Our pools · The Puddle · NE Portland →
The Pond · Clackamas
Our second pool, inside Clackamas Day School — the same method, the same calm, on the south side of town. 93 degrees, never shared with the public.
16640 SE 82nd Dr, Clackamas, OR 97015 · Get directions (opens Google Maps)
Opens our family portal (hosted on Google) · about two minutes · $40 for your first class, charged only when we confirm.
See the space before you arrive
In the order you'll see it, written to the swimmer. Share it the night before.
This is the sign you'll see when you pull in. Park anywhere in this lot.
This is Clackamas Day School. The Pond is inside this building.
Walk down this path with the lights to the pool door at the end.
This is the door to the changing room, right next to the pool.
You can change behind the penguin curtain. There's a bench and hooks for your clothes.
This is the pool. The water is warm, 93 degrees, and nobody else uses it.
These are the steps into the water. You can sit on them as long as you want.
Your grown-up sits on these benches, where you can always see them.
Autistic, ADHD and neurodivergent swimmers in Clackamas
Is the Pond right for my autistic or ADHD child?
Yes. It is the reason this school exists. Your child sets the pace, nobody is forced under the water, and we are a neurodivergent-led team, several of us raising our own neurodivergent kids.
Nothing happens without a yes
Your child decides when their face goes in. We never trick, dunk or push, because a dysregulated brain stops learning. We explain how the body moves in the water and why, in words your child can use, so each skill makes sense before it is attempted.
Why the water is 93 degrees
Warm water lets muscles release, and a relaxed body floats. A cold, tense body fights the water, and a child who is fighting the water cannot learn from it.
Quiet on purpose
A private pool, never open to the public, with small groups and no whistles. There is some echo, so headphones are welcome on the bench, and a comfort object is welcome too.
Water safety, defined before we start
Water safe means the ability to float, breathe and rescue yourself no matter how deep the water below you is. That is where we begin, through our own Backfloat to Breathe method: slowly, calmly and in control.
Babies from 3 months, kids, teens and adults
Whether you are 3 or 93, we start by learning what your experience with the water has been. Parent-child play sessions for ages 3 months to 6, semi-private and 1-on-1 lessons for everyone else, and adults who never got the chance to learn are especially welcome.
Serving Clackamas and the south side
Families drive to the Pond from Happy Valley, Oregon City, Gladstone, Milwaukie, Oak Grove, Damascus and SE Portland. We are a minute off I-205 at SE 82nd Dr, inside the Clackamas Day School building. Many of our families arrive after lessons somewhere else went badly, and that is the experience this school was built around. Text 971-414-3039 and ask us anything.
Good to know
Parking
Park in the Clackamas Day School lot and come to the pool entrance.
Bathrooms and changing
A changing space with a bench, and a bathroom down the hall, close to the pool.
Water and air
Water 93°, air warm and humid. Light chlorine smell.
Sound
An indoor pool with echo. Sometimes loud. Headphones are fine on the bench.
What to bring
Swimsuit, towel, swim diaper if needed. Goggles optional. A comfort object is welcome on the bench.
Where parents sit
On the bench, officially off duty, where your swimmer can see you.
Hours at this pool
Sunday 8:30 AM – 3 PM
Monday 3-7:30 PM
Wednesday 3 - 7:30 PM
Thursday 3 - 7:30 PM
CLOSED Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday
Lessons are 30 minutes, and the exact class times are in the family portal when you book. Questions? Text 971-414-3039.
Try one lesson.
Your child meets their coach.
You talk about how they learn, what they're nervous about, what they love.
Then they get in the water — or sit at the edge, whatever they feel ready for.
By the end, you'll know if Zen Penguin is right for your family.
If it is, we find you a weekly spot!
Questions first?
Zen Penguin Swim School
Sensory-friendly swim lessons for ages 3 months to adults, in two private indoor pools in Portland and Clackamas. Built by neurodivergent teachers.
Need a human?
[email protected]
We answer within two business days.
© Zen Penguin Swim School · Portland, Oregon · Backfloat to Breathe™ · Privacy & terms · Accessibility