So how many extra-curricular activities does your 6 year old do?

[gamescompendium]

Me and my friend's DC do very different numbers of extracurricular activities. I don't want to overburden the DC with too many different activities, nor do I want to deny them the chance to try out different skills at an age where it's still possible to do so.

So, what's the average number of activities a MN child does each week?

[flowery]

DS1 is just 7. He does violin lessons, and plays in a junior string group, they are both on a Saturday morning. He also does piano lessons at home. He did do French club after school one afternoon a week until they stopped it. He wants to start football club from September, which I'm fine with.

[Kerberos]

DS does Karate, swimming, beavers so 3

[Watercolourfootballs]

I have 2 six year olds. One does 3 activites and one does 4 but this doesn't include Sunday school.

They'd both like to do another 2 next year but we're carefully considering this as we don't want them to be too over loaded without any free play time.

[simpson]

DD (6) does beavers on a Monday, tennis (after school club which is free & 1hour on a Wednesday & karate also on a Wednesday (unfortunately!)

DS (8) does karate on Wednesday, cubs on Thursday, rounders (after school & free) on a Friday, youth club on a Friday 6.30-7.30, football training Saturday morning & a match on a Sunday morning.

[Tanfastic]

My ds is six and has swimming club on a Monday and Beavers on a Thursday. I think this is enough, we'd never fit in homework/bath time/teatime if he did much more.

[AstonishingMouse]

6 year old does 1. 8 year old does 2, when he was 6 he sometimes did 1 and sometimes none.
Mine are still often tired after school. There is still lots of time for them to try out new skills.
Actually, there is still lots of time for me to try out new activities never mind my 6 year old.

[IWalkInTheSun]

Astonishing, well said! There IS still lots of time for US to try new things.

In response to op, my 6yo does two. My 8yo three but one is at home and I am the teacher. It is the right amount for them atm. They are tired but they also like to cone home and play with each other, with me, with friends, go to the park etc. i need remindind as I suffer from the "i want to try everything" syndrome but sometimes it just so nice to chill.

[lecherrs]

My seven year old does two hobbies + a musical instrument.

She learns the violin in school, and practises for 5 mins most mornings before school.

Hobby 1 she does competitively and does 6 hours a week as part of a squad and 1.5 hours for fun.

Hobby 2 she does for 1.5 hours for fun.

For us, she does hobbies afterschool three afternoons and both mornings at the weekends.

She doesn't get tired and copes well.

[cosmicstardust]

My (just) seven year old does jazz dancing and ballet. Both are hour long classes but she practices a lot at home, because she wants to. She has her lessons at an aerobic gymnastics club (kind of a cross between dancing and 80s aerobics videos) and would like to try that and ice skating, but she's only been going for a few weeks so we're holding her off.

[Wafflenose]

Mine has just turned 6. She has a cello lesson during the week, and ballet and swimming on Saturdays. That's it, unless you count recorder, which she does with me.

[melissa83]

Dd is 6 and is at club every day until 5 except one day. She has a tutor, and goes to a 3 hour drama class a week. She goes to the park with friends and no adults, and plays in peoples houses

[nonicknameseemsavailable]

well the year DD1 was 5-6 she did 1 activity (rainbows) which seemed perfect really and I anticipated her 6-7 year being the same BUT then DDs discovered dancing. SO
DD1 is now 6.5 and does Rainbows, 2 sessions of dancing (2.5hrs in total), swimming and drama.
DD2 is 5 and does Rainbows, 1.5hrs dancing (shortly to go up to 2.5hrs), swimming and drama.

I think it is way too much but they love it. swimming will be stopping in a few weeks because they have learned to swim so it will just become an adhoc trip to the pool rather than lessons and DD1 is going up to Brownies which she might not like as much and DD2 isn't convinced she likes Rainbows yet so may stop that anyway. They LOVE their dancing and drama though and to be honest would happily do that every day after school.

I find it a nightmare, remembering who has to be where and when and making sure all the right things are ready and getting them there, especially with 2 to coordinate and also fitting in reading and school work etc as well as Language therapy homework but I suppose they are learning to be organised with getting things done so that they can go to their activities.

[lljkk]

um (shuffles nervously): none?
Had to take a break from swimming a few months ago & isn't interested in anything else. My boys have never done many activities. DD more than made up for the lads.

[weebarra]

DS1 currently does a ball games class on a Tuesday and a football one on a Saturday. He was doing taekwondo and swimming but then I was diagnosed with cancer and couldn't commit to taking him every week. My treatment finishes soon so life should get back to normal.

[sixlive]

Mine have to do one musical instrument in year 1 and their second in year 3 and at least two sports outside school. I think music and sport bring huge benefits. I know many can't afford it which is a shame.

[5madthings]

Ds4 (6) does kung fu twice a week and swimming is during school time.

He sees friends or has someone round once a week.

School is a two Mile walk home so after playing in the playground for a bit or stopping at park on way hone its often 4:30-5 by the time we are home.

So twice weekly activities is fine.

It all depends on the child.

[moonbells]

DS (6.5) does cricket (Sundays), swimming (Weds) and Beavers (Fridays), and learns a musical instrument at school so he practices for about 10 mins a night if I nag him and during one after school club there's an organised session of something or other instead of free play.

I wouldn't be happy with him doing anything else though, since he's in after school club most days and getting home late would mean he was permanently tired. Thursdays is bad enough after swimming.

[moonbells]

*Thursdays are

(Dearie me! I'll lose my pedant badge today if I'm not careful!)

[xihha]

DD is nearly 6, she does 2, Rainbows and Ballet, but wants to add Recorder, French club and Football when she goes into year 1, which I will probably let her do.

[Elsiequadrille]

5 year old does 5 activities; ballet (X2 as she goes to two different ballet schools teaching different syllabi), gymnastics, swimming, modern dance, tap dancing.

7 year old only does three activities; ballet (again at two ballet schools), gymnastics and tap, but does more hours; approx 15 hours in total.

10 year old also does 5 activities; ballet, tap, modern, gymnastics and Scouts.

They also do workshops and holiday camps. They really enjoy the activities and would do more if I let them; though I find it tiring I must say!

[Tapamino]

My 6 year old does Stagecoach on Sat (1.5 hrs) which my mum kindly funds and church run craft group during the week(1 hour).
Would like her to do more e.g swimming/instrument but just not able to fund it at the moment.

Cant grumble cos she loves Saturdays and seems so tired after school, homework etc that I'm not sure she could cope with anything else at the moment. Also spends some time in the park, on the way home from school with her friends, so has loads of fun & exercise.

[IwishIwasmoreorganised]

My just 6 year old does beavers and swimming. He also did rugby during the winter but that has stopped for now.

[MrsMot]

Rugby, tennis, swimming and Beavers.

[Swoosg]

Swimming. She was doing French and drama at the start of the year but she dropped both. She'd stop swimming if I'd let her. She'd much rather hang out at home.

[FiveHoursSleep]

DS is 6. He does Beavers, swimming and piano out of school and does an afterschool sports club as well.
This isn't a lot but he has three older sisters and I do find myself providing quite the taxi service!