Swimming lessons are not just about learning a life-saving skill for children, they are also a wonderful avenue to physical fitness, confidence-building, and most importantly, fun! However, for some kids, the idea of being in the water can evoke fear and anxiety. As a parent or guardian, it is crucial to support your child through this challenge to ensure that they can enjoy all of the benefits of… Source ..read more

Behind every successful swim school is a group of dedicated individuals who work collaboratively with their team, families, and swimmers. Our volunteers are incredible, contributing their time, skills, and passion to supporting our team in teaching young people a life saving skill. During #NationalVolunteerWeek, we wanted to share the stories of both current and former volunteers (who have… Source ..read more

Ontario is a province dotted with many lakes, rivers, and bodies of water. In such a bustling place with millions of families, one essential skill stands out among the rest: swimming. With a myriad of both natural and man-made aquatic activities, Ontario is a haven for water enthusiasts of all ages. For parents in busy cities––like Guelph, Mississauga, Milton, Vaughan, and Brampton––finding the… Source ..read more

Learning to swim has so many benefits. Not only does swimming build motor skills, provide numerous health benefits, and improve cognitive function, but it can also reduce your likelihood of drowning by up to 88% in children ages 1 to 4––which makes it a life saving skill. But despite a parent’s desire for their children to learn to swim, a lot of parents wonder what age is appropriate for them to... Source ..read more

It may surprise you to know that a lot of parents who enroll their children in swimming lessons don’t swim themselves. People don’t learn to swim for a number of reasons, including fear, a lack of access to a swimming pool, and cultural differences. We were interested in learning more about this demographic and understanding why it was important for non-swimming parents to team their children to... Source ..read more

In March 2020, while discussing how to navigate the impending pandemic with other leaders in our industry, Tiernan, our founder, received some unexpected advice: Don’t let a crisis go to waste. ‘Crisis’ took on new significance when COVID-19 forced us to shut our doors. We persevered through three years of rolling closures, policy and regulatory changes, and cash flow difficulties while also... Source ..read more

As Senior Manager of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) at Making Waves Swim School, Jen brings passion, creativity and an analytical lens to the design and implementation of our operational, sustainability and DEI initiatives. How did you get into Aquatics? I had a near-drowning incident as a child and started swimming lessons shortly after which propelled me into a 15 year swimming... Source ..read more

Are you attending swim lessons for the first time with your little one? Whether you’re bringing your 8-month-old or 8-year-old, there are things that our team has learned over the years that can make your child’s first swimming lesson as enjoyable as possible–for both of you! Our swimming lesson tips are organized by what to bring, scheduling, in class, outside of class, and some general reminders. Source ..read more

At Making Waves, we stand with the Black community and are fully committed to creating safe spaces for everyone. Black lives matter. We do not tolerate racism or racial harassment of any kind — and we never will. In that spirit, we share this reflection by Tiernan Murphy, our Founder . . . In the spirit of our shared commitment to learning, we urge all of you to engage on these issues with... Source ..read more

Some of the best love stories are the ones that are unexpected. At Making Waves, we were lucky enough to come across a beautiful couple who are happy to share their love story with our families, friends & staff. For this couple, the love was definitely in the water since they both met at Making Waves, crossed paths and set foot onto a beautiful journey together. Read on in order to unravel the... Source ..read more