When the weather starts warming up, families begin thinking about pool days, swim lessons, and the long stretch of summer ahead. Before those first big recreation swim days arrive, May gives us a chance to focus on something important: helping children, teens, and adults stay safer in and around the water.

May is Water Safety Month, and at Southgate Recreation & Park District that reminder comes at the right time. Drowning and aquatic injuries can happen quickly, but many of those tragedies can be prevented through preparation, supervision, swimming skills, and emergency readiness. A safer summer starts with the steps families take now.

This season’s Summer Southgator points to one of the clearest signs of summer in the District: pools opening for recreation swim, where new swimmers, returning families, and generations build water safety confidence together. That is part of what summer has looked like in Southgate for almost 70 years. It is children learning new skills, parents splashing around with their kids to beat the heat, and families coming back again and again to places where fun and safety go hand in hand.

Water safety is strongest when families think in layers. That can mean active adult supervision, swim lessons, barriers and alarms at home where appropriate, Coast Guard approved lifejackets around open water, and knowing CPR. Coast Guard approved lifejackets certify their head will stay above water if worn properly. No single step covers every situation, but together they help reduce risk and give families a better foundation for the season ahead.

One of the best places to begin is with Southgate Recreation & Park District’s Swim Lesson Program at Christine Thompson Aquatic Center. Southgate offers lessons for a wide range of ages and abilities, from parent-participation classes for children as young as 6 months to teen and adult beginner instruction. These lessons teach more than swimming strokes. They help people feel more comfortable, capable, and prepared in and around the water.

The summer swim lesson schedule begins the last week of May with sessions in June, July, and August. For many South Sacramento families, May is the time to look at the schedule, choose the right level, and get summer plans in place!

Southgate also brings water safety into other youth programming. The District is offering WHALE Tales, the American Red Cross water safety education program designed to help children become more water smart. The program teaches key safety habits in a way that is easy for children to remember, and Southgate’s aquatics team has partnered with summer camp staff so those lessons are part of the weekly routine before campers head to the pool.

Families can also mark their calendars for one of the District’s signature aquatics events. On Thursday, June 25, 2026, from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Southgate will host Southgate Safety Day alongside the World’s Largest Swim Lesson at Christine Thompson Aquatic Center. This free event will include water safety presentations, activities, and community safety partners, all centered on helping families learn more about staying safe in and around the water. Over 20 countries around the world celebrate this event on the same day.

That work matters because water safety is not only about one lesson or one event. It is built overtime through repetition, good habits, and the steady support of parents, caregivers, instructors, and community spaces that make learning possible.

For families across the District, May is a good time to get started.

Sign up for swim lessons. Talk with your children about safe choices near the water. Review your supervision plan for pool days, outings, and summer gatherings. Save the date for Southgate Safety Day! Small steps taken now can make a real difference by the time the hottest days of summer arrive.

In aquatics, 70 Years in Motion can look like confidence built one skill at a time.

Learn more about Southgate Recreation & Park District swim lessons, Christine Thompson Aquatic Center, the upcoming Water Safety Month and summer aquatics opportunities in South Sacramento. We can’t wait to see you this summer! 🐊