I had heard about this location before, but I always took my kids to the local rec pool because it was the cheapest option. Color Me surprised when I saw that Waterbabies was offering a once a month free swim hour in the Kent rec catalog. So, we decided to give it a try. It's only about 16 minutes from my house so it's not too far to go. Getting there was not very tricky. I followed my GPS, which led me behind a bar at the far end of a business complex. Parking has always been easy to find, even a close spot near the door. We've been here three times since and my girls love going. To be honest, I love going too. But what sets it apart from other pools is that they have really awesome foam toys that I had never seen before, like a floating foam slide and a foam canoe that fits two. They also have lots of handheld toys, rings, and goggles to use. They have the larger pool, which is 4 ft throughout, and they have a smaller one by the door. My one gripe with using the local pool was that it was always a fight to get a shower afterwards...But not here. We've always been able to walk right into the changing room, shower with pleasantly hot water, and know that our belongings are safely stored in one of their lockers. One convenience feature I also saw was a pack and play available for moms with babies that need corralling. All of the staff is very nice, with even keel, reasonable energy. You don't get overtalked to, but everybody is informed in case you have questions. It's been a really great experience coming here and I hope they continue to offer this monthly family swim! read more

Update they made it right added a few stars. I had my daughter's birthday here. We weren't impressed by the lack of communication and how long it took to get a reply and book the party. It's nice you have the entire space for just your group and you can use all the water toys they have. Which is a ton of fun toys. The party space was a good size for the group of 12 kids but their wasn't a lot of extra chairs for the adults. I liked that we were allowed to tape decorations. You are responsible for setting up the whole room. The tables were all folded in the corner and chairs in stacks. The huge negative was the pizza package that was clearly stated on the website to include juice, water, plates, napkins, and forks... When we ordered it it wasn't mentioned they didn't include those anymore we found out a few minutes before the party was going to start! One of us had to run to the store to buy the needed things and missed half the swimming time for my daughter's birthday. If it was just me I don't know what I would have been able to do to get the needed supplies and watch my kids... If we had known none of those were included and it was only the pizza I could have bought and picked up the pizza for a lot cheaper since dominos is in the same complex as the pool. And I would have been prepared with the items we needed. read more

Great Atmosphere, very clean pool and change rooms . Water was warm ! Front desk was super friendly !!

This review is for an experience that happened between 2019-2020. As an avid swimmer, I was very excited to sign up my 2-yr old son and me for the child/parent class. We had a rough beginning, with three wildly different instructors, but my son was enjoying his time in the water. He even went under (fully submerged) himself with my help--a big skill unlocked! With the pandemic, there was a break in class and when we were able to return, my son wasn't ready to go under water again. I let the instructor know this and she said she understood. Then randomly, toward the end of a class, to me on the side, she suggested putting him underwater as a surprise. I was caught off guard, but she mentioned it'll help him realize he can do it. I should have said no. As a former swimmer and teacher myself--this goes against all learning principles, most importantly, it devalues my son as a person and his unique needs. Stupidly, I did it anyway. When he came up, he was surprised and confused. We feigned excitement. Class ended and we went home. The following week when we arrived at class, my usually calm son said "NO!" as soon as we crossed the doorway. He did the same thing the following week, and the week after, until I finally decided to leave the program (no one followed up about this, btw. Not even the instructor). I'm only reminded to leave this review now, because my son, now 3.5, who has more language abilities, said last night in the bath that he didn't like going underwater at swim lessons. I've discussed it with him before, and the negative swim experience is a part of him. Overall, this sucks and is exactly what I hoped wouldn't happen. I wonder about the training and experience levels of the teachers, especially with the younger babies. Seems lacking. I've giving this two-stars because of Ms. Veronica, the one teacher we had (albeit briefly), who was kind and knowledgeable. read more

