Kids First Swim Schools
Kids First Swim Schools operates 21 company-owned warm-water swim instruction locations across five Mid-Atlantic states, teaching children from infancy through adolescence and adults via a proprietary copyrighted curriculum sold through recurring monthly subscription tuition.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersFallston, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Kids First Swim Schools does
Kids First Swim Schools, Inc. is a for-profit, privately held swim instruction operator founded in 2001 and headquartered in Fallston, Maryland. The company delivers warm-water swimming lessons through 21 company-owned retail locations across five Mid-Atlantic states (Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, South Carolina, and New Jersey), serving families with children from infancy through adolescence as well as adult learners. It states it teaches over 150,000 students annually and positions itself as the world's largest provider of children's swimming instruction. Its physical infrastructure consists of specialty-designed training pools maintained at 90°F with depths of 2–5 feet and observation rooms with one-way glass for parents.
The company's core technical and intellectual asset is the proprietary KIDS FIRST/Kick FIRST® Learn to Swim System, a curriculum built on a 1-6 timing methodology that trains the feet and legs first to ingrain a six-beat kick pattern before integrating arm movements, spanning eight progressive skill levels from beginner to competitive strokes. The curriculum received U.S. Library of Congress copyright protection in 2008. The product portfolio is age-segmented: Parent & Me for infants and toddlers, Small Group, Private, and Semi-Private lessons for children, a Developmental Swim Team for advanced swimmers, and adult offerings including swim lessons, Water Aerobics, and Warm Water Therapy co-sponsored by the American Arthritis Foundation. Supporting revenue lines include Birthday Splash Parties and Family Swim Nights.
The business monetizes primarily through recurring monthly subscription tuition billed via autopay on a rolling monthly basis (based on four classes per month) with a 30-day cancellation requirement. Published monthly price points range from $80 (Homeschoolers) and $95 (Parent & Me) to $120 (Small Group), $125 (Developmental Swim Team), $150 (Semi-Private), and $250 (Private), with pricing varying by location. Go-to-market is fully direct-to-consumer through owned facilities, with customer acquisition driven by local SEO on location-specific pages, organic social media, educational blog content, Refer-A-Friend discounts, and community/school partnerships. Enrollment is self-serve via the website or by phone with individual locations.
Kids First Swim Schools firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kids First Swim Schools
- Legal name
- Kids First Swim Schools, Inc.
- Website
- https://kidsfirstswimschools.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Kids First Swim Schools operates 21 company-owned warm-water swim instruction locations across five Mid-Atlantic states, teaching children from infancy through adolescence and adults via a proprietary copyrighted curriculum sold through recurring monthly subscription tuition.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kids First Swim Schools industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Swimming Instruction Services
- NAICS
- Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Aquatics Programs (Pools, Swim Lessons, Lifeguarding) (EDALAIAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Aquatic Centers & Swimming Facilities (MPAKAEAF), Aquatic Family Entertainment Centers (Splash Pads, Aquatic Playgrounds, Swim Parks) (THAJAEAL)
Keywords
Where Kids First Swim Schools is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fallston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices21 records
Markets served
Kids First Swim Schools business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Swim Lesson Subscriptions: Monthly recurring subscription model billed on a rolling monthly basis. Tuitions are based on 4 classes per month, with months containing 5 classes adjusted accordingly. Programs include Parent & Me, Small Group, Private, Semi-Private, Developmental Swim Team, and Homeschoolers lessons. Payment is via autopay monthly renewals with 30-day cancellation notice required.
- Birthday Party / Splash Parties: Two-hour birthday party events offered on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, providing private pool time in warm 90°F water followed by a private party room. Additional revenue from pizza partner discounts and facility rentals at select locations.
