Here at The Bedford Mom we love sharing about and celebrating local businesses! This month we are so excited to feature Goldfish Swim School – Bedford. In this article, we’re diving into the story behind one of Bedford’s newest and most vibrant additions: Goldfish Swim School – Bedford. At the heart of this state-of-the-art learn-to-swim facility is local mom and entrepreneur Tobey Kelly, who, alongside her husband Tim, has brought her passion for water safety, child development, and joyful learning to life right here in southern New Hampshire. With locations now in Bedford, NH and Milford, MA, the Kellys are on a mission to teach kids the life-saving skill of swimming through a nurturing, confidence-building approach rooted in the Goldfish Swim School’s signature Science of SwimPlay® philosophy. From shiver-free pools and small class sizes to high fives and celebration ribbons, Goldfish is more than just swim lessons – it’s a warm, welcoming community where kids learn, grow, and have a blast doing it. Learn more about Goldfish Swim School – Bedford and the couple who brought it to Bedford below!
Tell us about yourself!
Hi! My name is Tobey Kelly, owner of Goldfish Swim School in Bedford, NH, and Milford, MA! My husband, Tim, and I decided to dive headfirst into opening our first Goldfish Swim School location after seeing firsthand the positive impact our sister and brother-in-law have had in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and Colorado, bringing water safety education to these communities. We are now excited to have just opened a brand-new Goldfish Swim School in Bedford, NH!
Both Tim and I earned our degrees at Syracuse University and have spent more than 30 years in the Financial Services and Technology industries, respectively. We have two grown daughters and consider ourselves “outdoors people,” enjoying running and hiking when not at Goldfish.
With a passion for helping others, we are thrilled to be part of the Goldfish Swim School family. We love bringing the proven swim lesson curriculum, water safety knowledge, and the Golden Experience to the communities of Milford, MA and Bedford, NH!
Tell us about your business!
Goldfish Swim School is a learn-to-swim facility for children ages 4 months to 12 years old. We are committed to educating swimmers about water safety while teaching them swim skills they will use for a lifetime. Our staff incorporates water safety skills in every class. Even the most confident swimmers need reminders on how to be safe in and around the water.
At Goldfish, we believe that kids learn best through fun and play! Our Science of SwimPlay® philosophy focuses on celebration, positive reinforcement and building confidence in each lesson. In our small group classes, learning comes to life through explanation, demonstration, practice, and feedback. Children improve their swim knowledge and expand their skills, all while having fun. At Goldfish Swim School, we want kids – and their parents – to always feel safe and confident in the water.
The moment you walk through the door, you enter a tropical oasis. Brightly colored decor, tiki cabanas and surfboard benches surround our island-style hair drying station and border our pool. The school is abuzz with the sounds of kids kicking and hands-on swimming instruction. Our experienced staff of trained and certified swim instructors give high fives and help swimmers build confidence with each new skill. Kids can proudly show off their award ribbon when they see their extraordinary results. Because we know, as parents, how much pride you feel watching your kids accomplish new skills – and we want to celebrate, too!
Other features of Goldfish Swim School:
- Our pool is a shiver-free 90-degrees so kids can learn without distractions of being cold!
- Our small class sizes of no more than 4 children to 1 swim instructor allows children to master the skills they need to be safe and confident in the water.
- Not session based! Goldfish offers perpetual swimming lessons that allow children to seamlessly advance as those swimmers master new skills.
- Lessons are offered 7 days a week – weekdays and weekends – with classes available in the mornings, afternoons, and evenings.
- In addition to swim lessons, Goldfish offers family swim times, weekend birthday parties and a Treasure Island Retail Shop to purchase swimsuits and accessories.
What are your favorite local spots in town?
I enjoy Pressed Cafe and Playa Bowls, but you also might find me enjoying a sweet treat at The Inside Scoop. Our swim school has also had some great community support from Stephanie at Smart Start Sensory, Ali B Photography, Ellie and Piper Co., Kristen Chadbourne Custom Cakes, Pure Barre, FitFuzion and NH Sports Dome as well as local realtor, Nicole Hancock. We appreciate them welcoming us to Bedford!
What does a “day in the life” look like for you?
I begin my day outdoors whenever I can, running and hiking by our lakeside home in NH. In the summers, I enjoy paddleboarding especially when my daughters are with us. After my morning coffee, I visit one of our Goldfish Swim School locations – either our new facility in Bedford, NH or our swim school in Milford, MA. I love to talk with families and interact with our swimmers – giving high fives and learning about the latest skill they mastered. At Goldfish Swim School, it is all about building confidence. For some, it’s putting their faces in the water for the first time. For others, it’s letting go of the wall and trusting their arms and legs to get them to the other side of the pool. Through each skill and each lesson, swimmers gain confidence in and out of the pool.
You’ll also find me at the front desk answering questions and in meetings talking through curriculum, community partnerships, operational tasks and more.
If I’m not in the building, I am lucky to have an amazing team helping families, guarding lessons to ensure children are safe, tracking progress, and teaching this important life-saving skill.
At the end of the day, I typically unwind with dinner with my husband and read a book on our porch.
What are your goals for your business in the next 3-5 years?
Our goal remains the same: teach as many children as we can how to learn to swim and how to be safe in and around the water.
What is your best piece of advice for people looking to start a business?
Build a business and invest in something you are passionate about and you will always feel successful and fulfilled. For both Tim and me, it is about helping children learn an important life-saving skill: how to be safe in and around the water.
What sets Goldfish Swim School apart from other swim schools?
