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Nice to meet you! I'm Emily Bradley!

I have been teaching backyard lessons and helping children learn to be safe and love the water for 20 years.

I started teaching swim lessons in pools around Los Angeles, and after the birth of my first kiddos, (twins who are now 10 years old,) we moved to Seattle and no one had a pool! So I found one.... and then another. I've been teaching lessons at home ever since we came here.

The methods I've developed with my expertise in both water safety and child development have made learning to swim a magical experience for hundreds of children over the years! Complementing my work in the water is also my career work as a Parent Education Instructor for North Seattle College for the last 8 years.

I work on building community and supporting families as we navigate the tumultuous journey of parenting.  Working with families in and out of the water is my passion! I am a mama of 3 wild boys - twin 10 year olds, and a 5 year old.

Check out my interview on the Parenting Takes a Village podcast!

Get Started

Welcome to Little Fish!


Our swim school uses individual lessons with one swimmer and one instructor at a time in the water. We operate year round, with rolling sign-ups to ensure our clients are getting the flexibility that suits their own swimming goals. Some clients swim with us all year and some take a few lessons to brush up on safety before a big trip. For this reason we do not have sessions or blocks of lessons available. We have used the same methods to great success over the last several years. While our swimmers are a wide range of ages and abilities, our specialties are swimmers who are learning to swim for the first time and those who are particularly nervous in the water. To learn how to get the most out of your experience with Little Fish, please read the brief guide below.

Little Fish Policies

When you arrive for your lesson, please park in the designated parking area in front of the house or directly across the street. Please follow the marked signs to the entrance of the pool.

Please be ready to enter the pool area enclosure as soon as the as your lesson begins.  There is a clock on the outside of the enclosure for reference. Lessons are back to back and require punctuality in order to get the most of your swim time.

Feel free to arrive no more than 15 minutes before your scheduled slot and take about 15 minutes afterwards to get dressed and on your way.  There is a changing/waiting room and bathroom at each location for your convenience.

Parents who are accompanied by very young wiggly children or those with particularly nervous swimmers are asked to watch from the lesson cam in the waiting room.  There is also a bench in the enclosure for adults and siblings who wish to quietly observe the lesson. We find that our students do best when they can focus on and trust the instructor.

All of our swimmers wear goggles. Please let your instructor know if you need help adjusting them or recommendations on goggle types.

We offer high-anxiety consultations for swimmers who need additional support in the water. If you would like a high-anxiety consultation with Emily, please let your instructor know. They will have a recommendation on next steps and will refer you to Emily for further guidance.

We appreciate you doing your best to keep noise down to a minimum to minimize interrupting other swim lessons and respect our very sensitive neighbors.

If you need to cancel your lesson, we ask you to do it as soon as possible. We have many clients who are looking for lessons and would love to book your lesson. If you cancel more than 24 hours in advance, your credit will be banked into your account for you to rebook at your convenience. A purchased lesson is good for one year.


If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to email Emily at littlefishswimschoolseattle@gmail.com


Pricing

At Little Fish we offer individual one-on-one lessons and private family bubble swims.

**Due to the increase in chemical and utility costs, our prices have increased effective November 2022. Please reach out with any questions and thanks for swimming with Little Fish**

15 minute one-on-one lesson: $35*

30 minute one-on-one lesson: $70*

50 minute private family bubble swim: $82*

*There is an 10% surcharge charged at checkout to help cover credit card processing and operation costs.

Lessons can be purchased in a pack for convenience when it comes time to book. We recommend purchasing your lessons before scheduling, particularly if you are booking on a day when lessons are released.

Cancellation policy: If a lesson or family swim is cancelled more than 24 hours before the start time, the credit is banked into your Little Fish Swim Lesson. account in our booking software and this time slot can now be booked by someone else. If you cancel a lesson less than 24 hours before it starts, you forfeit the credit and the lesson is available for booking. We kindly ask that if you know you will not make a lesson to cancel as soon as possible.

Scheduling

Here is how to book a lesson or a family swim with us...

Step 1: Create an account on our website and consider downloading the app we use with our booking system, Achieve. Each person who is going to be swimming needs to fill waiver.

Step 2: Use the account to see availability. We have four seasons a year, each about three months long. A season of lesson availability is released quarterly. This makes up the bulk of our lessons but we do regularly add shifts for instructors and family swims throughout the season. Remember that you can check the availability at all three of our locations by filtering for each location individually. We teach lessons from 9am to 6pm, seven days a week. If you do not see a lesson at a time you are looking for, it is likely booked. With our generous cancellation policy, lessons open all the time. It is worth keeping an eye on our schedule to look for openings.

