Summer & Swim Gear

I know what you’re thinking, “Summer is just around the corner and I want my child to have the right gear!” Here’s our compiled list of items we use at camp on the daily* and a few other hot items and why we love them:

  1. Floatation device*: The Swim Bubble we love this because it truly is a progressive learn to swim device, while incorporating confidence and coordination all at once. This helps the child be hands-free and work their arms and their legs at the same time. As they get stronger and stronger in the water, you can manipulate the device and take off one float until they are down to none!

  1. Goggles*: Speedo Vanquisher You want a true swim brand like Speedo or TYR for a set of goggles that will last and serve its purpose. A good pair will cost $15-$20.(children’s or adult’s). We love these because they have the double strap that will adjust to the backside of the head. Wearing one higher and one lower allows for optimum suction; single strap is not recommended. The mirrored lenses are great for outdoor swimming, as they serve a dual purpose as goggles and sunglasses, 2-in-1.

  1. Swim cap*: Latex swim cap or silicone swim cap is preferred over a lycra cap that will slide off while swimming.  A swim cap is a must for a child who has bangs or longer hair that can be pushed onto their face while swimming. I know what you’re thinking, “My child is not a professional, they are not doing laps, so this is not necessary.” But this is super necessary as it will help them to see well and stay focused in the water during swim lessons and recreationally. AND it will help with keeping their locks less damaged from the sun and chlorine. Win, win!

  1. Disposable Swim diapers: Huggies makes a great one that is stretchy and comfy with your favorite Disney and Pixar characters. You do not want to try a regular diaper in the pool. We’ve seen it happen: they turn into 10+ lbs of diaper that explode, and the tiny absorbency crystals go everywhere and are nearly impossible to pick up. Pool filters don’t do well with these crystals, so if you want your home pool to keep running smoothly, get a swim diaper!

5. Reusable Swim diaper: ALVA makes super cute reusable diapers that are adjustable for infants through 3 years old. They come in several different designs to choose from. The snaps are adjustable as your baby grows and it will save you $$ and help our earth!

6.  Sunscreen: Think Baby makes a great sunscreen! Tons of our campers use this brand and we love it. Steer away from aerosol sunscreens, as both you and your child are inhaling it. This one was top rated by EWG skin deep database with a “1” rating in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 for baby, beach and sport. It is free of biologically harmful chemicals: no avobenzone, oxybenzone, paraben, phthalate, paba and 1,4 dioxane free or UV chemical absorbers. And is water resistant for 80 minutes!

6. Swim shampoo: Babo makes a gentle formula of shampoo and conditioning products that help to keep your little one’s hair hydrated through the chlorine and sun of summer! Another trick I used while swimming in college is to spray leave-in conditioner right before putting on your swim cap to help create a barrier with the water and your locks!

  1. Rash guards: i play makes some great swim shirts that are breathable and made of quick-dry material. They also have a UPF 50+ sun protectant. For swim lessons or swim camp, we recommend this as a top and a pair of separate bottoms. Layering can make your child slippery to hold on to. Two pieces for girls and boys is ideal for potty breaks too! (you’re welcome!)

All these ideas are our own and we have not be paid to recommend any of these items, but sure do hope they are helpful!

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Choosing Your Swim Instructor

This summer will mark 16 years of teaching swimming and here’s my best advice for you:
1. Certified. Find a swim instructor who is certified to teach you/your child swimming skills. You want to be sure this person has been trained extensively to give you the best service possible. The American Red Cross certification is called Water Safety Instructor Certification.
2. Insured. If you are having instruction outside of an insured facility (ie. in your home or if you are meeting your instructor outside of a swim facility), be sure that your instructor is insured.
3. Experience. Look for someone who has worked with infants or children (if it’s for your infant or child), look for someone who has worked with triathletes (if those are your personal goals), has coached club swim team (if getting your child onto the swim team is your goal).
4. Ask about their methods. Do they guarantee that your child will swim in a particular amount of time? If so, what are their methods to make sure that happen? An ideal instructor is one that has knowledge on children’s learning theories, so ask about their philosophy.
5. Personality test. Like all relationships, the one with your swim instructor should be one that you feel comfortable with. If you’re choosing classes at a swim facility, what is their policy on making a switch if they aren’t a good fit?
6. Consistency. Will the same person be teaching you/your child at every time that you meet for a lesson? You want to find someone who will get to know the swimmer’s progress to be able to give them the optimum service lesson after lesson.
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Track Our Bus

Safety in and out of the pool is at the forefront of our all our programming at Miss Yvonne Swim Camp. Last year we implemented a GPS tracking device that rides with the campers on the bus ride home in the afternoon. You are able to track us live and see where we are. However You can see if we are sitting in traffic or are 3 blocks away from your bus stop and set notifications. How convenient!

