Swim lessons that build real confidence
Give your child the skills, confidence, and water safety knowledge they need to become a stronger swimmer.
Rutgers Rec Kids Swim Lessons provide instruction for children ages 6 months–17 years, with certified American Red Cross Water Safety Instructors and small class sizes designed to provide individual attention and meaningful progress.
Why choose Rutgers Rec Kids?
Not all swim programs are the same. Rutgers Recreation focuses on helping swimmers develop skills safely and confidently while receiving meaningful instruction from trained professionals.
More time to learn
45-minute youth and teen lessons give swimmers time to practice skills, get feedback, and build confidence without feeling rushed.
Small class sizes
Smaller groups let instructors give more individual attention and adjust instruction to each swimmer's needs.
Individual assessment
Swimmers complete a swimming assessment during their first lesson. This helps supervisors determine the best starting group within the American Red Cross Learn-to-Swim program. Supervisors may adjust group placement during the first two lessons to find the best fit for each swimmer.
Structured skill development
Swimmers progress through age- and ability-appropriate skills, from water adjustment and basic swimming to stroke development and advanced technique.
Safety-focused instruction
Water safety is part of every lesson, taught by instructors trained in both swimming instruction and water safety.
Session-based lessons
Swim lessons are offered as a full session, giving swimmers the opportunity to build skills and make progress over multiple lessons. Sessions follow the Rutgers University academic calendar, so lessons are not held during university closures or academic breaks.
One price for the full session
Registration includes all lessons in the session for one set price. This allows swimmers to consistently attend each week and gives instructors time to build on skills from one lesson to the next.
A Rutgers Recreation program
Rutgers Rec Kids is part of Rutgers University Recreation and provides swimming instruction for the Rutgers community.
Find the right swim lesson
We offer several programs based on age, experience, and swimming ability. Select a program below for details.
Adult & Child Aquatics Ages 6 months–3 years
An instructor-guided class where a responsible adult participates in the water with the child. Children are introduced to the water through activities such as water entry, bubble blowing, kicking, and water exploration.
Pre-School Swim Lessons Ages 3–5 years
Small-group swim lessons designed to help young swimmers become comfortable in the water while developing basic swimming and water safety skills.
Youth Group Swim Lessons Ages 5–12 years
Group lessons for children who are learning to swim or developing their existing swimming skills. Instruction covers swimming and water safety, plus activities that create a positive, engaging learning environment.
Swimmers complete an assessment during their first lesson and are placed according to ability within the American Red Cross Learn-to-Swim program.
- Beginner levels: approx. 3 swimmers per instructor
- Advanced levels: approx. 5 swimmers per instructor
Teen Swim Lessons Ages 13–17 years
Lessons for teens who are learning to swim, building confidence in the water, or refining their existing swimming skills. Swimmers complete an assessment during their first lesson and are placed according to swimming ability.
- Beginner levels: approx. 3 swimmers per instructor
- Advanced levels: approx. 5 swimmers per instructor
Starting Block Advanced youth stroke development
Starting Block is designed for swimmers who have completed the required American Red Cross Learn-to-Swim skills and are ready for additional stroke development and more advanced swimming instruction. The program focuses on developing competitive swimming skills, including:
- Front crawl
- Backstroke
- Breaststroke
- Butterfly
- Starts and turns
- Stroke technique
- Endurance
Program information
Everything else you need to know before your child's first lesson.
Ready to register?
- Choose the program that matches your child's age.
- Under Classifications and Tags, select Rutgers Rec Kids.
- Complete registration for the day and time of your choice and complete payment.
- Attend your child's first lesson for their swimming assessment.
- Our instructors will determine the appropriate swimming level based on your child's current skills.
How swim level placement works
You do not need to know your child's exact swimming level before registering.
Register your child based on their age. On the first day, supervisors will complete a swimming assessment to observe your child’s current skills. This typically includes swimming on their front and back, along with other skills appropriate to their age and ability.
The assessment helps our instructors determine the best starting group for each swimmer. During the first two lessons, supervisors may adjust group placement as they get to know each swimmer’s skills and find the group that is the best fit.
Children are placed in a group based on their swimming ability and may be moved to a different group if another group is a better fit for their current skills.
Our instructors use the American Red Cross Learn-to-Swim program to guide skill development and placement.
Class sizes are based on swimming ability:
- Approximately 3 swimmers per instructor for beginner swimmers
- Approximately 5 swimmers per instructor for advanced swimmers
What will my child learn?
Depending on age and ability, swimmers may develop skills including:
- Water adjustment and comfort
- Water safety
- Front crawl and back crawl
- Elementary backstroke
- Breaststroke and sidestroke
- Butterfly
- Diving safety
- Starts and turns
- Stroke refinement and endurance
The goal isn't simply to complete a level — we want swimmers to build skills, gain confidence, and become safer, more capable swimmers.
American Red Cross Learn-to-Swim program
Rutgers Recreation uses the American Red Cross Learn-to-Swim program as the foundation for youth swimming instruction. Our American Red Cross Water Safety Instructors are trained to teach swimming and water safety skills to swimmers at a variety of ability levels.
Class sizes & instruction
Small class sizes are an important part of the Rutgers Rec Kids experience. Our program offers approximately:
- Beginner levels: 1 instructor to about 3 swimmers
- Other levels: 1 instructor to about 5 swimmers
Class sizes and ratios may vary by program and session. Our goal is to give each swimmer enough time with their instructor to practice skills, receive feedback, and make progress.
Program locations & parking
College Avenue Gym (CAG)
130 College Avenue
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Parking: Lot 30 or College Ave Deck. Do not park in Lot 27.
Cook/Douglass Recreation Center (CooK)
50 Biel Road
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Parking: Lot 76, across the street on Dudley Road.
Parking is managed by Rutgers Department of Transportation. Permits are issued on the first day of class — be prepared to provide your license plate number. Permits may only be used in the assigned lot. Any parking ticket or summons is the responsibility of the vehicle owner or operator.
What parents should know
Parent/guardian supervision: Parents or guardians must accompany their children into and out of the facility. During the lesson, parents should remain in the designated waiting area and observe from a non-distracting distance, and may not leave at any point. Parents must accompany their child when using the locker rooms or family changing areas.
Family changing areas: Private family changing areas are available at both pool locations. Children should not be changed on the pool deck — please use the locker rooms or designated family changing areas.
Adult & Child classes: A responsible adult must participate in the water for the entire class. Children who are not potty-trained must wear an appropriate swim diaper and protective covering — please have children use the restroom or change into a clean swim diaper before class.
Cancellations, make-ups & changes
Inclement weather: If programs are cancelled due to weather, information will be posted on Facebook. Rutgers Recreation will also attempt to contact participants by email and post on social media.
Make-up classes: The final scheduled class date of each session is reserved as a make-up day only if Rutgers Recreation cancels a lesson due to a facility closure or other program-related cancellation. Make-up classes are not offered for individual absences, including illness, vacations, or scheduling conflicts. If no cancellation occurs, the final class remains part of the regular program and celebrates the students' accomplishments with pool games, relay races, or extra jump time.
Registration changes & cancellations: Once registration is complete, changes to a section or class type are subject to a $25 fee in addition to the course fee, and classes are non-transferable. Cancellations made more than two weeks before the class start date are subject to a $25 fee. No refunds are issued within two weeks of the class start date.