Step 3: Book the lessons. Every lesson is booked individually. A pack of lessons can be purchased (we offer 6 or 10 packs) but the booking is done one lesson at a time. A lesson is either 15 or 30 minutes long. Mark your calendar for the opening of each season! Many of our popular shifts are full by the end of opening day. While you do not have to purchase a lesson to see the availability or before you pick the lesson, we recommend doing so if you are interested in a popular time slot.

Step 4. Keep in touch with Little Fish! Regularly check your account or app for new openings. Join the cancellation list and like us on Facebook for announcements.

Cancellation policy: If a lesson or family swim is cancelled more than 24 hours before the start time, the credit is banked into your account and this time slot can now be booked by someone else. If you cancel a lesson less than 24 hours before it starts, you forfeit the credit and the lesson is available for booking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I book a 30 minute lesson with Emily?

Emily is teaching mostly assessment lessons and short lessons for kiddos working on a big breakthrough after a few lessons. Emily also does all of our high-anxiety assessments. For one of these assessments, please let your instructor know and send us an email with a request.

Why can't I find a reoccurring swim spot for the same day and time each week?

Each lesson is booked individually. Folks cancel and reschedule all the time, so the calendar shows random openings. Please email us if you'd like to be added to the last-minute cancellation list. The BEST way to book is through our "Achieve" app from Wellness Living. Find it in your App Store!

Can I bring my a friend for a family "bubble" swim?

Yes, "pods" of no more than two families totaling no more than 8 people may swim. EACH FAMILY MUST HAVE AN ACTIVE LITTLE FISH ACCOUNT

Where do I park?

In the designated parking area in front of the house, or on the street.

If I forget my goggles or don't have them yet, can I borrow some?

Yes

Do I need to bring my own towel?

Yes

Can I use a shower?

Yes, there is a bathroom available for a quick rinse-off.

Where should I sit during my child's lesson?

You can sit in the greenhouse if everyone can sit quietly on the bench in the far corner. We do recommend family members give extra space for our extra anxious swimmers. You are also welcome to wait in the dressing areas, where there are video monitors for you to watch the lesson. We aim to keep distractions down for our lessons. Please come back at the end of a lesson for the instructor to show you what your child is working on.

Can my child play in the pool after or before their lesson?

Lessons are back to back and only one child is allowed in the water at a time, so unfortunately, no.

Can I get in the water with my child?

Not during standard swim lessons, but feel free to sign up for a family swim! A caretaker is in the water during our Littlest Fish Beginning Bubbler lessons.

Which Goggles do you recommend?

These are our favorites. Anyone age 3 and up does well with these adult sized goggles. https://www.amazon.com/ZIONOR-Goggles-Swimming-Anti-fog-Protection/dp/B0BR9N7K34/ref=sxin_16_pa_sp_search_thematic_sspa?content-id=amzn1.sym.a2e12efe-e275-4efd-81b9-095fa99ad91f%3Aamzn1.sym.a2e12efe-e275-4efd-81b9-095fa99ad91f&crid=2R1NVGCLA9BKK&cv_ct_cx=goggles+adult&keywords=goggles+adult&pd_rd_i=B0BR9N7K34&pd_rd_r=382951de-718a-4158-ab54-dcf25585f7d1&pd_rd_w=F3yWL&pd_rd_wg=ITtcu&pf_rd_p=a2e12efe-e275-4efd-81b9-095fa99ad91f&pf_rd_r=WWF6TKY9Q70FA48Z26SH&qid=1697732782&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=goggles%2Caps%2C135&sr=1-2-364cf978-ce2a-480a-9bb0-bdb96faa0f61-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9zZWFyY2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&psc=1

Can I sign up to see the same teacher every week?

Consider our new PREBOOKING option to book a regular spot for the whole season. We do our best to keep instructors consistent with their listed shifts and notify clients when there will be a change. You are always welcome to cancel a lesson without penalty if the occasional instructor shift will not work for you.

What about advanced swimmers who need technical help?

Please always let the instructor know if you have a specific aim for your swimmer. Email us if you would like help selecting an instructor who is best equipped for an advanced swimmer.

How old does my child need to be to take lessons at Little Fish?

Our "Littlest Fish" Beginning Bubbles classes are for caregivers and babies aged 6 months to 2.5 years. Our regular lessons are for children aged 2.5 and older.

Booking Is Easier Than Ever!

Check out the Wellness Living Achieve app to book on your phone!

To search for lessons at both our locations, use the three lines at the upper left corner of your phone screen to toggle between locations. You must create an account on your desktop browser prior to logging into the app.