We kindly ask that you download the “trax play” app onto your iPhone or Android phone. We can also add your nanny/babysitter.  Ask them to download the app and follow the next steps. You must login by creating a username and password.  It is a quick and simple process.

The week before you join us for camp we ask that you text us at 201.600.4640 as soon as you’ve logged in with the e-mail address that was used for the trax play login. We will then manually add you in for the week your child will be with us and enable your viewing capability for the week.

At the end of each week of camp, we will delete your access. If you join us again, we will re-add you to grant your access. Our parents and guardians loved this fun feature last year, it’s pretty cool!

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Camper to Teacher Counselor Ratio

At Miss Yvonne Swim Camp one of the things we stand by is personalized attention! Swimming can be a daunting skill to learn and the swimmer should have a lot of one-on-one attention to soar. Whether the swimmer is a beginner, intermediate or advanced, having a lot of teacher time is key. We stand behind our 4 to 1 camper to Teacher Counselor ratio during  Private swim lesson. We carefully schedule Teacher Counselors in accordance to our camp needs for each week.

Who are your Teacher Counselors and what do they do? Our team is made up of Teacher Counselors. The ladies and gentleman on our team are school teachers during the school year; there are no high schooler or college student staff at Miss Yvonne Swim School. Our Teacher Counselors have gone through a detailed training program to shadow a similar teaching style to Miss Yvonne. Teacher Counselors love working with our campers and we have many that have returned year after year. The Director Assistant and Miss Yvonne are constantly monitoring during swim lessons and swim practice time.  however a Teacher Counselor needs support or a camper needs 1:1 attention, we are there to jump in!

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A Day in the Life of Miss Yvonne Swim CAMP!

At Miss Yvonne Summer Swim Camp we do more than just swim! You have the option of starting your child’s camp day at camp where you have a flexible drop off hour between 7:30-8: 30 am. The other option is having your child join us on the school bus that starts picks-ups in Jersey City at 7:40 am, heads over to Hoboken and then Weehawken.

On Monday mornings we distribute personal equipment to each of the campers that is theirs to keep after their camp time is over with us. They each get a set goggles, Summer swim camp, floatie (Tadpoles only) and a swim bag. We then split up into our small groups, 4 campers to 1 teacher-counselor, and we assess the campers to make sure that they have been signed up for the appropriate swim level. Then We will bump up or bump down accordingly, keep to our 4:1 ratio at all times. We have a 30-minute swim lesson indoors followed by 30 minutes of swim practice. Here we encourage the campers to try different things we’ve just covered during lesson time to grow stronger with their skills in a fun practice environment through games, mini races, etc.

Next we split into separate gender bathrooms to get into dry clothes and get some sunscreen on. These bathrooms are closed off to only Miss Yvonne Swim School during this time. Each bathroom will have at least two Teacher Counselors to assist.

Swimming is hard work and we need fuel! Snack time is in the back garden which is quiet and serene as a large group. We are a peanut-free camp, please help us keep your campers safe. Then, we head over to the fields for sport time. We play a variety of games from catch, to soccer, frisbee or jump rope. If it rains, we transition inside into the basketball courts where the divider comes down and we have the half court all to ourselves.

So much fun- I’m hungry, again! It’s time for lunch! Teacher Counselors eat with the campers outdoors under a gazebo- shaded area on picnic tables. We slow down a bit now to help with digestion and go on our outdoor adventure. Campers will be guided through a wooded area daily where they will learn 3-5 fun facts about something we can find here in nature. We’ve spotted owls, turtles and caterpillars.

Next, as a group we head indoors into the multi-purpose room for Arts & Crafts and some air-conditioning! We will guide the campers through a multi-step activity where they use their creative abilities and make something unique.

