Touring The Goldfish Swim School

As much as I love fall, I don’t want summer to end. Because this summer, my kids became total water babies. We took swim lessons at the YMCA, spent many an afternoon at various Cincinnati splash parks and took full advantage of our neighbor’s open invitation to use their pool (thanks, Mike and Peggy!). So really, the worst part about summer ending is that my family’s not ready to part with our beloved pool time. But guess what? We don’t have to!

 

The Goldfish Swim School is Cincinnati’s newest indoor pool.

Located at 7058 Ridgetop Drive in West Chester, this will be the first Goldfish Swim School in Greater Cincinnati. You can literally see it off 1-75 — it’s a breeze to get to! The school opened this week for lessons, and is hosting a Grand Opening party on September 10 with lots of free, family friendly activities (and, of course, open swim!).

Goldfish Swim School is known for its lessons — they provide swim instruction to children ages 4 months to 12 years-old in a unique setting with highly trained instructors, boasts very small class sizes (max 4:1 student to teacher ratio), comfortable 90-degree pools (and 92 degree pool decks — so no worries about shivery, post-swim kids!) and a state-of-the-art water purification system. Families with kids of different ages and skill levels can conveniently have all of their swimmers in the pool during the same time slot, making it a very convenient option for family lessons!

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As we walked into the pool area, I was struck by how un-pool-like it smelled. You know that stifling, indoor-pool-chlorinated smell? It’s horrible, right? Goldfish Swim School doesn’t smell like any pool I’ve ever been to. It had a fresh, airy smell that I can best describe as similar to a pile of clean towels.

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Lane lines divide the various lesson areas, and step-stools docked in the middle of the lanes provide a mid-lap safety net to new swimmers. Boxes of colorful supplies at the end of each lane make me want to be a kid again, bobbing for pool toys. A larger, open area in the shallow end is perfect for parent-baby lessons. The wall features large murals of ocean life that makes the pool feel all the more fun and inviting.

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There are monthly themes and weekly prizes for all kids who come to Goldfish Swim School. There’s an aquarium with fish and kid-sized table with coloring pages. Bins of kid friendly toys will entertain your younger kids during their older siblings’ lessons. It’s all the fun little details and incentives that make Goldfish Swim School such a fun and special place.

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But it’s not just about swim lessons at this swim school. In addition to lessons, the Goldfish Swim School offers several weekly family swims (for both members and non-members), where the lane lines come down and pool toys come out! I, for one, know how much my kids would love a random pool date as the weather cools down this fall! If you have a serious swim fan in your house, consider having your next birthday party at Goldfish Swim School (how fun would a mid-winter pool party be?).

If you’re grossed out by germy, fluorescent-lit locker rooms (and who isn’t?), rest assured that the shower situation is a breath of fresh air. Inside the pool is a row of open showers for kids to clean off after lessons. This is forward thinking at its finest! All the watery mess stays inside the pool area, then kids can come out to change.

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Outside the pool is a row of colorful, family friendly changing rooms, family bathrooms and even a seated area for drying your kid’s hair. (Parent hack: If you have evening swim lessons, bring your child’s pjs to change into after a post-lesson shower!)

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Forget your kid’s suit? Need a swim diaper? In the market for scented swim goggles(!)? Goldfish Swim School has you covered — literally! There are rows of fluffy towels, reusable swim diapers and yes, scented swim goggles, all ready to help with those last-minute #parentfails. (My family once forgot beach towels on our beach vacation. It happens!)

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While the pool deck felt quite comfortable to me (I am always, always cold), if you’re the type who runs hot, you can watch your child’s lessons from the air conditioned viewing gallery. Or, flip through magazines at one of the cabana-like tables. Grab a coffee or healthy snack from the front desk. You might even forget you’re at swim lessons!

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Definitely plan on checking out Goldfish Swim School for the Grand Opening Party on September 10. Tour the facility. Take the family swimming. Talk to the swim instructors. Plan your next rainy day! Put this swim school on your radar — and keep those fun summer vibes going all year long!

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