutes before the 30-minute lesson is over a horn blows to signal the change. The facility is very clean, easy to navigate, and family friendly.
The Hubbard Family Swim School has a curriculum and goal in mind for each level. My daughter, for example, is a Blowfish and the goal of this level is learning to be comfortable in the water. Some of the skills that the instructors work on include back floats and roll over breathing. The focus of the first few lessons is building trust between the instructors and students. All of the instructors are very professional and care about kids. My daughter talked about how her teacher had her act like a monkey in the water and has been talking about her all week. The instructors use play as a way to help kids feel at ease in the water. For example, some of the items each lane has is swimming rings, a cup with holes in it, and goggles. There is also a slide that the kids can climb on.
The Hubbard Family School is a fantastic swim school that aims to help kids learn how to swim in a fun and safe way. Although safety is always modeled there is an extra focus on it this month. The Safer Three (safer water, safer kids, and safer response) is the focus this May and kids will be sent home with a coloring sheet, so that parents can reinforce what was taught during swim lessons. Furthermore, the staff is very professional and each level aims to help the swimmer grow. I am excited to see my daughter become a better swimmer and will be documenting her progress!
Hubbard Family Swim School inside Kids First Sports Center
7900 E. Kemper Road, Cincinnati, OH 45249
513-530-0123