We specifically sought out the Renton location because we were planning to start our infant with swimming classes and needed warmer water temperatures. However, my daughter ended up starting around 18 months and has made such great progress and getting more comfortable underwater! They have a spacious changing room, very warm (almost too warm -- but will be nice in the winter) pool area, and attentive instructors. I like that you have the accessibility to sign up for classes and waitlists on their website. However, there's was an element of confusion for me about the waitlists as a result. I had asked to be put on waitlist for an earlier time slot (as the class time was very close to my kid's nap time and not ideal) and I didn't realize that I was to continue going to the original class time. It was not clearly communicated until almost two months had passed and we were still paying and not attending the swim classes. Once that was cleared up, it was very apparent that the waitlist is very long for the classes (I was #60 or so?!), so I think there can be some areas to improve on how they can validate who is on the waitlist and what it means. read more

Great program. Our 6 month old has been going for 2 months now and has grown to love the water. He now has no problems with submersion. Teacher Chelsie is great! Only thing is we wish they would put the smallest babies in the separate pool as some of the older kids nearby can get a little rowdy with the splashing read more

We've had an awesome experience at Waterbabies! My son started here in December 2023 after we decided that we weren't particularly impressed with his progress at his prior swim school (Goldfish in Shoreline). Not only is Waterbabies cheaper but we have ALSO seen measurable improvement in his swimming - something that had stalled for at least a year in his prior school. My son is nearly 3 and when he started at Waterbabies he could not spider crawl along the pool edge, he was afraid to jump into the pool on his own, and he was unwilling to fully submerge his head underwater to retrieve things from the floor of the pool/island. He also HATED putting on the arm floaties. Now he can do all of these things and more. He LOVES the water, loves the arm floaties, and will literally try to escape from by husband while wearing them to "swim" on his own. We are so thrilled with the progress we have seen (he started in Waterbabies 1 and is currently in Waterbabies 3). He has now had 2 classes with Chelsea who is an awesome instructor! Highly recommend! read more

Great program for babies, kids and adults. The pool is warm and comfortable, the instructors for the kids are fun and engage them well.

We look forward to swim class every week, my 2.5 year old is always singing the songs from class at home asking if she "can go to swim today." I am absolutely seeing the progression in her comfort and skills in the water as well as safety skills around the pool, and it especially shows when we use other pools and I see her doing what we learned in class. I really admire the way that miss Randi teaches both the kids and the parents very useful skills in a very appropriate yet fun way. I VERY MUCH appreciate all the useful items in the locker room - toddler toilet seats, warm showers with soap, a changing table, a pack-n-play, and baby holders in the toilet stalls. And then the play room to keep them entertained if you show up early! A parents dream, I'm so glad I found this place! read more

My baby group and I were all ready for our first class and showed up early and waited and waited and waited . . . and the instructor never showed up! We all just played around the pool instead and still had a good time. After the initial miscommunication, we got rescheduled for another lesson with Zee who was pretty efficient in her instruction but the class goes by so quickly that I felt like my little one didn't get a chance to practice too! read more

This is a spectacular swim program and facility for new swimmers. It's a pretty penny to pay for a 20 minute lesson but truth be told my 3 year old daughter learns more efficiently in a 20 minute session with one of these Waterbaby instructors than she does with some teen at some community pool. The difference between this program vs other swim classes is that it is entirely safety and skill based vs play/toy based. Their instructors are actual trained professionals instead of a kid who picked up a summer gig. They have stricter rules and policies and we're all for it! Keeps the facility cleaner, classes on time and the overall lesson experience very intimate. Expect to get your moneys worth by coming here - we were at a different swim location for 1 year prior to joining here and already my daughter has learned so much more! Shout out to all the staff here - really great humans! Thank you. read more

