5/5 -- Big Blue Swim School Has Been Incredible for Our Family We've had an absolutely outstanding experience at Big Blue Swim School, and we want to give a huge shoutout to the amazing team that made all the difference for our children. Our 2-year-old can sometimes struggle with new instructors, and there was a moment where he didn't want to get in the water at all. Brex, Josh, and Xzenia went above and beyond to turn the entire situation around. Their patience, energy, and compassion completely changed the day -- within minutes, he was not only comfortable but laughing, splashing, and having fun. It was such a heartwarming transformation to watch. We also want to give a special side shoutout to Ross, who consistently goes out of his way to accommodate our scheduling needs. He always helps us find class times and instructors that work best for our family, and that level of thoughtfulness truly means a lot. Big Blue has become such a positive part of our weekly routine thanks to the incredible staff. We're so grateful for everything they do and highly recommend them to any family looking for a caring, encouraging, and professional swim school. read more

My 5 year old has been taking lessons here for almost 3 years (on and off) and my 2 year old for about a year and Big Blue has become a consistent part of our lives! The kids love the lessons (or we would have quit long ago), and I love how easily you can start/stop weekly lessons and pick right up where you left off. I also love that the app shows you exactly what skills they're working on and when they've mastered something. My only complaint is that I wish they made it clearer what age/height requirements there are to move to the next level. Sometimes it can feel like your kid is stagnating, but really they just have to age into the next level. Highly recommend trying it out! read more

Not a good fit for children with special needs. Chaotic management and poor communication makes it a poor choice for special needs children. We swam at the Wilmette location for three years and I regret not leaving sooner. Frequent management changes meant one week the staff was gushing about how amazing and exciting my child's progress was, and the next week new staff claimed my child was doing poorly and we needed to discuss costly private lessons or going elsewhere. I recommend somewhere more inclusive if your child is neurodivergent. read more

I really like this swim school. Each student goes about their own training program. The instructors are encouraging and challenging to the students. There are many changing rooms so you're never left waiting around. Plenty of parking available and they get pretty busy after the normal school hours so beware... read more

Very difficult to get a make up lesson. When trying to call in, wait time is 1 hour to talk to a live agent. If you use the call back feature, they let it ring once and then hang up on you. Other parents are removing their children too for this same reason. read more

I'm pretty sure you can find 99% of the kids in the North Shore here on Sunday mornings. Fortunately, Big Blue has enough space for all the North Shore and more. The facility itself is super impressive and when we walked in for our first lesson last month my kids were torn between all the fun coloring activities (frozen themed coloring pages= ahhh!) and massive pool. The pool is divided into several lanes for classes. I took one look at all the craziness and was worried for my children's safety, but they are super organized here. My daughter was directed towards her 3-year-old class while my son (and husband) made their way to the baby class. My 3-year-old absolutely loves it here. She's now had 3 lessons with Alberto (love that it's the same instructor every week!). While she's not exactly swimming yet (and I don't expect her to be), I'm super impressed with the way she's not putting her head in the water, back floating (with Alberto's help) & on her way to learning to swim. There are 2 other kids in the class and while they get their turn my daughter plays with water toys on the step. She absolutely loves it and the biggest issue is removing her from the pool after the 30 minutes is up. My 1-year-old, on the other hand, is not such a fan. When we were in Florida a few months ago he was all about the pool. I was excited for him to take swimming lessons, but he's had 2 lessons and has basically screamed the entire time. I think the issue is that it's incredibly loud there on Sunday mornings. I recently stopped in during the week and it was so much quieter, but unfortunately I can only make it on weekends. Between my son's unhappiness in the pool and his recent respiratory flu I decided to pull him out of swim class for the time being. Big Blue was super flexible and let him drop out without a problem. Big Blue's flexibility is the main reason we chose them in the first place. I've heard so many great things about Foss's* swim program, but was having trouble finding a time that worked for both my kids during the weekend. Big Blue squeezed us in to our preferred time slot with no problem. They don't have actual sessions so you can sign up (and cancel) whenever you'd like. When both my kids had colds during the first day of swimming I called and they said they could start us the following week so we wouldn't get charged. I let them know my daughter is going to stop taking classes here in mid June (they prefer a 30 day cancellation when possible) so I can find an activity that both my kids like...and they didn't give me any issues with that as well. Tracey, who has helped me several times via phone, is super friendly and accommodating. I'm looking forward to another month of classes here with my 3-year-old and think we'll try it again in the future when her little brother gets bigger and used to chaos. ---- * http://www.yelp.com/biz/foss-swim-school-highland-park read more

