Amsterdam Baby Swimming Schools

Top Amsterdam Baby Swimming Schools

Swimming School “Druppel”

President Allendelaan 3, 1064 GW Amsterdam 4.9★★★★★ (422 reviews)

Swimming School "Druppel" is a baby swimming school in Amsterdam.

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Zwemschool Druppel

Ouderkerkerlaan 10, 1112 BE Diemen 4.9★★★★★ (411 reviews)

Zwemschool Druppel | Locatie Diemen is a baby swimming school in Diemen.

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Zwemschool Vogel

Jan van Gentstraat 115, 1171 GK Badhoevedorp 4.7★★★★★ (160 reviews)

Zwemschool Vogel is a baby swimming school in Badhoevedorp.

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Special Sports Amstelveen

Escapade 1, 1183 NM Amstelveen 3.9★★★★★ (111 reviews)

Special Sports Amstelveen is a baby swimming school in Amstelveen.

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De Zwemschool De Oceaan

President Allendelaan 3, 1064 GW Amsterdam 4.3★★★★★ (106 reviews)

A swimming school in Amsterdam offering lessons for all ages. De Oceaan runs swimming lessons and specialised classes for children and adults alike.

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zwemschool The Talents

Snelliuslaan 1, 1171 WB Badhoevedorp 5.0★★★★★ (92 reviews)

zwemschool The Talents is a baby swimming school in Badhoevedorp.

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Anemoon Zwemschool – Ago zwembad

Kriekenoord 17, 1111 PT Diemen 5.0★★★★★ (26 reviews)

Anemoon Zwemschool - Ago zwembad is a baby swimming school in Diemen.

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De Natte Kikker

President Allendelaan 2-4, 1064 GW Amsterdam 3.2★★★★★ (25 reviews)

De Natte Kikker is a baby swimming school in Amsterdam.

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Anemoon Zwemschool – Victoriabad Weesp

Basisweg 1, 1383 NC Weesp 5.0★★★★★ (23 reviews)

Anemoon Zwemschool - Victoriabad Weesp is a baby swimming school in Weesp.

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SwimEasy

Donkere Spaarne 52, 2011 JH Haarlem 4.8★★★★★ (21 reviews)

SwimEasy is a baby swimming school in Haarlem.

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Children of the Water – Amsterdam Amsteldijk

Amsteldijk 275, 1079 LL Amsterdam 4.4★★★★★ (18 reviews)

Children of the Water - Amsterdam Amsteldijk is a baby swimming school in Amsterdam.

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DREAMSSS

President Allendelaan 3, 1064 GW Amsterdam 4.9★★★★★ (17 reviews)

DREAMSSS Swim School offers swimming lessons for children and adults in Amsterdam. Classes are led by certified instructors at the Sloterparkbad pool.

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How to choose a baby swimming school in Amsterdam

Dutch children work toward the national A, B and C swimming diplomas, standardized under the Waterdicht framework set by the Vereniging Sport en Gemeenten (VSG) and backed by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. Baby and toddler classes on this list sit before that stage: they build water confidence and safety habits rather than award the diploma itself.

Municipal pools run the cheapest diploma track, around €4-5 a lesson, but each gemeente sets its own minimum starting age and the waiting lists can run a year or longer. Private schools tend to accept babies much younger, sometimes from a few months old, and carry that early water confidence into the diploma stage once a child is old enough; our guide to choosing a swimming school in Amsterdam covers how that later stage works.

Ask any school on this page about its group size, whether lessons run in English or Dutch, and where the pool sits relative to your neighborhood - our Amsterdam swimming pools directory has background on the pools themselves. Our broader guide to baby swimming schools in Amsterdam walks through what to expect at this stage in more detail.

Questions people ask

What are the Dutch A, B and C swimming diplomas?

They are the national standard for children's swimming ability, formalized as Waterdicht by the VSG and backed by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. The A diploma is built from four sub-levels and covers skills like swimming underwater with eyes open and exiting the water in normal clothing, with the B and C diplomas building on those same water-safety skills.

At what age can a baby start swimming lessons in Amsterdam?

Baby and parent-and-child classes on this list start anywhere from a few weeks old up to around a year, well before the diploma track begins. Most schools only open A-diploma registration once a child turns 4, so check each listing's own age range and enrollment cutoff directly.

Why are the waiting lists so long, and how do I avoid one?

Demand outstrips supply for diploma lessons, especially at municipal pools, and waits of a year or more are common once a family tries to register a 5-year-old. Since most schools open sign-ups the moment a child turns 4, put your name down as early as that birthday to avoid losing a year.

How long does it take to earn the A diploma?

Starting around age 4, most children reach the A diploma within one to two years, so a child who begins at 4 typically finishes between 6 and 7.5 years old. Some schools also offer accelerated "turbo" courses that compress that timeline; ask the school directly about pacing, since opinions differ on how fast is safe.

Are baby swimming lessons taught in English?

A number of schools in and around Amsterdam teach in English or offer bilingual English/Dutch classes, useful for expat families still building up their Dutch. Confirm the teaching language directly with each school, since it varies listing to listing and can differ between the baby stage and the later diploma stage.

Is school swimming (schoolzwemmen) still part of the curriculum?

Less than it used to be: the share of Dutch primary schools offering schoolzwemmen fell from about 90% in 1991 to roughly 42% by 2012 as municipalities cut costs. Where a school no longer offers it, the Dutch government treats swimming ability as a parental responsibility, which is why lessons outside school hours matter.