Update: I grew a new appreciation for WaterSprites after participating in CARD swim lessons. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE that there is a more affordable option offered for the Chico area and that it's much cheaper than WaterSprites (by about half), but being able to go into an indoor temperature controlled pool without having to put on sunscreen and be blinded by the sun and having all the changing tables and cubbies is just a far superior and more calm experience. At the PV pool where CARD lessons are being held, they have a nothing other than a narrow bench around the border of a large room. It's not like I can change my baby ahead of time because swim diapers only hold in solids, so I find this extremely inadequate for the age group the swim lessons are offered for. My impression is that the instructors at WaterSprites are also much more specialized in working with the younger babies and kids. I guess I'm more into the bougie over the budget experience, LOL. Water sprites also did end up finding us a spot in the other class that worked for our new schedule, so that was much appreciated. That being said, our experience in the Tuesday 1 PM class versus the Tuesday 9 AM class was just totally different. In the Tuesday 1 PM class, the temperatures in the pool and the room were exactly where they needed to be, and there was only the baby class going at that time. When we changed to the 9 AM class due to our new schedule conflict (this was in January), we learned that the pool and the room were much cooler because it hadn't had a time to warm up. There also seemed to be another small class operating at the same time. With the babies, I was of the opinion that the temperature being high enough and having the very calm, lower stimulating environment were critical. Ultimately, we did end up canceling our membership because it was definitely a push for my husband to take her in the morning before work, and then to be confronted with temperatures that were still a bit too cold and an environment that was a bit too overstimulating for our baby (6 months old at the time), it was just.... Not quite "there" enough to continue at that age and time of our lives and at that premium price. That is not to say that they didn't do a good job. While there is some improvement that could be made, overall, you cannot get that same service elsewhere in Chico and we would probably return to water sprites if/when the stars align read more

Do your child the favor of going somewhere else. This is not a swim school your child will not learn anything, waste of time and money.

I'm a single father, full time Chico state student, running a business part time, with zero family, zero help. I managed to budget swimming lessons for my son this year. My son had something in his ear and it got infected and had to go to the ER and so I called to let them know he wouldn't be there that night and that if bring in the ER documentation to justify my asking them to not charge for that visit because he wouldn't be there because of being in the ER. They tell me they wouldn't do that. That they don't do makeups. Even though, get this, my sons absence didn't harm anyone's paycheck because my son was in a lesson with 2 other kids. I can totally understand if my son was taught alone and am instructor would be out teaching time. But that wasn't the case. So I pulled my son immediately. If rather put my money into a place with a heart, even a little, lol. There's a lot of riff raff and BS and people who just make excuses. I'm a business owner, I get that. But when your kid has to go to an EMERGENCY room, and it's documented, so not BS, and the place STILL charges you! Yeah, screw money, it's purely principle at this point. Bad business water sprites. read more

You will be barred from enrolling if you have a foster child or placement agreement. I was unable to agree to the Water Sprites photo use policy for sales purposes/social media as it was against our child's placement agreement. After nearly 6 months of waiting, two phone calls and two emails checking on when we could begin swim lessons the owner simply removed us from the waitlist without notice and told us to go elsewhere. The reviews about the owner and her mean spirit are accurate, she is not pro-child. Email response after nearly 6 months of being told I was on a waitlist: "Unfortunately since not all of our policies were agreed upon from you guys we have taken your child off that waitlist and we feel your needs can be better met at a different facility. One that I personally know of it North Valley swim, they do all ages. Watersprites Swim School" Edited to add: no parent should have to agree to the use of their child's image for profiteering purposes. read more

Friendly and Knowledgeable staff. Clean Changing rooms. Heat Pool! :) and weekly family swim included in classes.Whats not to love? This is where both of my sons (1yo and 3yo) go to learn to swim and they are already such good swimmers! Worth every penny because water safety is serious. read more

This place has the absolute worst communication skills ever. I have been in contact several times with workers who have no respect or even consideration for my time. I would definitely look in a different direction if you want to teach your kids how to swim. read more