Big Blue Swim School - Baby class with parents - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Wilmette, Illinois

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I started bringing my kids to Big Blue when they were 6 months old and my oldest is now 8.... they have loved lessons here and learned how to be great swimmers. And over the years they've had many different teachers and in general they are very good - some have been really wonderful! My oldest is now on a swim team with a local high school, and the coach said she has really good form - all learned from Big Blue in Wilmette. Highly recommend! read more

The coaches need to avoid using shocking techniques--dragging frightened kids into water. My daughter is scared of water till this day.

Unfortunatelly, i can give just one start for this place. Reception people are very nice, still there was a big issue when we needed to use make up classes (just 2). We suppose to stop going there because of changed payment system. Still this place said that we can not use our make up classes because we will not attend classes any more. Even because of their system changes we couldnt attend classes, which was not our fault, they took money which we paid for classes and never gave make up classes which in the begining they said it will not be a problem and never explained details. Moreover, i was promised manager will call to talk about it and never called. I wouldnt trust this place and i wouldnt give any cc info, because they are taking money and do not giving classes. read more

We enrolled our nearly 3-year old toddler in Baby Blue. Said toddler has progressed to Guppy II and is well on her way in building her swimming prowess with much thanks to her instructors. Lucy was our daughter's primary instructor & we highly recommend her (and the rest of the swim crew). She like all instructors we've observed are patient, playfully firm and loving in teaching technique. Out of the pool, it's refreshing to observe how the kids take to them and vice versa, they into the families. The top 3 objectives learned during our tenure thus far are; - getting comfortable in the water and basic maneuvering skills - building confidence in survival & swimming abilities - having fun. In honesty, our daughter trends towards overload on the 3rd point above but her progression on 1 & 2 has been steady, strong and promising. It's been a worthwhile investment. read more