Registration and Adminstration-- EPIC FAIL Teachers: GREAT (as long as you find one who is a great fit for your kids) My daughter has been going here for more than 2 years. We tried several different instuctors that didn't work for her, and finally found Ms. Abby. She has been GREAT with my kid--made her overcome her fear for safety jumps and even took an extra session for backfloating. She is the kind of person who will go the extra mile to teach your little one to truly appreciate and learn swimming responsibly. I don't understand when parents says that teachers progress at a slow pace. Well, would you expect your kids to learn their letters and numbers in a month? Swimming is an essential life skill and you cannot rush through it. read more

This facility has best instructors I have seen. Been to Sammamish, Everett, Bellevue water babies.all were good but this facility is excellent. We had to come here as we couldn't get a slot on weekends in Bellevue. We were late one day to class and came in at the end of class. Vera asked Conor to provide 1:1 class in other pool to my kid. This is the amount of flexibility and care this facility. I immediately joined my younger one too and he's having blast. Right amount of fun, challenge. To add flexible and caring team. Though this is far, we will drive here again for future registrations. read more

My 6 year old and 8 years old kids had swimming lessons in water babies. Excellent instructor's and amazing lesson program for any age. Invest your time and money for kids swimming lessons its practical for lifetime. read more

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We love this place! All the trainers are extremely friendly and patient. Or 6 month old daughter is always having a blast. The pool is kept very warm and clean for the kiddos. Highly recommend. read more

Note, this is my personal opinion. I've had many other parents RAVE to me about the Waterbabies program ... and I've seen many parents stop attending classes after only a few sessions. As with most of life, YMMV! Personally we signed kiddo up for the PT1 class, and then after he "passed" that class we signed up for PT2. Halfway through PT2 we gave up and stopped attending. My issues are that 1) they "teach" unbelievably slowly in PT2 and kiddo was bored out of his mind; 2) the fun learning activities (like retrieving toys on a platform or chasing balls) are minimal in comparison to the group singing you have to participate in ... no, this is NOT making it "fun" for baby or parent, no matter what the marketing says; and 3) you don't get any fun splashing pool time before or after your lesson, so there's no "fun" reason to come to lessons or time to just enjoy the water. We still like the pool and try to come once a week, but we do it WITHOUT the class. Kiddo's love of the water has exploded since we stopped forcing him through the dunking and singing exercises. read more

We've been coming here for nearly a year now, and are totally satisfied. Our youngest started in PT1 at 18 months and they focus on developing good, safe water habits in addition to building a great foundation for swimming skills. We've had several different instructors now, and all of them have been fantastic. Parents should thoroughly read their website and/or attend their pre-class orientation to learn about their teaching style as well as class "rules" to help them understand how the class is structured. Each class starts with a "Sit, Listen, and Wait" and this is so important so that the child learns not to just jump into the water, and wait until they are told to enter the water in a safe way. There is singing and games played, mixed in with activities to learn water skills. Our daughter developed a sudden fear of going underwater midway through PT3, and it was getting frustrating to have her protest getting into her swimsuit, and crying during class. But after emailing the teacher and getting some advice, we stuck with it and like a switch several months later, she now loves swimming can't wait for class each week. Our older son (4 y/o) took swim lessons at the Y several years ago and also hated it, and had a very strong aversion to pools. So we had him watch his younger sister's swim class and later enrolled him in private lessons. Christie was so patient with him, even though it took the entire first lesson to get him to sit on the top step into the pool. Each week, she gently encouraged him to do more, so that now 6 months later, he is diving to the bottom, and floating on his back independently. He keeps asking when his next swim class is. Locker rooms are decent with plenty of cubbies and lockers, with two showers stocked with soap, shampoo, and conditioner. They are cleaned every hour, and I think they do a great job considering the number of young kids and adults who come through there. Another perk is the warm pool temperature (at least at 1st Street), much better for the young kids. Parking is free, and generally readily available. The only difficulty is actually getting into your desired class, especially for new families. Current families get priority for online registration, and if you are not online at 6:30 AM when the registration opens, you may not get your first choice. Weekend morning classes go quickly. However, just email them if the class you can make are full, and they will add you to a wait list, and will often add additional classes to accommodate families. For these reasons, I think Waterbabies is a fantastic program and teaches important skills to build upon. read more

