Organised activities or free time? - which was most important to you in your childhood?

[coffeepot]

Looking back on your childhood ? which was the most important for you ? organised activities, clubs and lessons or free time spent playing?
I?m wondering about whether I have the balance right with my dd.
At primary school I did brownies, choir, piano, ballet, netball. Looking back non of these were really important. The part of my life that has meant the most is the time I spent playing outside ? building dens, floating balls down streams, riding bikes, playing marbles with neighbours, building mini worlds in the garden and later exploring the local park and footpaths. Of course I also played indoors, watched television etc. but it is the outdoor adventurous type of unsupervised play I remember.
By secondary school clubs and organised activities were more important to me.
I wondered how other people would rate the relative importance of organised activities and outdoor free time at primary age in their childhood (if you can remember that far back!)

[Sunyshineymummy]

I have happy memories of both. I loved Brownies, gymnastics, going swimming, and days out with my parents (stately homes etc.) but also have great memories of disappearing on my bike with my mates, roller skating, putting on shows with my friends, all things organised by us.

[Lllllllllllledodgy]

I agree with op I went to Brownies, swimming and did ballet for a while but the time I enjoyed most was playing out with my friends.

[kslatts]

I also think it's a bit of both, one of the things I used to love was going to the park with my Dad on a Saturday afternoon, he would get home from work at about 12.30, have lunch then take me, my sister and my cousin out for the whole afternoon, we would go to all different parks and spend hours there.

[Tinker]

Hardly had any organised activities, not self-disciplined enough to keep at them.

I think they can be good if your child is only mixing with school-friends though

[pelvicflawed]

I didn't do any activities until I was ten when I joined Guides (absolutely loved it - wouldn't have missed that for anything!) ans netball club at school from about 9.One of my best memories of being a 6-7 year old is playing on my own in the garden (dust bowl created by the drought of 76) in my mums old clothes. I was an only child with a couple of close friends but I loved my imaginary worlds and games. I'd say plenty of free time with perhaps the odd organised activity that the child really enjoys.

[evenhope]

Probably the balance between the 2? I did ballet and tap, Brownies and piano lessons plus we went to Sunday school. I also spent hours playing in the alley behind our garden, or we'd go off to the woods behind the rugby club.

Then again we didn't get homework when I was at primary school in the 60s and 70s.

[Lovecat]

I was sent to Brownies and Scottish dancing, but the part of it I really enjoyed was the beginning before the teachers/brown owls arrived and we could slope off behind the church hall onto the overgrown bombsite behind it, play mad games and chat to the children who lived in the houses that it overlooked...

I didn't make any lasting friendships from either of these organised activities, I actively loathed scottish dancing, so I wouldn't say they were too valuable to me, however I did enjoy the badge thing about brownies/guides (got a competitive streak a mile wide and a mother who thinks no-one should ever be loser or winner!).

On the whole, it was the pootling around on bombsites, down on the shore or in our back gardens that I enjoyed the most.

[thegardener]

i tried ballet but didn't really like it so joined the brownies instead. i think i played netball a bit at primary too and at high school also had loads of time just playing, ridding on my bike with friends, making dens, hanging around with friends etc.
looking back wish i'd of done maybe more organsied things whilst at high school but probably had hw and didn't really want to then.

i'd let your child decide really, then if they are doing to much and are tired perhaps cut back.

[sunnysideup]

good question. Looking back, it was free time by a long way....but I had two passions, gymnastics and ballet, and I loved having formal lessons for those. So I think it is a balance but it should be 70% free, 30% organised imho.

[DimpledThighs]

did piano, brownies, gymnastics, choir erm.. can't remember what else.

I liked it but also liked playing with my friends - I very much went with the flow nad had fun whatever.

[christywhisty]

I only did swimming, being christened greek orthodox my mother thought I wouldn't be allowed in the brownies. I spent a lot of time playing out doors with friends on our bikes, which my daughter does now as we live in a cul de sac where all the children play out.
She has spent 2 hours playing out then gone off to cubs (she is a brownie as well).

[rarrie]

I'd deffo say both. I started ballet at 3 and always had a class or hobby. The rule in our family was that we did something - mum never minded what, but we had to have a hobby / sport or some sort of activity. Needless to say I tried everything - from Karate to tap! Some I have very fond memories of, and others I didn't last at too long!

I also enjoyed my free time with friends, being out and about, but for me, looking back the best times were the times I spent with family - days out together (until I became a stroppy teenager!)

[unknownrebelbang]

Only organised activity I attended was Brownies, followed by Guides.

My boys, imo, tend to do too many organised activities, but are still clamouring for more. When they're not at an activity though, they tend to get free-reign to try to keep a balance.

[Hulababy]

Only organised activity I did was Brownies, and then Guides. Those stopped when I was about 12. Spent most of my free time with friends or family.