We have now been coming to Big Blue at this location for over a year now. I have seen tremendous progress in my children. When they started lessons, neither could swim but now I am watching my older one swim from one end of the pool to the other on his own and it's been through amazing teachers we have been able to advance so quickly! There are many pros in regards to this school but I am going to focus on the "need of improvements" and hope that they reach the voices high above and promote some positive changes to truly make this location a 5 star rating. 1. The showers need an update- and a GOOD scrub down. The caulk needs to be redone in a lot of places and hair tends to gather (we do lessons first thing in AM one day and in later afternoon another- the time of day doesn't make a diff so its not gathering from other swimmers- it's just not being cleaned up) Also, there are no rubberized mats on the floors and we've all nearly slipped walking in and out of the bathrooms, especially in the shower area. In general a lot of caulk and just "touch up" needs to be done, looks super dingy. Train table could use a good wipe in the tracks. Paint peeling in the inside of bathroom stalls and around the sinks in the bathrooms. 2. There should be large circle tables in the observation area near the front desk (there is PLENTY of room to work something out) sometimes I'll bring my computer or have work documents and I am stuck sitting on the floor and using a chair as mud table or I'm stuck sitting in the kids coloring table to use as a workable space. I see this often with kids trying to get homework done in after school swim lessons especially when siblings are waiting for other siblings during different lessons 3. Why hasn't Big Blue ventured to open up "family swim" during AM hours!? They only have lessons I believe on Mondays Tuesday and Fridays? (my days my be off) but the other days- I asked the employees and there is no one there in AM. Goldfish does it and Ive contemplated switching there numerous times because of it. I would be happy to pay $10 to drop in for a 1.5-2 hour family swim time where parent has to be with child to practice skills. The park district indoor pools (glenview and niles) have absolutely THE WORST and no morning family swim classes- in the winter when we were looking for activities we would have LOVED having this as an option! Even doing a higher rate for nonmembers- we would have had friends who definitely would have came! I hope you really consider this! At least as a trial in some of your locations- you are losing out on so much $! 4. the turnover rate makes us so sad- we have been blessed with some absolutely amazing consistent teachers- Nicole (goes above an beyond and has the patience of a saint, please get this girl a raise! She deserves every penny) Lazar G ( my small one calls him "the best teacher in the entire universe" and can't wait for swimming lessons each week- his energy and compassion is something you cant put into words- you have to observe him and makes sense why his classes have a waiting list!!) Kavan (sorry if im spelling your name wrong!) is also phenomenal. But in order to get to these teachers we have gone through so many- there was a period when the Groupon came out (worst mistake ever the over crowding and inconsistency almost made us leave) there was a new teacher weekly, people were leaving left and right. We were losing such fantastic teachers- Corina, Jeremiah (to name our favorites) and it was just sad to see new people come to replace them and be gone in less than a few weeks. Big Blue please take care of the people who work for you- your business is so dependent on them - we come to you because of THEM. they are in the pool with our children keeping them safe, happy, engaged, and learning and it doesn't make me feel safe or happy when my child is being handled by a different teacher each week who doesn't know where exactly they are at and their progress stalls. We all love consistency! My older one cant wait to come to swimming and tell Nicole about all the swimming he did in the pool and ocean on vacay and is just so excited to have that rapport with her. There is a reason we continue to come back to your classes- we love your school, do you need some minor improvements? Absolutely- there is always room for improvement. I really hope you CEO reads this and really looks into and takes my comments to heart- if you aren't going to do anything about the tables or showers- fine but please take care of your employees- they are the reason we love walking through your doors and being greeted by name, asked how we are- the kids love to look up at Lucy and Janelle (so sorry if spelled your name wrong) and talk to them about progress and just light up when they give them their ribbons- you have an amazing team and we are so blessed to have them! PS- can we get handles on BOTH sides of changing room doors? read more

We have been coming to Big Blue for a few months and are having a positive experience thanks to Heidi. My son adores her and we appreciate her positivity and encouragement since our son does not have a natural proclivity to the water. However, he loves his lessons when he is with Heidi! Finding the right teacher and building g a strong relationship is key. My five stars go to Heidi! read more

Big Blue Swim School - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Wilmette, Illinois

I cannot stand to write reviews. You better believe a service is outstanding in order for me to take time to do so. Megan is a fantastic teacher.We have truly benefited from her classes. She's encouraging and fills our 3 year old with confidence in the pool. He loves coming to her lessons every week. We are very pleased with his progress and newfound enthusiasm for water. Megan has great interpersonal skills and you can clearly see that she's passionate about the job. When she's teaching several kids, you can notice that she's able to adapt to each student's level and personality. She is nurturing, patient and keeps lessons interesting. With Megan your children will learn, not only to enjoy water, but to be happy and safe! read more

This is a great swim school! I don't know many other places that put as much emphasis on the kids and the parents convenience. Their scheduling app is the best out there, so easy to find times when both kids and one of us can make it. read more

Turnover at this place is crazy! What was once a reputable swim school is now FAR from it. Took my kids to a competitor. Too bad the owners cannot get their butts in gear over here. read more

My twin 5yo girls have been going to BB for about 9 months now. They started out in Guppy 1 and are now in Dolphin 1 and 2. My girls refuse to separate when one moves up to the next level. So they stay together until the other catches up. I love how the staff is so accommodating to my girls' needs and to our ever changing schedules. Since we've been going there for awhile, they understand how they work and how to get them to progress. And it's also really convenient that we're able to switch class times rather easily since there are so many available. Robert was their first instructor, and probably their favorite out of all the ones we've been through. He's really good with kids and makes swimming fun. Kaley is another great instructor that they've had. She has a calm and encouraging demeanor. Both have been exceptional and my girls love them! read more

