It's been a journey getting our kiddo to become an independent swimmer. We started out like many…read moreparents do enrolling her in swim lessons around age two or three to start. Those lessons were through the city, and we could never get her excited to attend. Most classes ended in tears, and she was adamant about not returning. Last summer we made really good strides at my parent's neighborhood pool and since my mom was a competitive swimmer and lifeguard back in the day she got pretty good instruction from her, which helped build her confidence back up. Flash forward to this winter, and I'm realizing that the clock is ticking on summer and our almost five year old really needs to up her game if she's going to attend pool parties and play with her friends once the weather warms. Enter: Aqua-Tots. To be honest I'm not sure I would have taken the plunge on an expensive little kid swim school had I not known folks that took their kids here. Aqua-Tots was recommended by one of our daughter's friend's parents and while pricey (it's around $30 per 30 minute lesson) I do think it's worth it overall. I was worried with the price point, and that it's a swim school in a suburban strip mall, that it would feel very impersonal and business like - like they would be trying to churn out as much money as possible. While I'm sure they are trying to make money, I don't feel like they are money gauging here. We've been going for probably two months now and I'd say even after the first lesson the front desk staff made a point to know who our daughter was and greeted us warmly each time we walked in. They even checked in with us to just see how it was going, how she's adjusting to lessons, and took the time to listen to her feedback, which I thought was super sweet. You can tell that they are engaged with their work and are good at it, which is partially why it costs $$ to go here, I think they likely actually pay their staff well. Now onto the lesson itself. The class sizes are capped around four kids which is great as they each get a good amount of personalized attention. The pool is kept warm so no tears getting in, and the teachers do a great job at keeping it fun for them. We've had a few tears going in here and there, and a few tears with going under the water, BUT she still likes going for the most part, and she loves her teacher. The bottom line here is that Aqua-Tots is expensive, there's no way around that fact, but they will teach your child to swim, they know how to coach young children, and they will do it in a supportive and welcoming environment.

My granddaughter has been going to Emler off and on for about a year and a half. It takes time, but…read moreabout a month ago she finally started swimming on her own. I can see now how the repetitive teaching is what makes it stick. I travel a lot, so when we need to miss a class I just schedule the absence and they give me a make-up token for a future lesson. It's been really flexible for us, and I would highly recommend it.

A complete waste of money. Outrageously priced. The building is miserable to sit in. I'm…read moredisappointed in myself for spending $30 per swim lesson, especially when my child doesn't even swim for more than a third of the class time. When I asked to speak to a manager about my concerns, my request was refused. Look into local community centers or a YMCA for actual swim lessons. Emler = sucks.

This pool features a main pool with a slide, a youth pool with fountains and a slide, a sandy…read moreshaded play area, a 25 meter lap lane, and beautiful landscaping. Very nice.

Recently I was there on a semi busy afternoon and all of the employees that I had contact with were…read morehelpful and friendly. In fact as a mom who was there so my kids could swim I literally get a birds eye view of everyone including the staff which genuinely seemed to be enjoying their day. Overall great day at the pool!

KC swim academy is the swim lesson division of Team Unify- a club swim team. During the summer…read morethey offer swim camps M-Th x 2 weeks 30min each. During the school year they have weekly lessons on Sunday. Group lessons are $22 per lesson, and there are a max of 4 kids (but most of the time my kids were in groups of 2 or 3) also if there were 4 kids they usually had 2 instructors per group for the younger kids. I really like the fact that they did not use any swim 'backpacks' like the lessons we had at the YMCA. Suzanne is the director and is so nice and helpful. Most of the instructors are high school kids that swim on the team. They have recently added infant survival (and I believe it is one of the few places in the city that offers it). If you have an infant - I would highly recommend these lessons. They will be an expert swimmer by 3. If you kids are toddlers, you might consider private lessons first. I found we got a lot more out of the group lessons after a few private ones first. We had our lessons at the Shawnee Mission East HS pool, but I think they offer them at a few others during the summer. This is a very well run group and if you have a kid that swims and you want to improve his stroke, they'll do a great job.

Amazing! Went for a Birthday Party, kids had a great time. This is probably one of the best…read moregymnastics facility in the KC area.

Loved it!! The kids had a BLAST!!! Went for a 7th birthday…read moreparty & I want my next party here too!!

This is a very nice public swimming pool with a 22 feet high spiral water slide, a diving board,…read moretwo kiddie pools, a 25 meter lap lane, a concession area, locker rooms, rest rooms, a shaded seating area, and a dedicated parking lot. There is also a nice half basketball court, and a play area outside the pool area. Very nice!

Best music playlist of all the OP pools. Everyday I come the jams keep on kicking. Whomever made it…read morebravo!

The owner Sam and the entire staff are very knowledgeable, professional, and love to help people…read more They are true professionals. I took my open water here 25 years ago, my daughter took her open water here 15 years ago, and my 16 year old son is taking his open water here this weekend. Wouldn't go anywhere else for dive training or purchasing equipment.

Just completed my open water certification training. Outstanding experience, exceptional, flexible…read moreand friendly staff. Jerry and Zach were great instructors and extremely patient and gracious with students at all comfort levels. He was very accommodating of my schedule, making it work! I would highly recommend!

By far the best martial arts experience for your child! My husband and I looked into several…read moredifferent studios for our son. We decided on KOMA and have been there for 4 years. We have also enrolled our two other children. The instructors are amazing, class size small and facility always clean. Very impressed.

We just started our daughter here in the Tykes class. She loves it! I love the sense of community…read moreand the discipline they provide my daughter because it continues at home. I kind of want to take classes here myself! For right now though, I will settle for living vicariously through my little girl.