Park district offers summer swimming lessons at Bensenville Water Park & Splash Pad
Bensenville, Ill.— The Bensenville Park District is making it fun and easy to learn to swim by offering swimming lessons for children of various ages and skill levels at the Bensenville Water Park & Splash Pad throughout the summer.
“Swimming might be the only sport or recreation activity that can save your life,” says Manager of Facilities & Special Events Todd Linder, who oversees the water park. “Drowning is still one of the leading causes of accidental death in children, and being able to swim can be an essential life-saving skill in addition to being fun.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more children age 4 and under die from drowning than any other cause of death except birth defects. Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death after motor vehicle crashes for those under 15.
Three different swimming programs are offered: water exploration for children 6 months to 2 years old, preschool for those aged 2-4 and the Bensenville Swim School, with four different levels of instruction for children ages 5-14. Sessions are offered throughout the summer on different days and for different lengths.
Children 6 months to 2 years old and parents are introduced to the pool through gently-structured water play activities that include songs, splashing and fun as part of the Tide Pool Water Explorers experience. Each child is accompanied by an adult in this program, which serves to acclimate children to the water. It is not a water safety or swim instruction class.
Preschool programs include the Jellyfish + Parent and Jellyfish programs. Children and parents enrolled in the Jellyfish + Parent program enjoy many of the same experiences as the explorers but with kickboards, noodles and water toys as they learn basic swimming skills. Swimmers gain confidence in front and back floats, submerging their faces and blowing bubbles, arm movements and water kicks while bonding with their parents. Instructors work with children who have adjusted to the water without a parent in the Jellyfish program, developing a foundation of beginning strokes, kicks and breathing.
The Bensenville Swim School has four distinct levels—Guppies, Turtles, Stingrays and Dolphins—which allow swimmers to build upon specific skills and advance to the next level. Instruction is provided at a 1:6 ratio, and swimmers are evaluated at the start of each session to place them with similar swimmers at their level.
The district also offers private (one-on-one) and semi-private (for two-to-three people) lessons to allow swimmers to hone specific skills. These lessons are grouped in six 30-minute sessions.
Visit BvilleParks.org/parks-facilities/bensenville-water-park/swim-lessons for program information.
