Residents of Denton County talk all the time about shopping locally and doing more to support the local businesses they all know and love. Well, when it comes to year-round fun in the pool and promoting water safety for children of any age or experience level, no one epitomizes locally-owned and operated more than AquaKids.
AquaKids’ roots in Flower Mound can be traced back to 1999 when Cross Timbers Road was two lanes and barely had any traffic lights. Swim instructor and Argyle resident Kathy Kline was well-known in the area and had been holding lessons at two health clubs when she took a leap of faith by opening a year-round learn-to-swim facility. At the time, there wasn’t anything like AquaKids in Denton County — and it quickly became a destination spot for parents from all over.
“Back then, I remember driving on Shiloh Road, and there wasn’t a traffic light from our house in Argyle all the way to AquaKids. We’ve been here for a long time, that’s for sure,” Kathy said. “My late husband always said to do whatever you are brave enough to do. I just remember there weren’t many places to teach kids how to swim; it was important to me.”
She added, “Water safety has always been important to me. AquaKids is a worthwhile part of this community.”
Nowadays, parents have a ton more options when it comes to finding dedicated swim schools close to home. But AquaKids remains the facility of choice. While the Flower Mound AquaKids is 21 years old, Kathy’s dream has expanded to two more locations. She opened one in Keller in 2006 and another for McKinney residents in 2018. A potential future location in Northlake is in their sites.
She continues to be hands-on at all three locations with help from her oldest son, Andrew.
“With us, you really get the quality aspect from a family that is hyper-focused on our community,” Andrew said.
If you haven’t been to AquaKids yet, what are you waiting for? There is plenty for the Kline family to brag about, especially as we inch closer to the fun summer months. Each facility includes 92-degree indoor-heated pools and teachers who are not only background checked and drug-screened but also have current American Red Cross certifications in Lifeguarding, CPR, First Aid, and AED.
They offer group and private lessons with the smallest class sizes in the industry at three students per instructor for kids ages two and older. Water baby programs, which accept children as young as two months old, have a 6:1 ratio. AquaKids has free lessons for babies until they are six months old.
There is also a developmental swim team that meets on Saturdays and opportunities to host a birthday party or take part in open swim sessions. Parents who aren’t swimming with their child can spend time in the large observation rooms that overlook the pool and the rest of the facility.
At the heart of everything they do is their commitment to teaching children the wonderful, life-saving skill of swimming. In an age where children are around water more often, whether it be during family vacations or while having fun in a backyard pool, it’s important that every child is comfortable in the water and knows what to do when they are in trouble.
“Parents have come to us over the years telling us stories about near-drowning incidents and how knowing how to swim saved their children,” Kathy said. “Every child needs to learn, and the longer you wait, the more behind the curve they are, and the more apprehensive they are around water. As early as two months old, we are focusing on water acclimation, tummy time, back floats, and quality bonding time where the child has an opportunity to enjoy the water.”
Andrew agreed, adding that there isn’t much that AquaKids hasn’t thought of for its favorite clients — your children.
“When you add it all up, all of these things really separate us from other swim facilities,” he said.
If you’re interested in learning more about AquaKids, visit their website at AquaKids.com. They will be posting their summer camp schedule soon and accepting registrations.
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