This is the best swim school in town. My kids just love it and have learned so much! The teachers are all very nice and great with the kids. Since COVID they have made great improvements to make me feel safe bringing my children in. Would recommend this school for anyone wanting their children to be safe in the water read more

This is a safe environment to take the kids swimming or get them swimming lessons. The pool typically has way too much chlorine. Ti can be loud when the facility is full, and the staff needs to be a little more attentive during family swim nights. Overall I am glad this place is here. read more

WaterSprites Swim School - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Chico, California

I absolutely love this swim school!! The class sizes are small and the length of the lessons are perfect. The facility is clean and the pool is heated. The staff are also amazing!!! I have to say a special thank you to Jamie and Miss English. Both of you have been amazing with our kids and because of you we do plan on getting Kaylin on a swim team. Thank you so much for everything!! read more

What is up with the owner? She has no customer service skills it seems. If i have questions she acts like she is annoyed and rolls her eyes. I've heard and witnessed it with her acting unfriendly to other parents too. read more

Indoor family swimming is a lot of fun. They have all the toys and floaties you could want. Can get a bit loud at times, but fun for the whole family. Open swim is just $2 per person too read more

This place would be great...if it weren't for the owner. She is not approachable whatsoever and has zero customer service skills. If she had someone else in charge of billing, teaching and answering phones, I would highly recommend this facility. The cost is very reasonable and I do like most of the instructors. My daughter would always look forward to her swim lessons. It is just too bad that there is always an attitude with every discussion...and not from my end. read more

I am so disappointed with having to write this review, but after defending Water Sprites in online groups and going through my own hurdles with them, I feel the need to be authentic by sharing the full embodiment of my experience with this place. First, let's start with the good. Water Sprites is a local business and the woman who runs it, Hayley Clark, is something of a fixture in Chico. She knows everyone, it seems like, and she really is invested in her business. That much is clear. She is very friendly and can be very accommodating about scheduling, should the need arise. The facility is always very clean and the instructors are skilled at working with the students. The prices are very reasonable for weekly swim lessons. Now, let's talk about the not-so-good, not ideal, and not necessarily bad but certainly not great. First and foremost, the teachers change, a LOT. We went to Water Sprites for about a year and in that time, cycled through four teachers. To be fair to the business, one of those changes was the result of us changing our designated swim time. Yet the other three had to do with internal juggling on the part of Water Sprites. The rotation of so many teachers in such a short time can be very destabilizing, especially for shy children (which mine are). It took several weeks to restore confidence that the new teacher could be just as helpful and nice as the one before her. Also, it seemed like the lessons always started several minutes early, even by their own clocks. I lost count of how many times I arrived a minute or two before the class was scheduled to start, and the other kids were already in the water, warming up. The class itself was always like a game of aquatic musical chairs; there was rarely consistency as to which students would be there. Next, let's talk about the very undesirable. The customer service is just wretched, particularly on the administrative side. In the year we attended, my child only earned three ribbons (ribbons refer to the levels of advancement the child undergoes) and one of those was only rewarded after I questioned why, despite several months of clear improvement in my child, the lessons themselves did not reflect this improvement. The teacher checked the log and realized that my child had been awarded a ribbon months earlier, during a time when the school apparently didn't have any to hand out. They failed to write my child's birthday on the birthday board. This might sound like something petty, but think about how your kid would feel if they saw all their friends' names being included for their birthday, and not yours, and when you brought it to their attention, you were told, "Oh, that happens to the kids born at the end of the month a lot--I'm sure they'll get used to it." That's a pretty rotten attitude to justify leaving a little kid out in the cold. You could have just said, "Sorry to have left them out; I didn't mean to." Finally, the absolutely bad and lousy. Unfortunately, customer service is not a strength of this place. While the people at the front desk are wizards at finding your bill and notifying you of the amount due before you're even at risk of paying late, they are not capable of doing much else. This includes, but is not limited to, giving the owner messages that you called, or knowing anything about billing beyond what you owe. For a variety of reasons, we made the decision to stop attending Water Sprites. It took more than three weeks to get a straight answer from anyone at the front as to what we needed to do to terminate the business relationship with Water Sprites because Hayley would not return our phone calls. It isn't just that she wouldn't return them; we were given specific deadlines under which she would call, and she just didn't. We ended up finally giving her notice via e-mail. Sadly, in the months since this went down, I have found out we are not the only family who went through this. It seems like maybe something has been happening in the last year that has driven the quality down, because almost everyone I've spoken to who has had this experience has only been going to Water Sprites for the last year or so. Those that defend them and continue to stay with them have been present a lot longer. read more

