Information on our lessons including exit assessments can be found in our Summer Recreation Guide or on our website: https://www.kirklandwa.gov/SwimLessons

Level Advancement:  

Swim Lesson Transfer Policies:  

Level Transfers (different skill level, same class time) 

Class Time Transfers (different class time, same skill level) 

Exit Assessment Skills: Exit Assessment skills are evaluated by instructors for each child’s report card. All Exit Assessment Skills must be passed and checked off by the instructor for a child to move up to the next level. Exit Assessment Skills can be found on our website or in the guide below the level description.

Report Cards: In our Monday–Thursday lessons, swimmers are evaluated after the first week. Report cards are emailed to parents by the Tuesday of week two to guide placement for the next session. Report cards are not issued for Friday/Saturday lessons.

Rain Policy: We have class rain or shine. Our outdoor pools are heated throughout the season. The only time class would be canceled is in the event of a thunderstorm, or unscheduled facility closure. 

Swim Lesson Level Guide 

Facility Closures: Unscheduled facility closures may occur with limited notice. If a class is canceled for this reason, participants will receive a two-admission public swim voucher valid for any 2026 public swim. For updates, check the pool hotline at 425-587-3335 or the Kirkland Parks and Community Services Facebook and Instagram page. If a closure affects swim lessons, you will be notified by email immediately.

Make-up Policy: We do not schedule make-up classes. We encourage parents of private lesson classes to call 425-587-3360 to inform their instructors of the child’s absence. 

Lesson Registration: To register for swim lessons, you can call 425-587-3336 or go online to https://KirklandParks.net. The Peter Kirk Pool does not take swim lesson registration or transfers. If you would like to register in person, please visit the Peter Kirk Community Center across the parking lot.  Please do not come to the first day of class if your child is not registered for that session.

Swim Level Registration Transfers: If your session is just beginning, and you think your child is in the wrong level, please attend the first day of your child’s registered class level and speak with an onsite Lessons Coordinator to see if there is room for a level transfer. Level transfers are not guaranteed due to limited spot availability and are only available to registered students. Swim Lesson Registration closes at 4:00 PM on the Thursday before the beginning of the swim session. 

Waitlist Policy: When a program is full, a waitlist is available at no cost. If a spot opens, we contact people in the order they joined the list by phone or email. Payment is required to secure the spot, and if there’s no response, the customer is removed from the waitlist.

Private Lesson – Sibling Registration: Two siblings of similar age and skill level can share a private lesson. Register for the first person, then call 425-587-33336 to add the second child. Both children must be registered and pay for the private lesson.

Class Registration Closes: Swim Lesson Registration closes at 4:00 PM on the Thursday before the beginning of the swim session.

Swim Lesson Class Etiquette

•  Only registered participants may attend class. We cannot add students once registration has closed. 
  
•  Lessons begin promptly at the scheduled start time.
  
•  Students must wait for their instructor to invite them into the water. 
  
•  While in the pool, students must remain with their instructor at all times.
  
•  Diving blocks may only be used under direct instructor supervision. 
  
•  Students must exit the pool immediately when the lesson ends. Instructors will ensure all students are out of the water before leaving the class area. 
•  There is no public swimming during lessons unless otherwise specific

Health & Hygiene Guidelines 

To help prevent facility closures and class interruptions: 

• Ensure your child uses the restroom before class. 
• Infants and toddlers who are not toilet trained must wear a swim diaper with a tight-fitting protective cover (per State Health Code)
• Students who are feeling sick or ill should not attend class. 

Student Expectations 

To ensure a safe and positive learning environment: 

• Instructors and lifeguards use positive reinforcement to encourage appropriate behavior.  
• Students who continue to exhibit disruptive, distracting, or unsafe behavior may be removed from the lesson for the day.
• If you have questions or concerns, please speak with the Lesson Coordinator on duty during your lesson session.

Respectful Conduct 

• Listen to and follow instructor directions, including safety rules.
• Demonstrate respectful, non-disruptive behavior toward instructors, lifeguards, staff, and fellow participants. 

Listening & Participation 

•  Demonstrate age-appropriate listening skills. 
  
