Foss Swim School, based in Minnesota for over thirty years, is opening in Western Springs on March 10, 2024, marking their 8th location in Illinois and 27th overall. Their pool is heated to 91 degrees to keep kids comfortable in the pool while focusing on having fun and being safe in the water during swim lessons.
Foss Swim School Western Springs includes 5 bathrooms and 14 private changing stalls as well as an air conditioned viewing room for parents and families to watch lessons.
Keep reading for an inside look at the facility, details about their lessons, hours, and tips for saving money!
This article is sponsored by Foss Swim School, but all opinions are my own.
Foss Swim School Western Springs
Let’s take a tour of the facility, then we can get into what classes they offer and how to get a discount!
Right when you walk in, you’ll notice how spacious the viewing area is.
There is a play area to the left with books, puzzles, and toys to play with while waiting for their class or a sibling. There is also a retail area right when you walk in, so if you forget a swim diaper or need to pick up goggles, bathing suits, hair products made for swimmers, etc., they have you covered.
You’ll find the locker rooms to the right, along with a water fountain, bottle filling station, and bios for each of the teachers on the wall.
There are several personal changing rooms, hair drying stations, and two suit drying machines right when you walk in.
At the end of the room, there are baby changing stations as well as private family restrooms with a toilet, urinal, and personal shower.
There are also two banks of showers on the pool deck. They encourage kids to rinse off before entering the pool.
Now onto the pool. The water temperature is kept at 91 degrees, while the air is a little cooler so it isn’t stifling in there. Every Foss Swim School is equipped with state-of-the-art air and water filtration systems so the water is clean without the strong smell of chlorine.
Kids of all abilities can sign up for any class and FOSS said that they work with each family to accommodate their needs.
Class Options at Foss Swim School
Foss Swim School Western Springs is open Monday through Thursday from 4-7pm, closed on Friday, and open Saturday and Sunday from 8:30am to noon. All lessons are based on both age and skill set.
The instructors go through a month of training, including auxiliary training, which means that teachers are in the water with the instructors practicing what they learn, and 30 hours of class shadowing.
Baby Classes
Sign up for classes with your baby so they can have fun in the water while learning safety skills. An adult must sign up with each baby and the ratio is 5:1 for this class. Baby classes start at $28.75 per lesson and if you have multiple babies, they also offer the second and third swimmer discount. More on that later!
Learn to Swim
There is a 3:1 student to teacher ratio for Level 1 Learn to Swim classes and a ratio of 4:1 for all levels after that. Classes are 30 minutes long and each season ranges from 10-14 weeks long, with one lesson per week.
Swim Stronger and Swim Faster
These two classes are for those looking to learn technique and strokes and the classes range from 45-75 minutes long.
Swim Camps
While swim lessons are once a week for 10-14 weeks, swim camps are twice each week for 4 weeks. So if you are looking to work on skills in a concentrated period of time, this is a great option.
Private Lessons
Foss Swim School offers semi-private and private lessons for ages 6 months old through adults. It costs $50 per lesson for semi-private and $99 per lesson for private.
Discounts for FOSS Western Springs
There are a few ways to get discounts at Foss Swim School in Western Springs (and other locations).
- Sign up for a preview lesson and they waive the $35 new family fee. FOSS Western Springs is offering free preview lessons for the entire spring quarter, which is now through June 9, 2024.
- Save by registering more than one child from your family at a time. The second child receives a $2 discount per class while the third and beyond receive a $3 discount per class. For example, the Learn to Swim program is $30.75 per class for the first child, $28.75 for the second, and $27.75 for the third. They call this the second swimmer discount.
- Take advantage of their referral program. If you refer another family to FOSS, not only will you get a $35 credit to your account, but your friend will get the new family fee waived and a $70 credit for the second quarter they enroll in swim lessons.
How to Sign Up for a Free Preview Lesson
To book a free lesson to preview a class at Foss Swim School Western Springs, you can create an account on their website and sign up for a preview class online, call the front desk at (708) 765-4010, or stop by to see the facility and schedule a preview lesson in person.
Foss Swim School
4700 Gilbert Avenue
Western Springs, IL 60558
(708) 765-4010
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