Nicole In Your Neighborhood: Aqua-Tots Indy
Nicole In Your Neighborhood highlights local spots in the Indianapolis area. I'll share what's unique about the local business, what you should know before you go & why you should add it to your list of places to visit here in Indiana!
PLUS, I'll always include a FOLLOWER PERK for YOU.
Andrew & Colin LOVE "swimming lessons in the pool!"
Indianapolis, Indiana - Aqua-Tots Indy is the swim school you've been looking for - seriously! I heard about Aqua-Tots Indy through a connection with an old co-worker and fellow mama, Angie Bevin Carney (Hi, Ang!). Angie and I both worked in Lexington, Kentucky as TV reporters and anchors. Angie's friend Lindsay Thayer moved up here to Indianapolis to open Aqua-Tots Indy swim school (E 96th about a mile east of Keystone Pkwy) and thought we should connect online ... so we did ... and, I sure am glad!
Lindsay and her husband started their Aqua-Tots journey three years ago after taking lessons at an Aqua-Tots in metro Detroit, MI. They enrolled their daughter, Lilly, and quickly realized that not only was it a great activity to do as mother and daughter, but she was learning a life-saving skill while having fun. They opened their first school in Lexington KY in 2016, followed by Indianapolis in 2017, and Louisville, KY in 2018.
During each swim lesson, we work with the boys to grab the ring from a deeper step. I'm so proud of Andrew's progress!
Aqua-Tots Indy's is safety first, fun every second. May is National Drowning Prevention Month, and let's be honest, NOTHING is more worrisome for parents than a kid around water. I HATE the fact that my neighborhood has a pond. I tell the boys several times a day that "the pond is for ducks only!" I make sure they repeat it back to me and pray that they never venture near the pond without an adult nearby. BUT, accidents can happen. That's why swim lessons are so important!
According to the Aqua-Tots You Tube Channel, a child (age 1-4) that participates in formal swim lessons can reduce drowning by nearly 88-percent. During every lesson our instructor reminds us of the highway analogy: the swimming pool can be as dangerous as a highway. You wouldn't want your child standing along I-465 alone and you sure as hell don't want them to try to cross the interstate. That's why the best method of drowning prevention is always learning to swim. So, that's what I am doing with Andrew, Colin and Matthew each week at Aqua-Tots Indy!
Each week, the boys participate in a 30-minute swim lesson. 30-minutes is the perfect amount of time, especially for their ages (2-2-1 #somanybabies). With the water temperature at 90 degrees, changing rooms, showers and bathing suit dryers, the atmosphere is the perfect environment to learn how to swim (and, it's hassle-free for the parents!). There is also a toy area to entertain the kids while we wait for our swim lesson to start. Kids can begin swim lessons as young as 4 months old. All group classes are small with no more than four children per class and all Water Safety Instructors go through 50 hours of online and in-water training and CPR certification. Each class includes the same activities each time, but we challenge the boys to do a little more each week. For example, we encourage them to turn around and climb out of the pool on their own saying "elbow, elbow, knee, knee!" The repetition is excellent for the babies, and I often find myself singing the songs on the way home to entertain the boys!
Know Before You Go: Aqua-Tots Indy
Swim lessons are available for children 4 months and up. Levels are designed to teach children of all ages and abilities.
Swim lessons are 30-minutes with a maximum of 4 students to 1 instructor.
Swim lessons are offered morning, afternoon and evening Monday through Saturday.
It's $84 per month for one swim lesson per week - $158 for 2/wk - $222 for 3/wk. Sibling discounts offered. $35 registration fee per family.
Babies must wear a disposable swim diaper and reusable swim diaper (available for purchase on-site).
Open Swims are scheduled every month.
One of my favorite parts about Aqua-Tots is the understanding that families need options. Lessons are offered morning, afternoon and evening Monday through Saturday, and makeup lessons are offered when a child is unable to make their normal lesson time (no extra charge). We've missed several lessons because one of the boys were sick! Right now, we are still so young that I have to bring 3 adults for the 3 babies. Thankfully, the twins are a few lessons away from the next level where Mama & Dada won't have to be in the water with them and pay Mimi to tag along! HA! We're big fans of Aqua-Tots Indy, and I'm feeling more confident about the boys near water as we head into summer!
I give the babies gummies after every swim lesson!
AQUA-TOTS INDY FOLLOWER PERK
FOLLOWER PERK: I teamed up with Aqua-Tots Indy to offer my followers a PERK! Call to enroll and mention the Nicole Pence PROMO CODE to receive a waived registration fee ($35 value) until August of 2018.
Visit the Aqua-Tots Indy Facebook, You Tube and Instagram pages for more information. See you in the pool, people!
XOXO,
Nic