Swim Lessons

The Mount Rainier Pool strives to provide a fun and safe atmosphere for swim lessons for all ages and members of our community. We believe swimming is an essential life skill and a healthy recreational activity. We are committed to training our staff and community about the importance of water safety.

To enhance the quality of our lessons, we follow the American Red Cross standards and work to ensure most instructors are certified. Finally, we work to keep our classes affordable and have scholarship options of up to 90 percent off for residents of Des Moines and Normandy Park. Finally, we believe practicing with your children is paramount, so we have added free practice times. See below for more information.

Please keep in mind the instructor is only with your child for a short amount of time. We need your assistance with their lesson performance. The same holds true for effective discipline. If there is a method that works effectively for you with your child, and the instructor is not having success, they would welcome your input. If so, please communicate at the front desk and do not disturb the class.

If you have questions or concerns, please leave your name and phone number at the front desk and our staff will contact you before the next set of lessons.

Management staff are available to assist you with your concerns and can serve as a liaison between you and instructors regarding communication. Please email us at info@mtrainierpool.com or call and ask to speak with a manager at (206) 824-4722.

Fall classes will only be held on Saturdays between 8:00 am and 11:30 am. Adult classes will be two, 30 minutes and held between 8-9 am, and youth classes, levels Preschool 1-Learn-to-Swim 2, will be 25 minutes, with Learn-to-Swim 3-6 being 30 minutes and held between 9- 11:30 am. Click here for a listing of the exact class times.

*No class 11/11 or 11/25

Adult Class(es)

(15 & Older) Our adult swim lessons are offered during times with few distractions and taught by an adult, certified water safety instructor (American Red Cross) during less used times. All classes are first-come, first-serve, and there are limited spots. Click here for more detailed information.

Swim Evaluations (Required for New Students Requesting Levels other Than Pre-1 or Level 1 Classes)

Our goal is to give all participants the best experience in our swim lessons! The most important part is ensuring participants are in the right level. This not only helps the individual but also ensures other class participants get the most of their lesson time. We suggest having a swim evaluation before registration deadlines. This gives your child the best chance to get into lessons. (Note – People applying for Parent and Child, Preschool 1, Level 1, and Adult classes do not need to take a swim test.)

Swim Evaluations are available by appointment during Family Swim Times. Please schedule one business day before by emailing frontdesk@desmoinespool.org .Class Levels Overview

Below is a breakdown of class levels. For more detailed information, click here. Please work with pool staff to ensure you are in the right lessons.

SWIM LESSON LEVELS OVERVIEW: Click here to view more information on swim lesson levels.

SWIM LESSON LEVEL SELECTION GUIDE: Click here to use this guide to better find the right swim lesson level for you or your child(ren).

EXACT CLASS TIMES FOR FALL 2023: Click here to see the exact class times for Fall 2023. (Form updated with Level 5/6 on September 7, 2023).

Registration will follow the 1,2,3 system to ensure residents are being given priority for registration. Please register promptly on the dates listed below as there is strong demand for swim lessons in the area.

Ability determines class placement, not an age level. (Online registration shifts responsibility for assessing ability to the parent rather than our instructors and can lead to an improper class placement that can affect the quality of lessons.) Please see the exact registration dates and times below. To register over the phone, please call us at (206) 824-4722.

Phone: To avoid confusion in assigning class placements, only one person will handle calls at the start of registration. This may result in longer wait times. Our call tree will queue users, and we will answer calls in the order received. Any messages left will be answered after we have responded to all current calls. (If we are overly busy, this may be the next day.)

 In-person registration: People can wait in line as early as 45 minutes before registration opens. Numbers will be issued, and staff will call out numbers as registrars are available. Anyone who comes in early to get a number and then leaves will lose their turn and must get a new number.

*Online registration: Online registration is now available for current swim lessons students. If your child participated in any of these swim lessons sessions, you will be considered a current student:

• Monday Evenings (7/10-8/14)
• Wednesday Evenings (7/5-8/16)
• Monday-Thursday Mornings (8/7-8/17)

As classes have limited capacity, it is essential to register students into the correct classes. To be able to register online, you must sign into your account through our website signing in using your email and password. You will only be able to sign up the participant for the level they are eligible for. If there are any questions about what level they are eligible for, please contact the front desk (206) 824-4722

Create own account: Please help us speed up registration by creating an account. See below for more information.

Please help us by setting up an account on our registration software (CivicRec). Please click here to setup an account. This will help speed up the registration process and ensure your contact information is correct for communications including waitlists.

Setting Up A CivicRec Account:

1. Click here to setup a new account at com
2. Click login/create account button in upper right corner and follow
3. Please make sure that you list a good contact phone number and email to ensure we are able to contact you.
4. Once complete, you should receive a confirmation Please use this email to double-check your account to make sure the contact information is correct.
5. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at (206) 824-4722.

Online Registration Directions will be available only to Current Students. See Registration Process below for more information. Just a heads up that online spots will fill fast, so please be ready to register with your account setup and payment information already in the system.

Current students can register online (NEW) by phone or in-person. See more detailed information below. Current students are participants that participated in swim lessons this summer eligible classes.

Summer eligible classes* include:

• Monday Evenings (7/10-8/14),
• Wednesday Evenings (7/5-8/16), and
• Monday-Thursday Mornings (8/7-8/17)
• Summer Evening Adult Lessons (7/11-8/3)

Detailed information on how to register online will be sent to your home email address.
**Current students do not include Monday & Wednesday (7/5-7/31) and Tuesday & Thursday (7/9- 8/1) classes.

The district is dedicated to help youth become better swimmers and more comfortable in the water. We realize that swim lessons alone are not enough, and that practice is key to your child’s success. This summer we will allow current youth swim participants and one parent* free entry during the following times.

FREE SWIM PRACTICE TIMES

• Saturday, 11:30am-12:30pm

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO PRACTICE WITH YOUR CHILD

PLAY: Playing in the water with your children will help them apply their skills in a fun manner.

COMFORT: Swimming with your child will help them be more comfortable around the water.

BONDING: For teaching younger children, helping support them and perform the skills is a great activity to do together.

SUCCESS: Moving up levels in swim lessons takes not only learning, but mastering swim skills.

SUPPORT: Practicing with your child shows that you are willing to help them succeed.