If you grew up in the 80s/early 90s. Did you do extra curricular activities?

I did Brownies and later Guides, violin lessons, Saturday morning music school and youth choir.

I played badminton at the weekend but apart from that, no. I wanted piano lessons but for some reason wasn't allowed. At some point I started to go 'on and on' about it and my dad begrudgingly sent me to the cheapest teacher he could find, who must have been born in about 1883 and told me that lessons were pointless because a) my bones were already grown and b) I didn't have a piano to practice on. So that was short-lived.

Other kids I knew did horse riding, violin, netball... I always felt like such an outsider.

Yes in the 80s/early 90s I did brownies/guides and music lessons on two instruments. I remember plenty of girls in my class did ballet or other dance classes too.

My parents made us do swimming (sensible) then we got to do 1 other activity too

I did brownies and trampolining -but not at the same time

1980s and yes. Swimming, brownies, guides and fencing

I grew up in the 70s and 80s and did zillions of activities. It was a very middle class thing I think but not unusual.

I was born in 1981. My sibling and I did weekly swimming, dance, piano and an orchestral instrument. We both played team sports through school, with matches on Saturday mornings. In the school holidays we sometimes did things like a week-long sports activity - football, canoeing etc.

Very similar to my own children now, really.

I was a teen in the 80’s, in the late 70’s I had gym club for times per week, country dancing and Brownies. I did various other clubs for maybe half a term such as photography as that was all you were allowed to do as it was popular. I did recorder club but didn’t join the orchestra as gym club took up a lot of my evenings.
In the school holidays I’d sign up for various things such as week long tennis courses. When I was a teen myself and all my neighbours walked to a secondary school a couple of miles away and did activities such as trampolining and badminton, this was during the six week holidays .
From a young age I went swimming a lot but I didn’t do in a club or swimming lessons. When I was about 9 I’d get the bus, swim 60 lengths and come back home with the mile badge. I also did brass rubbings in a library that was next door to the swimming pool.
I lived on a very deprived council estate and the school received extra funding to provide lots of clubs.
I has a lot of freedom and remember buying a red bus rover tickets for 75p when I was in my last year at primary school and going with various friends into central London, walking around Covent Garden and going to the museums. I did this in my teens too but I’d go on the train.
I was always doing something reading, sewing, making outfits out of old curtains and patchwork cushions, pressing flowers etc.
My DM was a young teen mum herself and really into education, she encouraged me to do lots of activities in and out of the house.

Nope. Nothing. And neither did anyone I knew. Just got home, put TV on (back in the day that kids TV was on from 3 til about 6). It was bloody brilliant 😅 still managed to turn in to a decent human being although I can't play a musical instrument, don't know any ballet moves etc.

I find it so weird that kids do so much nowadays (including my own!) it's just kind of expected.

I do regret not learning the piano. Always wanted to learn that.

Brownies until I got too old and they kicked me out 🤣 didn’t want to go to guides as was scared of the older kids.

We didn’t have a car and lived in a village so only other activity was going to Sunday school, even though we were a house of non-believers.

I read a lot but it would have been nice to develop a skill or pastime (I still don’t really do anything other than read in my downtime)

I grew up in the 70s and 80s. I attended Brownies for a little while but I never enjoyed it and left after about a year. No other activities, one of four siblings and my parents wouldn’t or couldn’t pay for anything. I would have liked to have learnt a musical instrument, maybe piano.

Yes I did ballet and gymnastics and horse riding and netball. I also had music lessons for 2 instruments and was in a choir.oh! And brownies!

Good question about if you still do hobbies as an adult.
I still like swimming which I was good at, but don’t go much really, time and other excuses.
From the flip side though, I wasn’t encouraged to do anything and as I said about the self limiting mentality of things “not bring for us” is something I’ve had to work hard to overcome. I’m still shy, still reserved about social and group activities, still feel silly and can’t dance and feel anxious and tend to keep people at arm’s length. I’ve done all sorts to be proud of and tried things that are more individual, but that unsure child is still inside me.
My children on the other hand are more comfortable in their own skin, have good social skills, and are generally pretty secure. I don’t think it’s so much that they will be the next Darcey Bussell more than the innate confidence and sense of belonging, teamwork, self discipline and commitment that hobbies bring. They might not continue them but they have fun and develop soft skills and cultural capital along the way.

Born in '73 i did Horseriding, Brownies, Guides, Irish Dancing, Ballet & Modern. Riding was my main love.

Most seemed to stop when I was about 15 when I didn't think they were cool anymore. I was an idiot and very much regret not continuing them now.

Due to family circumstances I don't get much time but I enjoy the countryside/my local National Park/walking and local history.

I played a lot of netball aged 9-13. Lots of matches outside of school time.

I did Brownies and guides. Hated that we had to go to church so left that.

Joined the Woodcraft Folk for a bit which was fun.

None of this was arranged by my parents. I just joined with friends.

Brownies and gymnastics when I was around 7 - 9ish. Then a lot of school clubs once I got to secondary age (because they were all free).

Yes, not lots as I grew up in a single parent household. I remember doing brownies, it was 50p a week and I also remember doing swimming lessons (late 80's)

Great question. No not those things but I do things, member of a choir, in a book club, go to a yoga class - I’m always doing classes and joining clubs. I’ve always been “busy” and I like that routine.

as a kid, in the 1980’s, I did tennis, swimming, drama, ballet, brownies, guides, learnt various instruments. Very ordinary family and everything was local - nothing would have been very expensive. I couldn’t play out with kids were I lived so the hobbies were my social life.

Actually I was never that good at drama even though I did it for years age 7 to 18. It helped that our drama teacher never cast the same excellent people in the top roles and we all got a fare stab at everything.

I also did the set designs and brochures as my art was quite good and it was my drama teacher who told me I’d make a good architect.
Needless to say that’s exactly what I studied at Uni and now am.

In terms of the irish dancing I wasnt great but loved the music so I taught myself piano accordion ( my parents couldn’t afford music lessons ) and I now play in an Irish band.

One thing often leads to another in a roundabout way.

JackNoMiddleNameReacher

That is really interesting and helpful.

My kids do quite a few although DC1 has started to drop some of them.
We have spent tens of thousands and I've often wondered if they are worth it. I was never hoping for them to be at the top of their field but if I'm truthful I hoped they'd find something they would enjoy and be good at. Although they run happily into their clubs, they aren't particularly good at any of them. They're old enough now to realise this. Never sure whether to keep going or not to the ones they moan about going to but come out beaming?

Can I ask at what age did you stop doing them?
What hobbies do you have now?

Yes for years

Piano lessons, violin lessons, gymnastics, choir, netball, swimming...

I was very shy but drama definitely helped.
I still stress about some social situations but Ive travelled abroad alone and went to work in Hong Kong and study in the US without knowing anyone.
Im happy to join clubs and always have, I don’t need to know anyone and don’t feel the need to be in a crowd.
I think drama gave me confidence, independence and a sense of self worth that I didn’t really get at home.

I was born in 66 but I am still in no doubt it was drama and particularly the drama teacher who gave me the confidence to be who I am.

Brownies
Drama club
Irish dancing