When we received an Aquatots gift card for Christmas, we had no idea how much we'd come to love our weekly swim classes. Now, nearly a year later, I can't imagine our weekend routine without them. Plus, watching a dozen babies bobbing around in swim diapers might be the cutest thing on the planet.
We enrolled Jamie when he was just over 4 months old, which is the earliest age Aquatots accepts. We initially hoped to attend the Myers Park location since it's closer to home, but weekend baby classes were completely booked. Instead, we found a spot at the Matthews location, and honestly, we couldn't be happier with how things worked out.
From day one, the Aquatots team has been incredibly welcoming. The instructors are fantastic, and even when we've had substitutes (which hasn't been often), they've all been knowledgeable and great with the babies.
The facility itself is well-equipped with plenty of changing stalls that include baby changing areas, plus showers and toilets. The pool is heated, and so is the surrounding area, making it comfortable even for our littlest swimmers. There's a glass enclosure around the pool with chairs positioned all around, so family members can watch the class in action—which is perfect for me, since I get to spectate while David does the actual swimming. Fair trade, considering I handled the whole pregnancy and labor situation.
Pro tip: You'll need TWO diapers for pool time. Yes, two. A disposable swim diaper goes on first to catch any pee, and then a reusable swim diaper over it to catch solids (we like these!). It's a system, and trust me, it's a system you want to follow.
Classes are 30 minutes long, and for babies, one parent goes in the water with them. As mentioned, David handles most of the pool duty in our house. I figure nine months of pregnancy plus labor earns me some poolside relaxation time.
Jamie started in the Tadpoles class (4-12 months), and when he turned one, he graduated to Minnows. The activities have remained fairly consistent between levels, which has actually been wonderful. The repetition helps the babies feel comfortable and confident because they know what to expect.
Each class involves singing songs, practicing different positions (on their backs and fronts), passing them back and forth in the water, having them chase little fish toys, and working on depth perception by reaching for rings on the underwater steps. It's structured enough to be educational but relaxed enough that everyone's actually having fun.
Yes, they do take the babies underwater, but the instructors are incredibly understanding if you're not comfortable with it initially. Jamie and his classmates don't seem to mind at all—apparently babies are more chill about being dunked than most adults would be. If a baby gets fussy, there's absolutely no pressure to continue. It's all about making the experience positive and fun.
The Aquatots app makes scheduling straightforward. You sign up for a weekly time slot, and you're automatically scheduled for that same time each week. If you need to cancel, just do it ahead of time and they'll issue a makeup class. These makeup classes don't expire, so they accumulate like frequent flyer miles (but actually useful). You can use them whenever works for you, which means you could do multiple classes in a week if you wanted, or simply reschedule when your regular time doesn't work.
The instructors also use the app to update progress notes each week, so you can track what your child did well and what they're working on. It's like a report card, but for floating.
Beyond the structured lessons, Aquatots has given us so much more than we expected. At $121 per month for four classes, it's reasonably priced and makes a great gift idea (hint, hint for this Christmas!).
Before starting these lessons, I'd never been around a baby in water and had no idea what to do. How should I hold him? How deep is safe? What activities are appropriate? What if he decides to demonstrate his new drinking skills with chlorinated water? Now I know the songs, different ways to make pool time fun, and I'm genuinely comfortable handling him in the water. More importantly, Jamie is completely comfortable too.
This summer at our swim club, I was so grateful we'd been doing lessons since January. Watching Jamie enjoy the water confidently, knowing we had the skills to keep him safe and entertained, made all those weekly classes worthwhile.
Aquatots has become more than just swimming lessons. It's a fun weekend activity that gets Jamie out of the house, provides socialization with other babies his age, and gives us all something to look forward to each week. Right now, it's really about building comfort and confidence in the water, and on that front, it's been a huge success.
If you're looking for a welcoming environment with flexible scheduling, knowledgeable instructors, and a program that genuinely helps babies become comfortable in water (while looking adorable in double-layered swim diapers), I can't recommend Aquatots enough. With multiple locations throughout Charlotte, there's likely one that works for your family too.