Extremely pleased with the facility, staff, and program! We enrolled our son in the beginners 1 class with Emily. Previously he went to SwimLabs in Issaquah and Waterbabies blows them out of the water! Unlike SwimLabs where the instructors talk to your toddlers like they're professional athletes, Waterbabies instructors seem particularly trained in talking to and comforting toddlers. No pressure beyond their comfort zone - only gentle encouragement, gentle voices, and simple instructions. They also teach basic fundamental positions in order to move towards back floating. All in all, so pleased! We will definitely come back to them for all our kids' future swim lessons. Minor Cons: - Their booking system is a bit archaic and frustrating to handle. - New families don't get priority pick and results in getting wait listed. But the good news is that the wait list seems to move. We ended up getting to choose between our 2 top choices. read more

I have never left a negative review anywhere, however, this was the worst experience I've ever had with the management of a program. The manager at this place is incredibly rude, dismissive, and contradictory. We had been taking our daughter to swim lessons at this location since she was 2 months old. The swim instructors were fantastic, and we looked forward to going every week. During Covid, necessary rules and restrictions had to be made, which we understood. However, depending on who sat at the desk that day, those rules were bent for certain people. For example, there were times when an additional person was allowed to come into the facility, along with the primary parent and student. During Covid, the policy was that only one parent can attend. There were many times when certain families, however, where they could bring in grandparents and other family members. So when my mother in law was in town, I thought she would be allowed to come as well. I was wrong. The manager not only refused to let her come, but was also incredibly rude about it. I followed the rules and had her stay home. When we got there he wouldn't even make eye contact with me, and never apologized for the rules not being consistent. We decided we wanted to take a break for a bit, so we asked for a refund. We were granted this, and then later, when we wished to re-enroll, were told by the same manager that we were no longer welcome at the program since we broke their policy, asking for a refund. And by refund, let me be clear, that we paid for every class we attended. We just didn't want to pay for additional classes, if we were going to take a break. This is without a doubt the rudest man I've ever had the misfortune of communicating with. Please be aware if you're wishing to enroll your child in swim lessons here. There are many other places in the area with much friendlier management. read more

Miss Vera is the BEST! We have been to many waterbabies locations in last 3 years and i feel like my son is finally learning to swim. Even my 1 yr old seem to be learning so much. I am going to reenroll read more

My daughter has been in the program for over a year and a half. she loves it and I enjoy seeing her progress and become comfortable with the water. We've had Ms. Jackie, Ms. Brenda, and Ms. Sharla. They have all been wonderful! If you're wondering if your tot would love it, I'd say yes!! read more

Heads up, adults! there are water exercise classes for adults here taught by the awesome Julie. You don't have to be a fitness freak, either. Julie always lets you know modifications to the exercises if you have pain or mobility issues. The water is warm, parking is ample, staff is great. Left off one star because shower temp is a little on the cooler side. read more

[review for PT1, 18-36m, Juanita/Kirkland CAC] Really, a fantastic program. We've been doing with our 2y9m daughter for over a year. She struggled with parts at first (especially submersion - I think we started her too late) but now she's really got the hang of it and looks forward to swimming class each Saturday. We started with Brenda early on, then switched to Vera/Cassie due to scheduling, and now have Adam as a substitute. All have been amazing - although Adam really stands out as such a force of positive energy that he can overcome even the shyest child. Our daughter was doing well but never willing to let the instructor hold her, and Adam just found a way to make that happen. Very impressive. The programming is generally consistent across instructors and a good mix of structured coaching and drills and play time. Walking and jumping on the floating foam platform is our daughter's favorite. We found the Juanita facilities to be more than sufficient. Parking is always a little touch and go but never actually had a problem. The family changing rooms fill up quickly but the men's locker room is on the other end of the pool and works just as well, and there's almost nobody there. read more

