Going the Distance at Big Blue: A Better Way to Measure Progress in Swim Lessons
Form, endurance, and confidence all combine to help a child learn to swim and become safer around water. At Big Blue, we believe safety improves as your child increases how far they can swim independently. That's why tracking - and celebrating - these distance milestones is core to our learn-to-swim philosophy.
Measuring Swim Progress
We measure swim progress by the distance a kid can swim, first with assistance and then more and more independently.
Each of our swimming lesson curriculum levels—Baby Blue, Bright Blue, Bold Blue, and Big Blue—focuses on a child learning and practicing all the elements of swimming in an age-appropriate way. It’s all part of the work to master staying afloat, breathing, and propelling through the water.
At the first lesson, we assess and place your child into a level based on their age and ability. Since progress at Big Blue is highly individualized, your child isn’t bound to their starting level for a set amount of time. Working at their own pace, your swimmer will pass all skills required for their current level to move up to the next level.
Curious about what skills your child needs to pass? Click on the "Progress" section of the Big Blue mobile app
An effortless glide through the water is the ultimate goal. To get there, we start with building comfort then confidence in the water. Each week, your child works on improving technique, developing muscle memory, and increasing endurance.
What are Splash Zones™?
Within all our curriculum levels, we’re keeping an eye on the ultimate goal: a child successfully swimming greater distances. Weekly lessons and ribbons earned are focused on specific distances that increase with each level, from the first 3 feet of swimming achieved. Splash Zones™ are our way of measuring these distance milestones. In order to graduate from our most advanced level, Big Blue, your child must be able to swim 1000 feet, or longer than three football fields, without stopping or touching the bottom of the pool! That’s a BIG moment for kids!
Our focus on how far a child can swim as part of their progress is critical to what we mean by wanting families to experience the Big Blue Difference. We believe that for kids to be truly safe in the water, they need to not only know how to stay afloat, they ultimately need to be able to propel themselves to safety, whether in a natural body of water or at the pool.
Achieving Mental Milestones, Too
In seeing their Splash Zones™ grow, kids are also experiencing the potential of endless possibilities. Incremental progress adds up, in the pool and out. We know learning to swim is a big deal. Even better? The confidence boost of everything from tackling a first fear of water to reaching that 1,000-foot milestone infuses in kids the belief that they really can do anything.
Let’s not forget your parental mental milestones. As your child masters longer distances and grows more confident, you’re unlocking peace of mind that your child is not only safer in the water but also ready to take on challenges in their daily lives.
Easy to Track, Easy to Celebrate
Consistent practice is essential to swim success. That’s why we built our mobile app. Our mobile app allow our parents and swimmers to see in real-time what they are working on and accomplishing in their swim lessons week-to-week. You can also control your schedule so swimming fits into your family’s busy days. Adding another weekly lesson or drop-in lesson or scheduling a make-up lesson is easy when the schedule is in your hands.
A practical understanding of your child’s swim progress is also a benchmark for how safe they are around water. Our distance-based curricula let you stay up-to-moment with your child’s progress, and the app enables you to view it from anywhere, anytime.
Whether it’s unlocking a new skill, progressing to the next swim level, or smiling throughout a swim lesson, there are so many Big Moments ahead for your child at Big Blue. Keep an eye on your email for you next distance milestone that your child reaches. Time for a celebratory ice cream?