It's about time I added a review. I'm shocked by the negative reviews as I have had nothing but positive experiences here. The staff is super accommodating and pleasant. They created a guppy 1 class just for my twins so that they could swim at the same time as my older daughter and they ended up w a semi private lesson for months (at the regular rate). I have needed to switch our swim time multiple times and they have always made it work for my three children to be at the same time. In addition I love the one free makeup a month and that they never expire as long as a child is currently enrolled. And the wifi means that I'm productive while the kids are swimming. I love that we have the same instructor each week and most of them have been wonderful. All of my children have made great progress here and look forward to going each week. The facility is clean and although there are only 3 showers in the bathrooms, it has never been an issue. There are tons of changing rooms and they are large enough to fit an adult and three children. A few people complained about the cancelation policy but it's fairly standard. 30 days-most businesses do it this way and it's very fair. read more

Based on the swim instruction alone I would give Big Blue four stars. My ten-year-old son is somewhat anxious and doesn't always do well with group instruction, but he has completely thrived with the kind, patient, experienced teachers here. They have a nice program for rewarding the kids for learning new skills, and bump them up into more advanced groups with a certificate and ribbon, which my son really values. Unfortunately, I find their front desk employees to be less than a four star experience. I stood at the desk for twenty minutes once because I needed to schedule a make up session, and the three employees who could have helped me were too busy setting up for a birthday party and never came over, never said they'd be there in a moment, never asked if I could maybe call in later... I had to write a note and leave it on the desk. I'm not thrilled with the automatic payment system, although perhaps it works for some people who would forget to renew? All in all I'm happy with the swim instruction, but not necessarily with the staff. read more

To see so many negative posts here is surely indicative of unrealistic expectations. Sadder still, to see only the poor reviews go unfiltered. I thought that odd. Anyway, I have had my two kids (3 and 4) at Big Blue for over a year. My daughter actually graduated to the next level before her older brother! It would seem to me from my experience that they do promote children that accomplish pre-determined skill sets. Does my 4 y/o son (still at the first guppy level!) prefer to pace himself? Yes. Could the instructors make him take more chances? Sure. And, I've relayed this to the instructor during "Progress Week." But for a 3-person lesson at $20/kid, it's been a FANTASTIC experience. I'd give 5 stars if it weren't for the truth behind the high turnover. We love John and Miss Meg but haven't been able to get into any of their classes because they are so popular. Bottom line: My kids are clearly learning how NOT to drown AND I do see progress. I'd rather it take some time than see my kids promoted without the coordination they need to swim. I try to be patient, it's a process! read more

We've been going to Big Blue for a few months and I've noticed a big improvement in my daughter's swimming. We have done a different swimming school in the past and the program here seems much more structured. Our main instructor is Ashley but all the instructors seem engaged and happy, which is pretty important when trying to teach kids. Ashley is really patient but also pushes my daughter to try and improve every lesson. I think the most important thing when choosing a school is progress and I am seeing that every week. The facility is great and the staff is amazing, I'm very happy my friend recommended this place to us and my daughter loves coming! read more

Their method of teaching truly works! We've seen progress at every lesson with our 5 year old. She started very hesitant to put her head in the water and has progressed smoothly and quickly. Big fan of Big Blue! read more

Don't give them your credit card! I signed up my two children for the "6 lessons for $60" promotion last March. This is $120. In retrospect, I should have just written a check for that amount. Instead, I foolishly gave them a credit card to keep "on file." This is what happened next: 1. They charged my card $222.50 on April 1. 2. They charged me $133.50 on May 1. This is a total of $356, an overcharge of $236. I tried, many times, to get someone on the phone to correct the mistake. This was impossible. They NEVER answered their phone when I called. I left several messages for a manager to call me, none of which were returned. Eventually, I got tired of this and had to go over there and explain basic math ($60 + $60 = $120) to their 23 year old receptionist. I was there for at least half and hour, waiting. She had to go "in the back" and verify with "the manager." They did end up refunding $222.50 of my money, but they held onto $13.50 above the $120 I owed them, either because they are bad at math or just lazy. Probably both. In the end, I only took 10 of the 12 lessons I bought, because it was such a frustrating experience. I just called today to schedule the remaining two lessons they still owe me, and they let me know that I don't have any left, which is also wrong. The manager is going to call. I'm not holding my breath. (Hey manager, you can look it up: my initial trial lessons were 3/20, the remaining ten lessons happened April 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30, each at 4 pm, one lesson for each child). The instruction is fine, nothing special. This place is basically a swim lesson factory - the facility is pretty impressive - but in the end they stole my money. FAIL. read more