The basic philosophy of this program to teach kids water safety is great. However the administration does not put customer service or satisfaction first. Additionally, their registration process is next to impossible and very poorly run, and often requires a "take two". This program is excellent at teaching kids who are comfortable In the water to swim but has little commitment to the children in the program who are less cooperative, may be more fearful, or are stuck in a regression. We have tried to be patient and persistent, but after 4 1/2 years, we are moving on to a better program that appreciates our business and can teach our children with warmth and compassion. read more

I have 3 children ages 8, 6, and 1 and all are a part of the Waterbabies program. We have been with them for 7 years. My one sentence review of the program is THEY TEACH YOUR CHILD HOW TO SWIM! No floaties, no fear, and an incredible focus on safety. Their lessons are not the cheapest option that you will find, but you get what you pay for, and in this case you get children that are safe in the water. Worth every penny! My oldest is now 8 years old, and started in PT1 seven years ago as a young toddler! She now takes their Swim Team Prep class and is a competitive club swimmer and has an incredible love of the water and competitive swimming. She has been told that her strokes are perfect by her club coaches and 100% of her swim training has been from Waterbabies. Their higher level instructors (Veronica!) are fantastic. My second child is 6 years old and she started in PT1 as an infant and is now in the Pre-Compete level. She also is doing competitive summer swimming and made the 8 & under team as a 6 year old. She might not be winning as many ribbons as her older sister, but she is accurately swimming all 4 strokes and hanging with the majority of the 8 year olds in the pool. Again - kudos to Waterbabies! Now with my 1 year old son we have started the entire Waterbabies process over again in PT1. He is now in PT3, and although sometimes I'm not looking forward to getting in the water for class and swimming the songs yet again (I've been singing them for 7 years!) I do it anyway. Every single week. Because it's teaching him to swim, just like his sisters. In the summer we swim at our outdoor club pool. If I see a new lifeguard that isn't familiar with my son I watch the panic in their eyes as they watch my one year old son jump off the side of the pool, thinking they'll be going in after them. They are always shocked to watch him turn around under water, and get back to the side of the pool. Then he climbs out, and does the whole thing over again (about 50 more times). Of course I'm always within arms reach, but it's still shocking to see such a young child jump in a large pool with no fear, I have had several lifeguards comment to me that they have never seen such a young toddler so comfortable in the water. So there it is....Waterbabies will teach your child how to swim. So sing the songs, and play the games...as tedious as it is sometimes.... it works. I'm proof of that as I watch my 8 year old daughter swim in league championships against the best swimmers in the state at the King Country Aquatic Center this weekend. :) read more

Waterbabies Aquatic Program - Thank you Waterbabies for giving this girl a love of the water and making her a serious competitive swimmer! - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Renton, Washington

We are in our third class at water babies. We started our daughter at 10 weeks old and she has been submerging since before she turned three months old. She is 9.5 month now and in the pre toddler program. She is fearless in the water and I love the skills they are teaching us now. (make no mistake, it's not just teaching the child but also the parents how to work with the child). My baby has fun but is learning more submersion, how to flip and how to hang on to the side of the pool... to sit to listen and to wait. I feel these skills could save her life and also it's fun, natural and wears her out... she has gotten so strong in the water. We love water babies! read more

So far, we have had a really good experience with this program, but I guess it helps that my daughter likes to swim. Water safety is a top priority with them, which is really important, but kind of silly to teach to infants. Oh well. read more

We had a great experience with Waterbabies 1 and 2 with our kid from age 8 months through 15. We only stopped the program because we are moving from the area. We had Haley in Bellevue and she was amazing. She was patient with babies and parents and our kid made remarkable progress on his comfort in and under the water! read more