- Adult Programs: Adult swim lessons (private or group), water aerobics classes (2-3 times per week), and warm water therapy sessions co-sponsored by the American Arthritis Foundation. Offered at select locations with monthly membership options.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Small Group Lessons - $120/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Parent & Me - $95/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Private Lessons - $250/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Semi-Private Lessons - $150/month per child |
| Subscription | Monthly | Developmental Swim Team - $125/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Homeschoolers Program - $80/month |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Kids First Swim Schools product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kids First Swim Schools delivers year-round swimming instruction for infants, children, adults, and homeschool families through 21 company-owned warm-water training pools across the Mid-Atlantic region. The company teaches more than 150,000 students annually using its proprietary copyrighted KIDS FIRST/Kick FIRST® Learn to Swim System, with small class sizes (5:1 group, 1:1 private), 8 progressive skill levels, and adjunct offerings such as Birthday Splash Parties, Water Aerobics, and American Arthritis Foundation-co-sponsored Warm Water Therapy.
Product overview
Kids First Swim Schools operates as a swimming instruction franchise/network offering warm-water swimming lessons through 21 locations across 5 states. The company uses its proprietary KIDS FIRST / Kick FIRST Learn to Swim System curriculum, featuring specialty-designed training pools maintained at 90°F. The product portfolio includes age-segmented core programs: Parent & Me for infants and toddlers (ages 3 months to 3 years), Small Group and Private/Semi-Private lessons for children (ages 2-12 years), Developmental Swim Team for advanced young swimmers, and Adult programs including swim lessons, Water Aerobics, and Warm Water Therapy. Supporting offerings include Birthday Splash Parties and Family Swim Nights. All programs use the same trademarked curriculum with eight progressive skill levels.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Parent & Me (Mommy & Me / Daddy & Me) Program Beginner-level parent-accompanied swim program for infants and toddlers (ages 2 months–3 years) at $95/month, focused on buoyancy, propulsion, and breath control in warm water.
- Small Group Lessons Group swim classes of no more than 5 comparably-skilled children (ages 3–12) progressing through 8 KIDS FIRST/Kick FIRST® skill levels, meeting weekly for 30 minutes at $120/month.
- Private Instruction One-on-one swim lessons for ages 2–adult at $250/month, including 30-minute lessons plus 30 minutes of practice time at select locations.
- Semi-Private Instruction Two-student classes at $150/month per child (ages 3–adult) for friends, siblings, or relatives of comparable age sharing instruction.
- Developmental Swim Team Advanced swim team program at $125/month for students who passed Level 6 (typically ages 6–13), with up to 15 students per 45-minute session teaching freestyle, backstroke, butterfly, breaststroke, starts, and turns.
- Homeschoolers Program Specially-priced weekly swim program at $80/month for homeschooled children ages 3–13, offering 30 minutes of instruction plus 10 minutes of free swim time.
- Adult Swim Lessons Private or group swim lessons for adult beginners through advanced learners on a monthly membership schedule at select Kids First locations.
- Water Aerobics 45-minute heart-healthy exercise sessions led by expert instructors in warm water, meeting 2–3 times weekly on a monthly membership basis at select Kids First locations.
- Warm Water Therapy No-impact exercise program co-sponsored by the American Arthritis Foundation and led by specially trained instructors for injury rehabilitation and arthritis exercise.
- Birthday Splash Parties Two-hour birthday party events with private pool time in 90°F water plus a private party room, available Saturday and Sunday afternoons at select Kids First locations.
- Family Swim Nights Weekend swimming sessions at Kids First facilities allowing families to practice together and participate in their child's aquatic progress.
- KIDS FIRST / Kick FIRST® Learn to Swim System Proprietary 8-level curriculum based on a 1-6 timing methodology that trains feet and legs first before integrating arm movements; copyrighted by the U.S. Library of Congress in 2008.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 150,000 students taught annually
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Kids First Swim Schools
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Kids First Swim Schools technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Kids First Swim Schools partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- USA Swimming FoundationminorThe USA Swimming Foundation logo appears on the website footer, indicating some form of affiliation or endorsement relationship with the national governing body for competitive swimming in the United States.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Kids First Swim Schools competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- British Swim School: Franchise-based swim school with 200+ locations offering survival and stroke-based lessons in warm-water pools. Directly comparable to Kids First on teaching methodology, parent-and-me programming, and subscription pricing.