• Follow instructions promptly.
• Participate actively and remain engaged during lessons.

Safe Behavior

•  Practice safe play at all times
•  Avoid behavior that may endanger themselves or others. 
•  Stay in designated areas and follow all pool rules. 
• Cooperate during group activities. 

Swim Lesson Tips & Tricks: 

Deep Water Swim Test: At the Peter Kirk Pool we have a Deep Water Swim Test for swimmers 12 and under. This test is to show a swimmer’s confidence in the water and ability to safely enter, resurface, and exit the pool in deep water. This test is done by a lifeguard in the deep end of the pool.  

In order to pass the Deep Water Swim Test, a swimmer must complete all of the following:  

1. The swimmer must jump into the deep end of the pool feet first and resurface
2. The swimmer must then immediately start to swim to the far end of the pool (25 yards) 
3. The swimmer must swim continuously without assistance, stopping, or touching/holding the wall – briefly stopping to breathe is allowed.
4. Swimmers must show confident/strong swimming mechanics by only using freestyle, front crawl, or breaststroke – Swimmers must remain horizontal on top of the water and have some level of proficiency in the swim stroke. Underwater swimming is not permitted.
5. Swimmers must also have controlled rhythmic breathing (side-breathing or quick pop-up breathing).
6. At the end of the 25-yard swim, the swimmer must exit the swimming pool either by steps, ladder or side.

If a swimmer does not pass the Deep Water Swim Test, the lifeguard will let the swimmer know what they need to work on in order to pass the test. For swimmers that have passed, their swim test results are recorded for the season, and those who pass can pick up their wrist bands at the lifeguard office. Testing seasonally ensures that the child demonstrates their swim ability to stay safe each time they are in and around the water. Lifeguards may ask an individual to retest at any point in the season to ensure that they are safe to swim in deep water. 

Location: Main Pool
Age: 6-36 Months
Class size: 10
Class Time: 30 minutes  

Our parent-child class encourages comfort and safety in and around water through guided instruction. The class's goal is to acclimate your child in the water by introducing water sprinkled on the head and face, bubble blowing, in-water assisted arm and leg motioning, along with aqua-inspired songs to bring fun and excitement to pool time with their parents. This class requires the parent or guardian to be in the pool with their child.

Leveling Up: Once your child turns 3, they can register for Preschool 1 Classes.

Preschool Classes | Ages 3-5 years

Our preschool classes are taught without the assistance of parents as we introduce independent swimming skills. Preschool 1 and Preschool 2 are taught in our shallow water wading pool, this provides a comfortable and friendly learning environment for the beginner swimmer. Our Preschool 3 and Preschool 4 classes are moved over into the shallow end of the main pool, which offers more exploration of skills for these upper-level preschool swimmers.

Preschool 1 

Location: Wading Pool
Age: 3-5
Class size: 5
Class Time: 30 minutes   

Our preschool classes are taught without the assistance of parents as we introduce independent swimming skills. Preschool 1 and Preschool 2 are taught in our shallow water wading pool, this provides a comfortable and friendly learning environment for the beginner swimmer. Our Preschool 3 and Preschool 4 classes are moved over into the shallow end of the main pool, which offers more exploration of skills for these upper-level preschool swimmers.

Exit Assessment Skills:  

• Blowing bubbles
• 3 Bubble bobs
• Front/back float with support
• Front/back streamlining with support

Preschool 2 

Location: Wading Pool
Age: 3-5
Class size: 5
Class Time: 30 minutes  

This class is our second level introductory class for preschool-aged participants. Students will be comfortable in the water, focusing on water safety and swimming skills. Students will be learning how to improve their blowing bubble skills, front and back floats, front crawl, and kick skills. They will also be introduced to bubble bobs (with a submerged nose, mouth, and eyes without the use of goggles), retrieving submerged items from the bottom of the pool, and streamlining without support.

