A Mom’s Review of Goldfish Swim School Richmond

Goldfish Swim School Richmond is a facility specializing in swim classes for infants, toddlers and kids up to the age of 12.

Last summer, my oldest was a little over a year old. We took her to a friend’s pool for her first every swimming experience. We had no idea whether she would love it, hate it or be somewhere in the middle. I wasn’t prepared for how much she LOVED it! As soon as we started descending the stairs into the pool my wild girl was trying to jump out of my arms and into the water. She didn’t want to have anything to do with floats or rafts. She just wanted to splash and kick. Fast-forward a few months to when Goldfish Swim School Richmond opened in the Gayton Road Shopping Center. I knew that we had to give it a try! For both my peace of mind in the fast-approaching summer months and because I knew my daughter would love it!

Our Goldfish Swim School Richmond Experience

The Atmosphere

Our first lesson was in December. It felt a little weird to be going to the pool in the middle of winter, but walking through the doors made me forget how cold it was outside. The building is kept nice and toasty. It’s decorated with bright colors and palm trees. There is a giant glass wall that separates the reception area and “Observation Deck” from the pool, so you can watch your child’s lessons. The dressing rooms reminded me of little beach shacks and were very roomy. Every week my daughter got to choose which color door she wanted, which made coralling her into the room easier.

There is an area with a chalkboard, books, puzzles and a coloring table in the reception area as well. It was great for keeping my kid distracted while we waited. Or if I needed to take care of any forms or scheduling with the reception desk.

The Lessons

Since my daughter was so young, I actually got in the water with her each week. It was a great workout for me and we were both so tired after class. A few of the key lessons that were taught to her class each week were kicking, paddling with their arms, climbing out of the pool and floating. My kid was all for kicking and paddling, but she hated floating on her back. Definitely a lesson we need to continue working on!

There were never more than 4 students in the class with us, which was so nice! There were 2 instructors each time as well (and at least 1 lifeguard standing right over the lesson), so they were very attentive and quick to offer suggestions for squirmy or more hesitant tots.

After a few lessons, one of my daughter’s instructors even had her going underwater. I NEVER would have been brave enough to let her due something like that in a pool with just me and some friends. Turns out, she loves it. After 2 months of lessons she was jumping or sliding into the water and fully submerging before I’d lift her out. She always made a surprised face, but there was never any coughing or sputtering.

After Class

There is a line of showers right next to the pool for after lessons. We climbed out of the pool and showered off using the provided baby shampoo and body soap. Then headed back to the dressing area to change. By the dressing rooms there was an area with bathing suit dryers and blowdryers. You never leave with anything soaking wet. This was especially nice considering that it was freezing outside!

Cleanliness

Since the Goldfish Swim School in Richmond is new, everything was in amazing shape. The dressing rooms and bathrooms were always super clean. The pool was also very clean. We witnessed first hand how cleanliness is of great importance to Goldfish. There was a diaper “blowout” incident in the infant class before our class. The pool was completely closed for the rest of the day. While it was an inconvience, (especially since we were both already in our suits) I really appreciated knowing that they took accidents seriously. The pool was treated and all of the equipment removed and sterilized. Then they waited for the levels to balance back out to be safe for the kids. It definitely made me feel confident in letting my child, and my pregnant self, get in the pool each week.

My Goldfish Swim School Recommendation

Overall, we had an AMAZING experience at Goldfish Swim School Richmond and I would highly recommend it! I’ve been raving to my real-life friends about it too, so this isn’t just a blog thing. We are taking a break from lessons right now due to my pregnancy and then the whole having a newborn thing, but we hope to restart once life settles back down. Goldfish starts lessons at 4 months old, so maybe I will take my oldest and Baby Girl and have 2 little fish swimming around!

If you’re a Richmond local and you are interested in Goldfish Swim School Richmond they are constantly hosting events and Family Swims that would be a great opportunity to check out the school and facilities. Their Grand Opening Party is this Saturday, April 14th, from 1-3pm. The event is totally free and there will be a ton of fun activities, like face painting, food, games, crafts and 2 free family swim options. Check out the Goldfish Swim School Richmond Facebook page for more information!

Disclosure: I was compensated for this post; however, all opinions are my own.