I'm only giving this 2 stars because Abby is a good teacher. The program itself is poorly run. Registration is impossible and frustrating even after years of being in the program. You'd think they'd make it easier for parents with multiple kids that have been loyal to the program to actually get a class they want. It's easier signing up for college. For this, they get a 1-star. read more

Coming to Waterbabies in Renton was the best decision! Not only is the staff knowledgeable, helpful and kind but their technique and approach is top notch. Both my kids have and continue to do exceedingly well here. When it comes down to it, their concern is about their students and their progress and not about the bottom line. Five stars doesn't do them justice. They are WONDERFUL!! read more

This is our second session with Waterbabies. We take classes with Brenda as our instructor at Juanita Columbia Athletic Club. It has been exciting seeing how much our son has improved since first starting Waterbabies. It is really noticeable that he is learning while having fun. Brenda is very helpful and offers clear instructions and tips. We have found Waterbabies to be well worth the money and are happy that we started our son in the classes while he was still a baby! read more

I have been waiting 2nd year in a row and am not able to register. All available classes are taken. I understand it is a business, but the classes are also more catered for kids who are scare of water and everyone to learn as slow as possible. I think it is purely to get parents to keep paying. What a pathetic system for registration. read more

Great program! Definitely recommend to all parents!

The classes were okay, but I'll never take classes there again. They were continually running a promotion while I was there. Suggest a new pool and get free classes if they book that pool. So, I did, and when I got an email announcing classes were starting at this new location about 6 months later I thought, awesome, free classes! So I tried and tried to contact them to get my classes set up and a couple months later finally gave up because they just ignored me. I found Water Sprouts swim school in Woodinville, they are a great, honest business and I will continue to go there. read more

We have been apart of the waterbabies classes for 7 years! I started my first daughter when she was 3 months, we love the company. We have gotten to know several of the instructors and they feel like family to us. I have three children in the program and they all enjoy the water and can't wait for their weekly lessons. I really appreciate how it's not just about having fun and swimming. It's about water safety first and foremost. This program teaches children to respect the water. In the real world it's all fun and games until someone gets hurt. But with waterbabies they teach safety around any body of water and then of course how to swim. The instructors are knowledgable, personable and make you feel welcome and comfortable. There are several different levels for each individual's needs and skills. You can start as early as 3 months! I would recommend waterbabies for every parent looking to participate in an activity that is worth every penny. read more

I have had 3 kids go through their programs starting at 6 months and highly recommend them if you want your kids to be comfortable in the water. read more

I began taking my daughter here for lessons when she was 6 months old, and it was a really positive experience. The instructors are helpful, and meeting other parents with their babies is great. I loved being able to bond in the water with my daughter, and also learn safety while getting her used to being in the water. Will be taking another course here as she grows into the next class stage. read more

This had to be the biggest waste of money and time. My husband took our daughter to the first street fitness where they hold the class for water babies ( the pool is a bit questionable, but whatever.) He wasn't aware that their policy is have your child sit on the side of the pool and wait to be instructed to be allowed in. The instructor scolded my husband to get her out of the water, so he scolded our daughter and now she won't get into ANY pool ( she used to love swimming.). Oh how a little shame can go so far. I attempted to take our daughter myself twice and she just cried the whole time, pointing to the door. I called the office to see if there was a way to change locations/times, which they said they would do, except the times all fell during her sleeping hours (seriously what toddler is up at noon and 7:30 at night.). Anyway, I asked if we could wait for a new class with better times for our schedule and they said no. I then asked if we could transfer the account to private lessons and we will pay more, again they said no. After talking with multiple in their office the last person suggested I "force" our daughter into the water. Nice bit of advice.... Hello, do I really want to cause more trauma around the water?.... Needless to say we paid $198.00, received nothing except now a traumatized child around water. Thanks waterbabies. PS. Waterbabies policy is no refunds, which they state on their website. However, seems odd that they don't make exceptions. That's just poor customer relations. read more