SWIMMING

There’s something for everyone in the Rutgers Rec Kids Learn to Swim program. American Red Cross Water Safety Instructors teach a variety of skills and strokes, including front crawl, back crawl, elementary backstroke, breaststroke, sidestroke and butterfly.

Children from 6 months to 17 years are invited to join us in a program that guarantees they will learn new and exciting skills. Students can learn to swim or improve their swimming with new strokes, stroke refinements, diving safety, and more. Our instructors offer a fun, exciting and safe program.

We offer a variety of options so that we are sure to meet the needs of every child.  Options include Parent and Child Aquatics, Pre-School lessons, Group lessons, Teen lessons, and Competitive Edge. Don’t delay! Many classes fill up early and space is limited.

  • American Red Cross instructors
  • Certificates given to each participant
  • Individual assessments to ensure appropriate placement
  • Excellent instructor/student ratios: 1:3 for beginners 1:5 for all other levels
Parent & Child Aquatics 6 months – 3 years
This class is for children ages 6 months to 3 years of age. The goal of this class is to help young children get ready to swim by emphasizing fun in the water. Parents and children will experience instructor-guided classes that are geared to help children learn basic skills such as water entry, bubble blowing, kicking, and water exploration. Parents are required to be in the water with their children at all times. PREREQUISITE: Child must either be potty trained or in a swimmy diaper, plastic diaper cover and bathing suit to participate.
Pre-School 3-5 years
Small group swim lessons for ages 3-5 years old. The purpose of the program is to promote water safety knowledge and practices, aquatics adjustment and swimming readiness skills, fun and enjoyment in the water. Ratio is 3:1. PREREQUISITE: Child must be toilet trained.
Group Swim Lessons 5-12 years
Children from 5 to 12 years old will learn to swim or refine their strokes. Instruction in swimming and water safety is complemented by games to provide a positive swimming experience. Children are evaluated during the first lesson and placed into groups based upon their ability.
Teen Swim Lessons 13-17 years
Participants ages 13 to 17 years old will learn to swim or refine their strokes. Instruction in swimming and water safety is complemented by games to provide a positive swimming experience. Swimmers are evaluated during the first lesson and placed into groups based upon their ability.
Competitive Edge 8-15 years
This program prepares children 8 to 15 years for competitive swimming. Practice focuses on competitive strokes, starts, and turns. PRE-REQUISITE: Swim a minimum of 50 yards of front crawl, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly as well as a 100 IM.
Try-Outs are required for participants NEW to the Competitive Edge Program.
If you have missed the try-out period, try-outs will be held on the first day of the session. If it is determined that your child is not ready for the program, you will receive a full refund minus a $25.00 processing fee.
To Sign Up for a Try-Out email: rec.kids@echo.rutgers.edu
About Us Phone:  (848) 445-8285
Inclement Weather Cancellations If programs are cancelled, the information will be posted on Facebook. Every attempt will be made to contact you via email and phone.
Make-Up Classes The last scheduled meeting date of each class session will be utilized as a make-up day. If there is no facility closure during the session, classes will still meet on the make-up day for a celebration of the student’s accomplishments with pool games, relay races, and free swim.
Cancellation/Change Request Policy Once registration is completed, any change in section or class type will incur a $25.00 fee in addition to the course fee. Classes are non-transferable. Cancellations prior to 2 weeks of the start date will incur a $25.00 fee. NO refunds will be given within 2 weeks of the class start date.
Illness or Injury Refunds will be issued for illness or injury when it results in the loss of three or more consecutive class days AND is supported by a doctor’s note. An illness related refund request must be made within 30 days of the class ending date. Refunds will be prorated based on the number of missed classes. A maximum refund of 80% of the class fee paid will be issued for illness and injury related absences when it meets the above criteria. All requests will be processed at the discretion of the Program Director.
Locations College Avenue Gym (CAG) 130 College Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Cook Douglass Recreation Center (Cook) 50 Biel Road, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Parking Campus Map

Participants who are not affiliated with Rutgers are eligible for a parking permit. Use of this permit by Rutgers students, faculty (includes PTL’s), or staff (includes temporary and hourly type 4 employees) is prohibited and can result in a $100 fine. Eligible non-affiliates may obtain their permit by clicking this link. NOTE: THIS LINK IS ONLY VALID: 6/27/2022-8/12/2022 Your license plate number is required to complete the registration. Parking is available in: LOTS 20, 26, 30, AND COLLEGE AVE DECK
At College Avenue participants may park in Lot 30. You may NOT park in Lot 27 at the College Avenue Gym. Please obey all signs and markings and park only in marked stalls in designated areas.
At The Cook Douglass Recreation Center participants may park in Lot 76, located across the street (Dudley Road).
Any ticket or summons issued is the responsibility of the vehicle owner or operator
Supervision Parents must accompany their children into and out of the facility. During the swimming lesson, parents must remain in the designated waiting areas and observe their child’s lesson from a non­-distracting distance. Parents will accompany their child anytime they need to use the locker rooms or family changing areas.
Changing on Deck Changing your child on pool deck is strictly prohibited at any of the Rutgers Recreation facilities. Please use one of the locker rooms or family changing areas to change and/or shower your child.
Family Changing Areas There are several private changing areas located on either side of the College Avenue Pool and at the far end of the Cook/Douglass pool deck.
Locker Rooms There are men and women’s locker rooms for restroom and changing needs. Mothers with daughters or fathers with sons should use the locker rooms to prevent crowding of the family changing areas. It is strictly prohibited for children to enter the locker room that doesn’t correspond with their gender. Instead, these patrons should use the family changing areas provided.
Seating Parents may sit on the metal benches along the wall at the College Avenue Pool or in the chairs provided at the Cook Douglass facility.
Parent & Child Aquatics A responsible adult must accompany each child in the water for the duration of the class. Children who are not potty trained MUST wear rubber pants AND swim diapers. All children should be encouraged to use the facilities prior to class starting and/or should be placed in clean unsoiled swim diaper prior to the class starting. Should your child soil their diaper during the class, they should immediately be removed from the pool and changed to prevent pool contamination.
Rutgers Rec Kids CommunicatorRegister Here