- Home
- Departments
- Parks & Recreation
- Aquatic Center
- Swim Lessons
Swim Lessons
Registration
Register online, in person at the Aquatic Center, or call 503-992-3238. Payment is required at the time of registration.
- Please contact us prior to registration if unsure of level placement. See below for level descriptions
- First time participants who have never registered with Forest Grove Parks and Recreation will need to set up an account with our online system, Civic Rec.
- Participants are only allowed to be registered for one swimming lesson class per session, to ensure we can support as many families as possible in accessing our swim lesson programs. This doesn't include specialty programs such as water polo, or dive & turn when they are offered.
In Level 1, the goal is to get students comfortable and be able to enjoy the water safely. They will learn basic water skills such as floating, blowing bubbles, leg and arm movements as well as exploring the water.
Prerequisites: None
Participants will learn:
- How to enter and exit the water safely
- Blowing bubbles and submerging mouth, nose and eyes and bobs
- Floating and gliding in the water with support
- Arm and leg movements on front and back
- Water safety rules and how to use and wear a lifejacket
Note: It is common for a student to repeat a swim level multiple times in order to gain the proficiency needed to succeed at the next level.
In Level 2, students will continue to build on the skills learned in Level 1 by learning how to do fundamental skills more independently. They will also be introduced to treading water, floating without assistance, submerging underwater, and rolling with no support.
Prerequisites: Must have passed Level 1.
Participants will learn:
- How to enter and exit the water safely
- Bobs and submerging entirely
- Floating and gliding unassisted
- Changing direction and treading water
- Rolling over with no support
- Steamboats and Front Crawl
- Elementary Backstroke, Back Crawl
- Water safety rules, how to use a lifejacket, and how to get help
Note: It is common for a student to repeat a swim level multiple times in order to gain the proficiency needed to succeed at the next level
In level 3, students progress to independent swimming. They learn more techniques for front crawl, back crawl, elementary backstroke, and steamboats. Class includes an introduction to the butterfly kick/ motion and scissors kick. They will also learn about changing body position and treading water in deep water.
Prerequisites: Must have passed Level 2
Participants will learn:
- How to jump and enter the water head first safely
- Bobs fully submerged
- Rotary breathing
- Survival and backfloats
- Scissors kick
- Changing from vertical to horizontal position on the back and front
- Treading water
- Butterfly kick and body motion
- Elementary backstroke and backcrawl
- General water safety rules, wearing a lifejacket, Check-Call-Care.
Note: It is common for a student to repeat a swim level multiple times in order to gain the proficiency needed to succeed at the next level
In Level 4, students will develop their endurance and skills for the key strokes as well as be introduced to breaststroke, butterfly, and sidestroke. They will also learn about survival swimming and open turns.
Prerequisites: Must have passed Level 3
Students will learn:
- Diving
- Swimming underwater
- Survival floating and swimming
- Pushing off in streamline position
- Front Crawl, Breaststroke, Butterfly, Back Crawl, Elementary Backstroke and Sidestroke.
- Diving rules, compact jump while wearing a lifejacket, throwing and reaching assists, and care for a conscious choking victim
Note: It is common for a student to repeat a swim level multiple times in order to gain the proficiency needed to succeed at the next level
In Level 5, students continue to work on coordination and endurance of key strokes. Flip turns, sculling, survival swimming, and advanced diving skills are introduced.
Prerequisites: Must have passed Level 4
Students will learn:
- Diving
- Tuck and surface dives
- Survival floating and swimming
- Sculling
- Flip turns
- Greater endurance for Front Crawl, Butterfly, Breaststroke, Back Crawl, Elementary Backstroke, and Sidestroke.
- How to get help in an emergency, the importance of CPR and First Aid, and CPR demo.
Note: It is common for a student to repeat a swim level multiple times in order to gain the proficiency needed to succeed at the next level
In Level 6, the goal is to refine all swimming strokes, and increase the distance/time that participants can swim. Continued work on turns for all strokes and greater safety and diving skills are acquired.
Prerequisites: Must have passed level 5
Students will learn:
- Greater endurance and refined technique for Front Crawl, Butterfly, Breaststroke, Elementary Backstroke, and Sidestroke.
- More refined Flip turns
- Turns for Sidestroke, Breaststroke, and Butterfly.
- Treading water, kicking only
- Performing self-rescue techniques and swimming while clothed
- Basic safety rules for open water and boating
Swim Lesson Fee
| Type | In City | Out of City |
| With Family Membership | $50.25 | $65.25 |
| Non-Member | $68.75 | $89.25 |
Registration Schedule
| Registration Dates | Session Name | Lesson Dates |
| April 29, 2026 | Summer Session 1 | June 15 - July 16 |
| July 1, 2026 | Summer Session 2 | July 20 - August 20 |
**online registration opens at 6:00am for in-city residents, 10:00am for outside-city residents**
For more swim lesson details, you may also view our Activities Guide
Skill Level Assessments
For families in swim lessons, the recommended next class is noted on the swim card from your child's instructor. Please confirm the placement with their instructor before registering. If your child hasn’t taken a class recently or elsewhere, the Aquatic Center offers free water placement tests during public swims. When registering, children must have passed the prior class or completed a placement test to meet the next level’s requirements.
Swim Lesson Procedures
- Children must be a minimum of six months old.
- Parents/spectators are required to remain in the designated spectator areas throughout the duration of each lesson.
- All Swim Lesson participants are required to take a rinsing shower before entering the water.
- All Swim Lesson participants are asked to wait to enter the pool until their lesson begins or their instructor comes to get them.
- Children under the age of 10 yrs. old must be accompanied, supervised and within arm's reach in the pool by a responsible paying adult 18 yrs. or older.
- Swim goggles are not allowed during classes for all level 1-3 programs (preschool & school age) as this is an important piece of the swimming proficiency skill set.
- We are unable to accommodate any make-up lessons for missed days.
- Please do your best to get your child to use the restroom prior to their lesson.
- You are encouraged to talk openly with your child's instructor, before or after class, about their progress in lessons.
- There is no refund/credit for cancellation with less than 72 hours' notice from date of first class. See policy link below.
Questions about refunds and cancellations? Please review our Refund and Cancellation Policy.