We've been sending both our kids to Big Blue for years. Since each of them was about 1 year old, we started them at Big Blue. When they were struggling with an instructor, timing issue, or in general could not advance, we were able to figure something out with the management there. The key is finding the right coach pairing with your child. It's a little around timing and luck. Recently. when our daughter (6) was paired with Sal, she was having tons of fun but also advanced quickly. It's different at every stage of learning and BB team adjusts as needed. Last year, she was stuck at a level for months and the management team really worked with us to get her past the plateau with private lessons. With our son (4), he's developed a fear of "sinking" after a little bit of "tough love". It's hard to know when kids get too comfortable with the playtime versus when they are ready to be pushed. He now needs a more nurturing coach, and so we are hopeful he will progress. One suggestion for Big Blue is to proactively track kids progress and make recommendations on remediation tactics. When a child is in the same class for an extended period of time, it should be a flag to management to intervene before the parents are trying to figure out what to do and start to feel the $ pinch with limited progress. With the technology they have in place, this should be easy! Overall, great team and service to the kids of the community! read more

This is a great swim school. My 7 year old son has greatly improved his swimming skills. The instructors are very good and friendly with the kids. I like being able to watch him and wave to him while he takes the lessons. The changing areas are clean. My son is always smiling and has a good time. I would recommend this highly. read more

I barely do reviews and make some complains，and most time they were pretty nice，but if you don't want us to take the advantage of your promotion，just don't give it. I didn't even complain when I scheduled the lesson in advance and got there，the door was closed and no one there. Too bad！ read more

After struggling with getting our 4 1\2 to attend her first 6 swim lessons, we just happened to be placed with Zaira and her attitude and fear of water completely turned around. She's now excited and happy to go to her lessons and we're seeing noticeable increases in her comfort level with water over the span of a month! Prior to this turn around, i had been contemplating discontinuing the lessons. Zaira is fun, patient, and sweet. I would highly recommend Zaira and big blue for swim lessons even for the most timid, water averse child. It's just a matter of finding the right instructor for your child. read more

My little guy was scared to put in his head in the water when we started lessons and now swimming is his favorite thing to do! The staff is ALWAYS accommodating and so helpful! The website makes viewing your child's progress easy and make ups can be made with just a few clicks. read more

We have been taking swim lesson for 8 weeks now. Both of my kids love it. My youngest asks everyday if we get to go today. The instructors seem to do a nice job. Someone is always walking around to assess your kids skills, so that they move up as soon as they are ready to learn the next skill. It's a great set up. read more

Super friendly staff, flexible scheduling, reasonable prices, and good special offers, clean neat place. Son is making good progress, moving through levels at high speed (he's older than most due to ear problems for years). read more

My son and I love Ms Meghan. He prefers to only swim with her. She is patient and caring. She takes the time with each student to show them how to swim. My other son has had various instructors, usually when he moved up to a different level or making up a session. All the instructors seem to have a way with the children. They are amazing and I would definitely recommend Big Blue in Wilmette to anyone! read more

We're newer to Big Blue, but I have been very impressed with all of the staff so far. Katherine has been our teacher and she makes swimming so fun with my toddler son! Also, Megan jumped in with my toddler daughter who was being clingy with me and made my daughter more comfortable. They really make swimming fun for the kids!!! Update: My daughter has had Gavin as an instructor for a few months now and he is so great with her! She loves swimming with him and is truly a swimmer now at 2.5 years old!!! Also, the water is so warm here and you are pretty much guaranteed a private fitting room as soon as you need one! read more

My son learned to swim at Big Blue. I love this place. It's built for families/kids and is colorful and clean. There is a play area for younger children, a viewing area with big windows so parents can watch their children swim, individual changing rooms, and nice bathrooms in which to change and shower. Children are initially placed in a basic level and moved up to new levels as soon as they are ready (as frequently as weekly), so you're not wasting your time stuck at too low/high a level. As a result, swim groups and instructors change frequently. Prices seem appropriate. The staff is great, very nice and understanding of families and children. The swim instructors change frequently (both due to kids changing levels and due to scheduling), but they seem to hire people who enjoy the job and are capable. To summarize, this is a great place for young children to learn to swim. read more