Exit Assessment Skills:  

• 8 Bubble bobs
• Retrieve underwater objects
• Front/back float 6 seconds without support
• Front/back streamlining and kick without support

Leveling Up: If your child passes all exit assessment skills, they are ready to move to the next level 

•  Ages 3-5 years – Preschool 3
•  Ages 5-14 years – Youth 1 

Preschool 3

Location: Main Pool
Age: 3-5
Class size: 5
Class Time: 30 minutes  

This class Is an intermediate swimming class for preschool aged participants. Students will be improving water safety, swimming skills and being introduced to deeper water. Students will be learning how to improve their bubble bobs (with submerged nose, mouth, and eyes without the use of googles), front and back floats, front crawl and kick skills, streamlining, and submerged skills. They will be introduced to rolling from front float to back float, vertical to front recovery, rhythmic pop-up breathing, and how to tread water.

Exit Assessment Skills:

• Retrieve underwater objects
• Rhythmic breathing with kicks and support
• Front crawl & elementary backstroke 5 yards
• Front/back float 10 seconds

Preschool 4

Location: Main Pool
Age: 3-5
Class Size: 5
Class Time: 30 minutes

This class is our second level intermediate swimming class for preschool-aged participants. Students will continue building their water safety and swimming skills while also introducing swim strokes and rhythmic breathing. Students will learn how to improve their bobs, treading water, front and back floats, front crawl and kick skills, streamlining, and submerged skills. They will be introduced to gliding, front crawl, back crawl, elementary backstroke, and rhythmic side breathing.

Exit Assessment Skills:

• 15 Bubble bobs
• Pop-up breathing while doing:
• Front crawl 15 yards
• Elementary backstroke 15 yards
• Kickboard - breaststroke kick 10 yards
• Kickboard - dolphin kick 10 yards
• Dive/jump into the water and recover
• Swim underwater 5 yards

Youth Classes | Ages 5-14 Years

Our youth classes are taught throughout our main pool. Youth 1 focuses on an introduction to swimming and works on gaining comfort in shallow water. Youth 2 and Youth 3 focus on gaining and retaining the skills of swimming, floating, diving, underwater swimming, and water safety in and around pools. Youth 4 is for those who can already swim. Students will work on stroke clean-up and refinement.

Youth 1 

Location: Main Pool
Age: 5-12
Class Size: 5
Class Time: 30 minutes  

Our youth classes are taught throughout our main pool. Youth 1 focuses on an introduction to swimming and works on gaining comfort in shallow water. Youth 2 and Youth 3 focus on gaining and retaining the skills of swimming, floating, diving, underwater swimming, and water safety in and around pools. Youth 4 is for those who can already swim. Students will work on stroke clean-up and refinement.

Exit Assessment Skills:  

• Roll over - front to back and back to front
• 10 Bubble bobs
• Retrieve underwater objects
• Front/back float 6 seconds
• Front crawl & elementary backstroke 5 yards each
• Kickboard - front/back streamlining with kicks and pop-up breathing

Youth 2 

Location: Main Pool 
Age: 5-14 
Class Size: 6 
Class Time: 30 minutes 

Description: This class is an intermediate swimming class, and students should already be comfortable in the water. This class prepares students to swim on their own and pass our Deep Water Swim Test allowing them to advance into lap swimming and stroke development. Students will be learning how to improve their blowing bubble skills, improve their front and back floats, streamlining, improve their front crawl and kick skills, and submerging skills. They will also be introduced to front crawl, back crawl, elementary backstroke, rhythmic breathing, butterfly and breaststroke kicks, and treading water.  

Exit Assessment Skills: 

•  Front/back floats for 30 seconds
•  Kickboard - butterfly/breaststroke/freestyle kicks 10 yards each
•  Tread water for 30 seconds 
•  Rhythmic breathing with the body in the horizontal position 5 breaths 
•  Elementary backstroke 25 yards with pop-up breathing 
•  Deep Water Swim Test 
•  Dive/jump into the water and recover
•  Front crawl 25 yards with pop-up breathing

Youth 3

Location: Main Pool 
Age: 5-14 
Class Size: 6 
Class Time: 30 minutes 

For Youth 3, participants must be able to lap swim without assistance before taking this level. A good indicator of their swimming ability is being able to pass our Deep Water Swim Test. Please visit page __ to see our Deep Water Swim Test description. 

