Preschool Level Swim Lessons

Preschool Levels

• For children 3-5 years old
• Classes run 30 minutes per lesson
  
• 1:4-6 instructor to swimmer ratio

Preschool Level 1

Preschool Level 1 is for children who are just starting their first swimming experience and/or  graduating from Parent/Child classes and becoming used to working 1 on 1 with an instructor for the first time.  At this level, children will learn skills while wearing a “bubble” to help them stay afloat and focus on technique.  Instructors will discuss safety and introduce self-rescue techniques.

Preschool Level 2

Preschool Level 2 is for children who demonstrate comfort in the water.  Level 2 will build on what was learned in Level 1 and work on extending their skills.  The instructor will work with the children to encourage more independence by giving them opportunities to try skills without their “bubbles”.  Instructors will discuss safety and continue building self-rescue techniques.  The goal for this level is to give children the opportunity to swim the length of a lane.

Preschool Level 3

Children in Preschool Level 3 build on the skills from Level 2.  Children entering this level should already be able to float on their back for at least 15 seconds, roll front to back and back to front, and swim using arm and leg actions, roll to back, float 15 seconds, roll to front and continue swimming.  At this level children will improve their strokes, will begin treading techniques, and will be introduced to diving.  The goal for the end of this level is to have children swimming independently the length of the pool on front and back.

Requests for group swim lesson refunds must be submitted in writing to uncaquatics@unc.edu no less than 2 weeks prior to the first day of swim lessons. 

Spring 2026 Sessions

Registration for our Spring Group Swim Lessons will have staggered starts.  

• Session 1 registration will open November 12th and close on December 18th at 12pm. Session 1 registration will reopen January 1st and close again on January 8th at 12pm.
• Session 2 registration will open on January 15th and close on February 11th at 12pm.
• Session 3 registration will open on February 23rd and close on March 18th at 12pm.

Monday and Wednesday Evenings – 8 Classes

Saturday Mornings – 4 Classes

All UNC Aquatics programs are open to UNC faculty, staff, students and their families, and the Chapel Hill/Carrboro community.  If you are a member of the university community, you can use your ONYEN to login and register.  If you are a member of the university and would like to register your child or dependent, you can add them to your account by visiting stayactive.unc.edu, logging in with your ONYEN, clicking on your profile picture in the top right corner and updating your profile by clicking ADD FAMILY MEMBER at the bottom. 

If you do not have an ONYEN, please follow these steps to create an account:

• Log into stayactive.unc.edu
• Click on “Sign In” in the top right corner
• Click on “Sign Up” at the bottom of the pop up box
• Once you have created an account, go to the profile by selecting the username in the top right corner.
• Scroll down to “Add Family Member”
• Add the First Name and Last Name of the person participating in the class and click NEXT
• A Date of Birth for the participant is required to register for Aquatics programs.
• You are now ready to register for your desired program!

If you run into any issues, feel free to reach out to uncaquatics@unc.edu or (919)962-0768 for assistance.