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Extra-curricular activities

Do badges motivate children?

5 replies

KateDavis · 25/05/2013 15:47

My daughter starts school in September so I'm in the process of rearranging her sport classes. We've also moved house recently so I'm looking into nearer classes.

She currently does gymnastics at the leisure centre that was just down the road from our old house. She has got her badge 8 and is currently working towards her badge 7. It is 30 minutes away from our new house so it will be a rush after school.

There is a gym club 15 minutes away that may have space for her in September. This is specialist club as it does classes every night and has more advanced equipment such as foam pit under the bars. When we discussed what time she should go I said she was working for her badge 7 and they told me they don't do the badges.

This has thrown me a bit and I don't feel as enthusiastic for her to start there. I can see reasons not to do badges because I assume they'll focus on what the children want rather than what is on the checklist, but as we've started on the badges I assumed we'd continue with them. Is this a Mum thing, or do children like working towards badges?

OP posts:
BackforGood · 25/05/2013 16:05

Some do, some don't. It's very individual.
I have to admit, I thought you would be talking about 8 yr olds
Pre-school seems very young to be doing anything other than having fun though, tbh.

lljkk · 25/05/2013 16:37

I wouldn't decide which club on basis of badges or not.
Otherwise yes it tends to motivate most, but not as important as other factors.

EvilTwins · 25/05/2013 22:46

IME, the badges aren't dealt with consistently anyway. My DTDs are 6 and have just finished badge 5 in gymnastics. Their club is pretty rigorous and they love it- they work on small-sized equipment and have made massive progress whilst really enjoying themselves. A friend's DD, who is 7, has (allegedly) completed all badges bar badge, but she's been doing gym as long as my girls and is definitely not miles ahead in terms of ability. Also, my niece does trampolining, but has been awarded the same badges as my girls despite her club having no gymnastics equipment at all, other than the trampolines. My point is that the badges are not the be all and end all. It's more important that you like the club. My sister, my friend and I are all happy with where our daughters go- they're all yr 2 and all enjoy themselves but clearly there are no hard and fast rules about badges- I've never seen a moderator there, so I assume the British Gymnastics people trust individual clubs to award badges as they see fit.

EvilTwins · 25/05/2013 22:47

Friend's DD has done all badges except number 1.

nightingalefloor · 26/05/2013 17:28

I've never heard of badges in gymnastics, nor has DD, aged 8. She absolutely loves gymnastics and has never needed any motivation other than wanting to do it because she enjoys it.

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