- Emler Swim School: Established Texas-based swim school chain with multiple locations offering year-round, warm-water lessons for infants through competitive swimmers. Comparable to Kids First in curriculum depth, instructor training, and family-focused programming.
- Goldfish Swim School: Largest US-focused children's swim school franchise, with 150+ locations offering year-round, small-group warm-water lessons using a proprietary curriculum. Directly competes with Kids First for the same parent demographic and uses a similar subscription pricing model.
- SafeSplash Swim School: National swim school brand (Streamline Brands) focused on warm-water, small-group lessons for infants through adults. Operates hundreds of franchised locations and competes head-to-head with Kids First on curriculum, pricing, and parent messaging around water safety.
- Aqua-Tots Swim Schools: International children's swim school franchise with proprietary curriculum and warm-water, small-class format. Targets the same infant-through-teen demographic as Kids First with tiered subscription pricing and franchised unit growth.
Emerging players
- Big Blue Swim School: PE-backed, fast-growing swim school franchise expanding across the Midwest and beyond. Overlaps with Kids First on warm-water, small-group children's instruction but is at an earlier stage of national footprint development.
Others
- USA Swimming Foundation: National governing-body foundation that already partners with Kids First (logo on Kids First site). Connected via shared swim-safety mission and the learn-to-swim-to-competitive pipeline; not a competitor but a strategic ecosystem participant.
Broad incumbents
- Life Time Fitness: Premium national health club chain offering swim lessons and aquatic programs as part of a broader fitness membership. Overlaps with Kids First on adult swim and youth lessons but as a small subset of a much wider wellness portfolio.
- YMCA of the USA: National nonprofit that offers swim lessons as part of broader community programming. Competes with Kids First on price and convenience but lacks specialized warm-water, small-group children's curricula and the proprietary branded methodology.
Regional players
- SwimKids USA: Regional Mid-Atlantic / Southeast swim school chain offering year-round lessons for children. Comparable to Kids First on geography and target demographic but smaller in scale and lacking the same copyrighted curriculum IP.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Kids First Swim Schools social profiles
Digital presenceKids First Swim Schools financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kids First Swim Schools leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Kids First Swim Schools funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kids First Swim Schools M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kids First Swim Schools
What does Kids First Swim Schools do?
Kids First Swim Schools delivers year-round swimming instruction for infants, children, adults, and homeschool families through 21 company-owned warm-water training pools across the Mid-Atlantic region. The company teaches more than 150,000 students annually using its proprietary copyrighted KIDS FIRST/Kick FIRST® Learn to Swim System, with small class sizes (5:1 group, 1:1 private), 8 progressive skill levels, and adjunct offerings such as Birthday Splash Parties, Water Aerobics, and American Arthritis Foundation-co-sponsored Warm Water Therapy.
Is Kids First Swim Schools a public or private company?
Kids First Swim Schools is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Kids First Swim Schools founded?
Kids First Swim Schools was founded in 2001. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Kids First Swim Schools based?
Kids First Swim Schools is headquartered in Fallston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Kids First Swim Schools make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Swim Lesson Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are birthday Party / Splash Parties and adult Programs.
Who are Kids First Swim Schools's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are British Swim School, Emler Swim School, Goldfish Swim School, SafeSplash Swim School and Aqua-Tots Swim Schools. Big Blue Swim School is listed as an emerging player. USA Swimming Foundation is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Life Time Fitness and YMCA of the USA. SwimKids USA is listed as a regional player.
Does Kids First Swim Schools have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kids First Swim Schools.
What industry is Kids First Swim Schools in?
Kids First Swim Schools's product category is Swimming Instruction Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDALAIAF, Aquatics Programs (Pools, Swim Lessons, Lifeguarding), with a secondary code of MPAKAEAF, Aquatic Centers & Swimming Facilities. Its NAICS code is 61162.