This class is our second level intermediate swimming class and must be very comfortable in the water. This class will focus on stroke development and swimming endurance. Students will be learning how to improve their dives (shallow & deep), underwater swimming, treading water, freestyle, backstroke, and kicks. They will also be introduced to butterfly, breaststroke, flip turns, and lap swimming techniques.  

Exit Assessment Skills: 

•  Rhythmic/rotary breathing with the body in the horizontal position 
•  Stroke development 
•  Freestyle 50 yards 
•  Backstroke 50 yards 
•  Breaststroke 25 yards 
•  Butterfly 25 yards 
•  Use of flip turns while lap swimming 
•  Treading water for 1 minute 

Youth 4 

Location: Main Pool 
Age: 7-14 
Class Size: 8 
Class Time: 30 minutes 

This class is an advanced swimming class. Students must be able to swim multiple laps without assistance while showing rhythmic breathing and high endurance. This class is designed to prepare swimmers to join a swim team. Students will be learning how to improve their strokes (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly), flip turns, lap swimming, deep water diving and retrieval (7+ feet), dive technique, and endurance water treading. This is the highest-level class offered, with an emphasis on endurance lap swimming. 

Exit Assessment Skills: 

•  Surface dive & retrieve an object at a depth of 7 feet 
•  Tread water for 2 minutes 
•  Flip turns while swimming 500 yards continuously 
•  Freestyle 100 yards 
•  Backstroke 100 yards 
•  Breaststroke 100 yards 
•  Butterfly 100 yards 
•  Stroke of choice 100 yards 

Teen/Adult Level 1

Location: Main Pool 
Age:12+
Class Size: 6
Class Time: 30 minutes  

This class is an introductory swimming class for teens and adults ages 13 and older. Students will be getting introduced to the water with the goal to gain comfort in and out of the pool. Students will learn how to enter and exit the water safely, comfortably submerge their face in the water, float on their back and front, tread water, understand how to kick while pulling the water with their arms, and start the basic strokes of swimming like the front crawl and elementary backstroke.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn to float and streamline on your front and back
• Explore alternating and simultaneous leg-kicking and arm-pulling motions
• Attain skills for front crawl and elementary backstroke
• Introduction to treading water
• Acquire basic water safety skills

Exit Assessment Skills:  

• Front/back floats for 30 seconds
• Kickboard - butterfly/breaststroke/freestyle kicks 10 yards each
• Tread water for 30 seconds
• Rhythmic breathing with the body in horizontal position 5 breaths
• Elementary backstroke 25 yards with pop-up breathing
• Deep Water Swim Test
• Dive/jump into the water and recover
• Front crawl 25 yards with pop-up breathing

 Leveling Up: If you have passed all exit assessment skills above, please register for the Teen/Adult Level 2 Class

Teen/Adult Level 2 

Location: Main Pool
Age: 13+
Class Size: 6
Class Time: 30 minutes  

 This class is an intermediate swimming class for teens and adults ages 13 and older. Students must pass the deep-water swim test and be very comfortable in the water, focusing on stroke development and swimming endurance. Students will be learning how to improve their dives (shallow & deep), underwater swimming, treading water, freestyle, backstroke, and kicks. They will also be introduced to butterfly, breaststroke, flip turns, and lap swimming techniques.

Learning Objectives:

• Perform intermediate-level front crawl, back crawl, elementary backstroke, and breaststroke
• Refine efficient and effective strokes
• Tread water for at least 1 minute
• Increase swimming speed and distance ability
• Develop fitness, swimming, and other aquatic goals with the instructor’s assistance 

Private Swim Lessons

Location: Main Pool
Age: 5+
Class Time: 30 minutes  

2026 Aquatics Registration opens Wed, March 18, 2026 at 7:00 AM for Kirkland Residents / Thu, March 19, 2026 at 8:00 AM for Non Residents. You can register online by going to www.KirklandParks.net or by calling the us at 425-587-3336. 

2026 Aquatics Registration opens Wed, March 18, 2026 at 7:00 AM for Kirkland Residents and Thu, March 19, 2026 at 8:00 AM for Non-Residents. You can register online by visiting www.KirklandParks.net or by calling the us at 425-587-3336. 

Brochure 2026 Swim Lesson Grids