I want to Swim again! We head over to the pools outdoors in our small groups for another 30 minute swim lesson, followed by a 30 minute practice and then 30 minutes in one of the enrichment areas as a group. Mondays we enjoy the Pirate Ship where the campers love to explore through creative play. Tuesdays we head over to the water slide where Miss Yvonne is always at the top encouraging all campers to give it a go at least once and a Teacher Counselor is at the bottom to catch the camper.

Wednesdays we venture over the rock wall where a Teacher Counselor is always in the water as each camper climbs, one at a time, and the only way down is jump off the rock wall into the pool! Thursdays is diving board day where Miss Yvonne helps each camper up onto the diving board and jump off into the pool where a Teacher Counselor will catch them, and all campers are cheered on to have at least one JUMP! Fridays are for free play so campers may return to their favorite enrichment area with 1-2 Teacher Counselors.

Last, we head back over into the separate gender bathrooms to get into dry clothes and head out for the day. Parents/guardians may pick up at this time, 4pm sharp. Campers hop back on the bus at this time to head home, but not without a snack! These busy campers need more fuel! Our return bus stops are Weehawken, Hoboken and then Jersey City and you can track our bus on the Play Trax app on your smartphone. More about this fun feature in an upcoming blog post!

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Core Values: Happy Swimming!

Happy Swimming is one of our core values at  Miss Yvonne Swim Camp. Swimming can be extremely fearful for a non-swimmer. I remember I was there- taking swim lessons at 14 years-old with tears in my eyes, a knot in my stomach and ZERO relaxation. Since I learned so late in life, it is still very vivid all these years later, which is why teaching swimming has been one of my life’s missions.

My philosophy on swimming is that it’s a two-fold process. 50% coordination and 50% confidence is what we believe it takes to become a strong, safe swimmer. When coupled with a positive, happy learning environment, a swimmer can feel safe, secure and have fun in the water!

Coordination and gross motor skills get stronger with age. Doing multiple things at once is achieved with repetition and practice (why we have swim practice twice per day at Swim Camp!). We are obsessed with the progressive learn to swim device (all Tadpole-level campers receive) which is a strap that clips in the front of the chest and has four pads on the backside and nothing on the arms or chest. It lets the swimmer move through the water well while moving arms and legs at the same time and keeping their face in the water.

Confidence is a bit trickier, but we’ve found a great solution: the floats! Because the float is on the backside, it gives the swimmer a diagonal stance in the water which helps muscle memory and horizontal position in the water is ideal. As the swimmer becomes stronger, we take off one floatie. Campers get so excited when we take them off and ask to take of certain colors as they are progressing. We give one to all our Tadpoles that is theirs to keep after our camp time together is over. This is an AMAZING confidence booster!

At Miss Yvonne Swim Camp, campers are having swim lessons twice daily. Which sets them up for great success in achieving goals at a fast pace. Whether the child needs help in both areas of confidence and coordination, or just one, Miss Yvonne Swim Camp is the perfect option! We have seen huge breakthroughs with campers who join us at camp. They are getting 10 swim lessons in a one-week time span. This is the best way to immerse them in swimming confidently and safely!

Can’t join us for camp? We suggest private lessons at least 1x/week. If you’re able to accommodate more than one lesson, we advise you double or triple up. Consistency is key to learning to swim, so make sure you keep your child in swimming lessons year round!

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Letter From Miss Yvonne

The Miss Yvonne’s Swim School has been teaching people to swim since it opened 2002, serving over 200 students each year. After learning to swim at the late age of 15, I became certified as a Water Safety Instructor (American Red Cross certified) and Lifeguard (American Red Cross CPR, First Aid & AED certified). Since 2004 I have taught children’s group & private swimming lessons coached a swim team and worked as camps.

As an undergraduate at Stevens Institute of Technology, I swam on the varsity team. Having completed a Masters in Physical Education in 2013, I am a licensed teacher in the State of NJ. Also, I am a Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor. I integrate into class, encouraging children to love exercise by swimming! I am also certified as a Lifeguard Instructor (American Red Cross LGI certificate). Our team is very excited to share our love of swimming & water with your child. Hope you will immerse your child in our program that will be led by Teacher Counselors and together we can create summer memories and foundations that will last a lifetime becoming strong, safe, happy, swimmers together!

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