2026/7/22
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Posted by Fidelis Care
in
Children's Health,
Health and Wellness
Learning to swim is one of the most important skills a child can learn. Drowning is among the leading causes of death for children ages 1-4, with most of these incidents occurring in the family’s own pool.
Luckily, children can start swim lessons as early as 6-12 months old. We know finding budget-friendly options can be challenging, so we’ve compiled a list of some of the free and discounted swim lesson options around New York State.
Check in with your local YMCA or parks department for additional help.
Free/Discounted Swim Lesson Resources:
- City Swim Project, based in Buffalo, offers free swim lessons for children ages 3-18 at various locations in the city.
- YMCA Buffalo Niagara now offers free swim lessons for both members and non-members, thanks to a grant from a NY SWIMS initiative.
- The YMCA of Ithaca and Tompkins County was awarded a grant from the Alliance of New York State YMCAs to provide free swim lessons.
- NYC Parks offers free swim lessons at recreation centers across the city. Registration for this program takes place via a lottery system.
- The YMCA of Greater Rochester offers free parent/child swim lessons for infants and toddlers under 3. You can find their schedule here.