Love it! Our 3 year old can swim! We've been going here for the past few years and look forward to taking our daughter each week! The parent sitting area is great for kicking back, watching, and sipping on a cup of coffee. Ms. Wallace is an awesome teacher!! The facility is always kept clean. Thankful to have Watersprites in Chico. : ) read more

We have been taking our toddler here for over a month and have had a positive experience. As with most parents, it's a little difficult to let go of concern when you child enters a new environment. Desarea, immediately made us feel comfortable with her warm personality and experience with our daughter. She is very patient and uses a positive reinforcement approach when teaching the children. She plays lots of games, sings, dances etc. to get the kids to engage and have a fun time. Overall, the facility is pretty clean and well organized. read more

I am so happy with Water Sprites! They have great facilities & Small class sizes, which I think is so important. They also get results fast! The way the lessons are done & the techniques that are used, kids really pick up swimming quickly! I would definitely recommend them to anyone who is looking for children's swimming lessons. read more

Great place to encourage and teach young children to swim. Extremely flexible with changing schedules. I have 3 young kids, my oldest and youngest were fast learners, my middle child not so much! The instructors have been so patient in working with him. After 10 months of lessons I think he has finally figured it out. The ribbons don't come easy, but when the kids earn them, it is a proud moment! read more

Great place all the teachers care, Mrs. Clark does a great job running this facility! My daughter has been swiming here year round since she was 6 months old she is 5 years old now and can out swim most adults!!, every place we go swimming people ask where did she learn and always are amazed at her ability to swim a cross the entire pool read more

I started my toddler at watersprites last summer after asking around and hearing great things about it. I was thrilled with the cleanliness of the facility, and the class was fun for both my son and I. A few months in, I noticed improvement in my son, which of course made me happy. The teachers are always nice and approachable(although we went through 3 different ones over the first couple of months we were there.) My son had a few really great days, and really seemed to be improving quickly, and then decided he didn't want to anymore, I guess. He knows he can do it, and I know he can do it, he just didn't want to. So after 2.5 mos of him doing this, my husband and I decided that we would withdraw from lessons for now, and enroll again in a year when our son is a little older. The owner Haley was at the front desk when I went to withdraw him from lessons today. I told Her I wanted to withdraw from lessons and asked what I needed to do to facilitate that. She handed me a form to fill out, and asked why we wanted to withdraw. I told her the problem wasn't with her staff or facility, that we enjoyed the classes, but my son has not made much progress in the last few months, because he's been lazy, not that he can't do what they ask him too. She tried to talk me into staying briefly, and I told her that we have decided to enroll him again in a year when he's a little older. She replied with " Well, 80% of all drownings under age 4 occur in boys." Um, ok..? Trying to scare me into staying I guess. She was snarky and clearly irritated that I wanted to leave watersprites. As a business owner, I'd think that you'd want to encourage customers to come back, especially after they tell you they want to return when the timing is more convenient for them. Not this one. She was not professional and acted very immature about it. Up until this point, I hadn't had any issues with her. We will not be returning to watersprites solely because of her shitty attitude. read more

Unfortunately Mrs Clarke has no clue what my reaction was because neither she nor any emplyoee was in the changing room while this incident occurred. Furthermore Mrs Clarke was not considerate enough to talk with me after my complaint. In fact her only response was via email where she made sexist and discriminatory accusations based on what a woman who was in the male changing stated after I respectfully explained that I was uncomfortable with her being in the male changing room. read more