[Elibean]

Free time without a doubt.

Though agree organized things more important by teens than they were before.

Still, hanging out with my mates more memorable than Junior Red Cross or Film Club.

[southeastastra]

i think a bit of both, i did loads of activities, i especially liked disco on saturdays .

in the holidays, though, i loved to be free all day

[mountaingirl]

As a child I did ballet for a bit, even irish dancing at one point in my infancy. I went to Brownies (I liked the uniform but remember little else), detested guides and lasted one session. I had riding lessons for about a year which I loved but was forced to stop when my father died, piano also for a year but had to give up when we moved. I have very fond memories of my friend and I plus her siblings and my sister all roller skating, bike riding and getting up to mischief. I had swimming lessons at school but spent the summers unsupervised mucking about in a municipal pool. I regret that my unsporting family didn't get me enrolled in proper sports, learning to play tennis as an adult has been hard, and it is particularly annoying as we had a tennis club up the road.
I believe that children should learn sports from an early age and that it will be something that will be carried on into adulthood. I see my husband who learnt to sail, play tennis, football, rugby, rowing, skiing, riding, gymnastics, the list goes on.. to be an all round very good sportsman (mind you I am a better rider than him!).
All my 3 dc are learning to do proper sports so they can carry those on to adulthood We are lucky that we live in an enviroment where it is encouraged. They ski, they x-country ski, they ice-skate, they play ice hockey, once the snow goes they get involved in summer activities like they swimming, playing tennis, mountain biking and riding as well as mountain walks. I just hope they appreciate it when they are older. They also have time to play with their friends, muck about on their bikes and be children.

[MuffinMclay]

At primary age I was forced to do swimming lessons, Brownies, and lots of church activities. I hated them all, and it put me off organised activities for life.
I'm sure they have a role if they are the right ones, and the child has some interest in doing them. I wanted to do ballet as a child but that one was vetoed.

[woodstock3]

at various ages brownies (expelled ), piano lessons (years and years of them, but all i can play now is theme tune from the wombles), ballet (rubbish at it). my dad taught me tennis and i had creative writing classes outside school.
but the happiest memories i have are of mucking about in the garden, going out on our bikes, making dens, tormenting the dog, a garden shed that my dad turned into a wendyhouse and endless games i made up with my sister.
the one thing that was v useful and i will make my DCs do is swimming classes - at least stopped me drowning....also maybe teach them to ski, so they dont have to learn like i did at 30 when it is deeply humiliating being overtaken by french 2yos.

[newgirl]

my happiest memory is playing along the old railway near our house

but I did enjoy more organized things and am very grateful for the swimming and dance lessons - they have given me fun and confidence throughout my life

i also loved brownies and remember getting my hostess badge with great pride!! it also led to being in the venture scouts and my only chance to meet boys!!!

my brother did chess club very young and it was one of the things he says gave him confidence when he found school hard due to dyslexia - he also loved cubs/scouts and gave him a huge sense of confidence and lots of mates

[KnayedFrot]

I founbd organized activities quite stressful when I was primary age. I did dancing, brownies and swimming.

Swimming i dreaded, at brownies I was a bit bullied and dancing was fine, I enjoyed it.

So for me, at that age, free time was better, really, although I don;t have many memories of just "playing".

My best memories are of doig things togetehr as a family - walks, going to the beach, holidays, picnics etc etc.

[hana]

organized activites when I was little were only for the super rich, they just didn't exist, apart from the bog standard brownies and swimming lessons, both of which I did and enjoyed., di dmore organised things in highschool (clubs and sports)
agreewith yoiu thoouhg (coffeepot ) there's a good balance to strike I think

[aimingforthesky]

I did brownies and girls Brigade as a child. Lived in the country with no transport for a long while. My dds have a much wider choice but enjoy 'playing out' on a sunny day as much as I did! My 11yr old is in school choir and has really enjoyed having fun singing. It is voluntary after school and they only have a half hour a week to practise. They are in a competition on radio6 with a Queen song at present - please vote for them (Old Mill Broughton AStley)

www.bbc.co.uk/6music/shows/natasha/hardchoral.shtml

[MadamePlatypus]

My mum never organised any of this for me - I tried to join the brownies at 7 - went for one session with a friend, and for some reason my mum never took me again. I was always supposed to be learning to play the flute, have a riding lesson, whatever at some vague time in the future, which never arrived. As a result, I am learning the piano and tennis in adulthood.

[Gemtubbs]

I just liked playing with friends and going out on our bikes. I did Brownies for a bit, didn't really like it and was a bit bullied there. Loved horse riding but couldn't afford to go every week. Sometimes just liked playing indoors. We had the occasional day out which was nice, but for the most part I prefered to be left to my own devices. Love Gem.xXx