Our programs focus on water safety, confidence-building, and creating a positive experience for both kids and parents. At Goldfish Swim School, swim lessons are more than just mastering strokes; they are a blend of skill-building, socialization, and achieving personal swimming goals. Our curriculum is meticulously designed by parents, for parents, ensuring it meets the developmental needs of children at every experience level. We aren’t session-based; our perpetual lesson model allows your child to move up to the next level as soon as they are ready. Finally, each lesson is crafted with safety as the top priority – highly-trained lifeguards are on deck at all times.
Can you tell us about the philosophy behind your approach to swim instruction?
The core philosophy of Goldfish Swim School is The Science of SwimPlay®: It’s based on the idea that children learn best through play. We keep the pool well-stocked with toys, play interactive songs, and ensure that while we’re focused on the serious stuff, your family will be focused on the fun.
How do you tailor swim lessons to different age groups and learning styles?
At Goldfish Swim School, individualized learning is a top priority. The low student-to-teacher ratio means that each child receives ample attention and tailored guidance, which helps in building confidence and mastering swimming skills efficiently. The passionate instructors are dedicated to creating a positive and encouraging atmosphere, ensuring that every child not only learns to swim effectively but also develops a love for the water. This allows children to get personalized attention while allowing them to socialize and have fun with the other kids in the class.
What age groups do you offer swim lessons to?
We offer lessons for children ages 4 months to 12 years old. Goldfish curriculum is designed to accommodate all experience levels, from beginners to advanced swimmers – and with no sessions, your child moves up as soon as they are ready without having to wait for a new session to begin!
Is there a specific age you recommend starting swim lessons?
Goldfish Swim School believes that starting swim lessons early can set the foundation for a lifetime of water confidence and enjoyment. Infant swimming lessons are crucial for building water safety for babies because they instill essential skills and confidence at a young age. By introducing infants to the water early on, these lessons help them become familiar with the aquatic environment, reducing the fear often associated with water. Learning basic techniques, such as floating and turning, equips babies with vital life-saving skills that can make a significant difference in emergencies.
What does a typical lesson look like at Goldfish Swim School?
Your kiddo will be welcomed by our staff and shown where to check in for their lessons. Families can use our individual family changing rooms to get changed and ready for lessons. Our team will help children line up for their classes and walk them to their lane to meet their teacher. The poollearning to swim! The classes will be small. 1:3 for our 2-3 year old independent lessons, 1:4 for our 3 years and up classes, and 1:6 for our parent:child classes. Teachers are trained to help each child learn at their own pace, understanding that some children might be more anxious, especially on their first day! They will be encouraging and give high fives and celebrate achievements! Parents will be called onto the pool deck after each lesson and will receive progress reports and feedback from their child’s instructor. Finally, children can shower on our pool deck and then head back to the changing huts to change into dry clothes. They can stop by our hair drying station to blow dry their hair and stop by our retail shop and snack shop on their way out
How are your instructors trained, and what qualifications do they hold?
At Goldfish, we hire people who have proven that they love teaching and getting to know their students. In addition to training on our curriculum, all of our instructors are CPR/AED trained and International Lifeguard Training ProgramTM certified (Developed by the leaders in aquatic safety at Jeff Ellis and Associates). They also receive regular, ongoing training to keep them at the top of their game from a certified lifeguard instructor.
How do you ensure a child who’s nervous or afraid of water feels safe and supported?
One of the most rewarding things about teaching swimming is helping swimmers to transition from anxiety about swimming into enjoying every minute in the water. We’ve created an inviting and safe place where kids overcome their fears – our award-winning tropical environment and shiver-free pools are simply the fun backdrop for where kids do some serious growing and learning. With lots of high fives and recognition of small achievements, we believe every milestone and turning point toward growth should be recognized, celebrated, and rewarded. Continual celebration adds up to big self-esteem!
What should parents bring or know before their child’s first swim class?
When families sign up for lessons, we provide a Goldfish Swim School bag and it’s designed to be their new pool bag! The colors make it easy to find and the it’s durable enough for towels and bathing suits, so be sure to pack up the bag before it’s time to walk out the door for swim class (so that’s one less thing you’ll have to worry about on your way!). Load it up with all the swimming essentials like a bathing suit, goggles, a towel, a brush, and whatever else you may need and leave it near the door or in a safe spot where you can grab and go. (We have shampoo and soap for you – as well as hair dryers – so you can leave those at home!)
Missing something? No worries! Goldfish Swim School has you covered (literally, ha!): Our Treasure Island Pro Shop has really nice bathing suits for boys and girls ready for purchase, and you can just change in one of our changing rooms. (Plus we have goggles, towels, earplugs and so much more for sale there, too!). Just our commitment to providing WOW! customer service.
Kids do awesome when they know what is expected, so talk to your little ones about what their swim class will be like and remind them the swim instructors use integrity, compassion and trust to teach important swim skills.
Ask your kids what they would like to learn out of class and remind them to always do their best (and to ask for help if needed!) and you’ll all be seeing those extraordinary results in no time!
How do you track and communicate a child’s progress to parents?
After each lesson, parents or guardians are invited on the pool deck to hear about their child’s progress and can see a demonstration of a skill their child learned that day! We also provide progress reports, which allows parents to view their child’s skills and areas for improvement. This includes updates on skill mastery and when their child is ready to level up. We also celebrate successes at Goldfish Swim School with high-fives and celebration ribbons.
What are some lesser-known benefits of swim lessons beyond water safety?
Goldfish Swim School lessons offer numerous benefits beyond just water safety, impacting a child’s physical, cognitive, and social development. Swim lessons help children improve their cardiovascular health, build strength and endurance, and develop a wider range of movement, even outside of the pool. They also contribute to better breathing control and lung capacity, crucial for various activities. Additionally, swim lessons promote socialization, patience, active listening, and teamwork, valuable skills for success in school and life.
How can people connect with you and follow your business?
Visit our website: www.goldfishswimschool.com/bedford and follow us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn. We’d love to hear from you!