8 Places to Take Swim Lessons in Central Arkansas
Nick Meyers with 4-year-old Aryan Padala during a swim lesson at the Little Rock Athletic Club.
During the summer, kids constantly want to be playing in a cool body of water. Although parental supervision is important, it’s also vital that kids have their own skills to stay afloat.
Central Arkansas offers plenty of options for swim lessons so you can feel safe watching your kids play and your kids can feel confident on their own in the water. Not a good swimmer yourself? Some of these locations offer adult swim lessons as well. It’s never too late to learn!
1. Benton Aquatics Center
1069-1585 Airlane Drive, Benton
BentonAR.org/Aquatics | 501-776-5900
Lessons are available for students from 6 months to 18 years old. The youngest swimmers start out becoming comfortable in the water and learning to float while the final level prepares students for swim team by helping them master all four strokes.
2. Cabot Parks & Recreation
508 N Lincoln St., Cabot
CabotParks.com/Indoor-Pool | 501-601-1506
Group swim lessons are offered year-round at this indoor pool and private semi-private lessons are available upon request. Parent and child classes for ages 2 and under can start at any age and students must be at least 3 years old for lessons without parent involvement.
3. Dowell Naylor Aquatic Center
1100 Edgewood Drive, Maumelle
MaumelleParksandRec.com | 501-851-6990
This facility offers four sessions of outdoor group lessons during the summer for kids ages 3-12. Each session comprises eight lessons and costs $50.
4. Jacksonville Parks & Recreation
#5 Municipal Drive, Jacksonville
CityOfJacksonville.net | 501-982-4171
During the school year, this facility offers evening lessons and during the summer lessons are also available in the mornings. There are options for parent and child (6 months to 4 years old), kids 3 and older, and adult lessons.
5. Little Rock Athletic Club Swim Academy
4610 Sam Peck Road, Little Rock
LRAC.com | 501-225-3601
Year-round, the Swim Academy offers parent and child classes for babies as young as 6 months old as well as lessons and swim team prep for kids ages 3-10. They also offer a special “crunch time” class available for ages 3-7, which packs a month’s worth of lessons into one week during the summer.
6. North Little Rock Athletic Club
3804 McCain Park Drive, North Little Rock
NLRAC.com/Aquatics | 501-812-5555
Lessons are available for kids and adults, no matter the skill level. Options include private, semi-private and group.
7. Safety Before Skill
Locations in west Little Rock, North Little Rock and Conway
SafetyBeforeSkill.com | 501-940-4981
Swim lessons are available year-round at these indoor pool locations. Programs include private lessons, a la carte lessons, parent and child group classes, a pre-competitive club program and school of fish weekly group classes. Babies can start as young as 4 months old.
8. War Memorial Outdoor Pool
300 South Monroe St., Little Rock
LittleRock.gov | APM.ActiveCommunities.com | 501-664-6976
These summer-only classes are offered in two-week sessions throughout the season. Lessons begin at age 2 for mommy and me classes and at age 5 for classes without parental involvement. They're also offered all the way through adult level.