We love Big Blue! My daughter has been working with Christopher and she really enjoys her lessons. She just turned 4 and within the past few months she has gained a tremendous amount of confidence in the water. The staff is welcoming and accommodating. I'm so glad my daughter is learning to swim at Big Blue. read more

My 3 year old has been in swim lessons since she was 5 months old, but as she got older she seemed less and less confident in the water. BUT after 5 lessons at Big Blue she is so confident, loves going under the water, and can float on her own! Thanks so much for helping her find her love of swimming! read more

Instructors are patient, work at the pace of each individual kid, staff is very accomodating, super sweet with the kids. Lessons (for each level) are available several times daily, if needed one can always switch to another location. We go weekly but other options are available and one is not tied in, one can change times/days/instructors... any time. There is no signing up for a whole semester like with the competition, however 1 month cancellation notice. They do allow to place classes on hold let's say during the summer months, which I find convenient. Missed classes are automatically available for make-up lessons, those can be scheduled conveniently online or by call. All over all, this is a convenient but more importantly highly effective swim school. We have been coming here for 6 years, our older son (8 yrs.) graduated to a swim team 1/2 yr ago, also part of Big Blue which none of the other swim schools offer (without it kids that learned swimming this early would have to take a break from swimming until their schools offer swim teams - in our case 6th grade). Kids can swim without aids as early as 4 yrs, maybe earlier. At age 6+yrs (depending when they start etc.) they know all the different styles. Swim lessons at Big Blue probably safed our younger boy's life when he fell into the ocean in Mexico at age 4, he was able to swim to safety instead of panicking. Locations are nice like other folks already mentioned, plenty of individual locker rooms, showers work well enough for kids, hair dryers and bags for wet clothing available... I'm not a fan of the carpet in a wet environment but it seems clean. A few swim school related items are available for sale at the desk (whatever is quickly forgotten at home) but luckily no overwhelming shelves of toys and stuff! Con's: Website is not fully figured out yet, sometimes phones are not picked up, likely part of their rapid growth and hopefully resolved soon. read more

My son loves swimming with Nissar and Sandra. Friendly staff and great instruction. My son really enjoys going to swim lessons at big blue and has improved tremendously in just a few months. He was afraid to put his head in the water when he started, now he has no fear. read more

We recently started coming to Big Blue for lessons with our 3 yr old (who was super reluctant to swim without Mom or Dad). The staff is amazing...Jenelle and Clio went above and beyond to help us on times and instructors that worked for our child's needs. We have been to other swim schools and have found this is the BEST by far. Highly recommend you speak with Jenelle. She is wonderful! read more

Too many changes in instructors with very little notice...kept our son on his toes (in a negative way). Our son's second to last instructor change was at our request - we had requested a male instructor and got one. Today we received a last minute email notifying us of another instructor change - to a new female instructor! We are done with these guys after this month. Their new facility is excellent. read more

We just switched from Lifetime to Big Blue in Wilmette. I was really excited to try this out, but now I'm not sure what to try next because this isn't working out. As someone else mentioned you don't ever talk to the instructor, which leaves you with no knowledge as to how your child is progressing. My daughter's instructor spends half the class looking at what everyone else there is doing instead of making eye contact with her charges. The showers for afterwards are unacceptable -- one open shower with 3 heads. I might not mind the community shower except that little boys are in there at the same time running around naked. And after they shower there is zero room to get dressed in -- you have to try to dry your child off in the little walkway between the door and the bathroom and there is just no room at all. Very awkward and annoying. There must be a better option. read more

Of all the private swim schools, Big Blue is the best, hands down. No other private swim school offers the flexibility of scheduling your kids at the same time, changing swim class times on the fly and on top of that no registration fees. Your kids will not be stuck in the same class if they exceed what is being taught. The staff truly cares that your child learns to swim, not just for fun, but as a life skill. Highly recommended! read more