Ballet or keyboard?

Eh? The child is FOUR.

Either would be a fun hobby for a little kid, the OP isn't having to decide on their future career.

She's very young at 4 for keyboard...the hands aren't big or strong enough....it usually started year 2 or 3 for that reason. Tbh I'd wait and see... she will be very tried and just want time at home.

Why on earth the need to over schedule children this way. She's only 4!!
You only have one free afternoon with her and instead of some quality time, she needs to go to another activity after a full day of school?
What's wrong with baking , having some down time at home with you, going to the park, watching a movie at home?
She's 4 and you are rushing ahead worrying about university?

2 activities is plenty, school is a big transition so I’d leave it for now. She has plenty of time to chose for herself what she’d like to do. She’s 4! Enjoy time together after school.

Absolutely school is more exhausting. Remember in a nursery it's one room and a bit of outside free place - school is bigger, lots of outside time bla bla bla. Best piece of advice I got was limit weekend activities to allow for a lot of downtime (the weeks before Christmas are particularly brutal first term) and limit after school activities.

I disagree about learning piano. Mine started in reception and is Grade 3 by the time most kids do their first pre Grade 1 exam. If you think she might be too young try the app Simply Piano to see whether she gets into it and practices every day.

My youngest is nearly 13, but yes, Reception is much more tiring than nursery, even full time nursery.New people, new places, new rules,,new routines, more noise, more people, more routines, much more concentrating ... it's overwhelming and exhausting.

I would leave it a term at least. Maybe until spring.

4 is too young for piano anyway. Her hands won't stretch very far! Piano and ballet also involve more concentration than a Reception age child will have left after school. Music and Movement, some kind of "Rhythm Time", baby ballet type stuff maybe. Or on a weekend ??

DD had been doing baby "ballet" (skipping around with ribbons in a tutu) for a couple of years when she started school and she still found it exhausting after school. She was 5 in the first half term of school, so old in her cohort. She gave up most extra curriculars at this point actually, except for swimming (on Saturdays). By the end of Y2, she was playing football, cricket and piano, still going strong 5 years later.

I think just spending time with your tiny 4 year old, an evening with mummy, her favourite person in the world, to read, eat, play or chill will be a lot more beneficial than twatting about on a keyboard or twirling round in a tutu. She's 4 OP.

I’m going to disagree with everyone else who has said that reception is more tiring than nursery - mine was at nursery 8.30-6 and coped absolutely fine with reception and had lots of energy left. She did swimming, ballet and rainbows at that age. Not a problem at all. I’d choose ballet over keyboard at 4. As others have said, hands will be too small, and you will need to practice. Mine started piano at 7 (and it was available at school, you might have similar). Mine still loves ballet (& it has indeed expanded to tap and street), great for discipline, fitness, performance and confidence. But lots who started at the same time no longer do it (do other things instead).

Ballet has no resemblance to prancing around in a tutu.

She's 4 - when does she get to play?

I think there are benefits to both.

I don't think she is too young for music; I started piano at 4 y/o and went on to continue it through A'levels. I was no music prodigy or anything but I did well enough with it and enjoyed it. I understood it fine at 4 y/o, but to be fair I had been picking out tunes off TV etc on our piano on my own for a while at that point. Some people get it some don't - you won't know unless she tries.

I wouldn't write it off because of her age though. I would, however, go more for piano than keyboard unless the keyboard you have at home is full size and has proper weighted keys.

Obviously learning music is worthwhile and learning to read music even more so. Piano is good for hand coordination and is just a nice instrument to learn. Often makes learning other instruments easier as well.

Ballet - again, great for coordination as well as general strength, tone, posture etc... all of which she can carry into life. It has a lot of discipline too. It is not pointless at all.

You don't always have to do things with a view to becoming a ballet star or global pianist etc, the key is to enjoy it and see where it goes, if anywhere. So she might change her mind or not like it - but the point is, at 4, she CAN try different things and see what she takes to. Nearly every person who ever became a major success in a sport or music or dance etc... simply went along to a class - mostly as a young child - to have a go, and they just fell in love with it and/or discovered they had an aptitude for it.

I wouldn't necessarily give up drama - it is something that builds confidence in kids

Why does she have to do something?

Yes it is! My daughter was absolutely drained in year R and also did nursery full time. plus they catch loads of illnesses. Don't add anymore activities!

Music! Ballet is pointless… in fact get her into a team sport - football, cricket, basketball, netball… anything but prancing around in a tutu

Keyboard!! Based on the size of the global music industry compared to the global ballet scene, you're more likely to be bringing up the next Dr Dre than the next Darcy Bussell :-)

@earpods R&R - rest and relaxation, she needs downtime it's important for her to process things.

Ballet and musical instrument grades count for uni when you hit the grades 6, 7 and 8. However she would have to love it to get to that stage and we are talking about a 4 year old pre ballet class. If she went on to anything at that level she would be having several classes multiple times a week or extensive homework practise.

The activities you / she chooses at 4 aren't her activities forever, most children will be able to progress at a recreational - county level of most things but the vast majority aren't going to set the world ablaze or become Olympians. Choose activities she enjoys with transferable skills.

My DD has done ballet, street, modern, acro, drama, singing, musical theatre, tennis, bushcraft, swimming lessons competitive swimming, diving, synchro, bushcraft, watersports, drum lessons and rugby but not all at the same time and each has leant skills to the next in its own way. Now in her teens we prioritise rugby and free time for homework and friends.

Leave the slot free. Reception is more tiring than nursery, lots to get used to, and less opportunity for her just to play as it is all about getting her ready for formal learning. It will be nice to have that evening where you have no plans and can chill out or do whatever. She has plenty of time to learn keyboard or ballet when she is a little older.

It would also mean that you have capacity for playdates if she starts having any in reception.

Not keyboard, if at all, piano but it' better to wait till she's 6/7 with any musical instrument unless you are a musical family and know what you're doing.

Ballet could be fun but I'd sign your dd up for rainbows so that she can make new friends. Some may go to her school and others could be out of school friends. If you sign up to help with the sessions, she'd get a place quickly.

If she starts an instrument later, remember piano makes a nice sound from the beginning but gets quite hard and a bit boring later on as it's a solitary activity. I'd suggest to try out lots of different orchestral instruments and chose the one she likes best.

She is 4 and already has 2 'hobbies'. kids need downtime. Why do some parents feel the need to fill every bloody free minute with lessons? I would do neither!

to consider uni at this point is madness. She is a very young child and not a 'project'.

Don't think about uni at age 4.

Let her try different things and have different experiences and find out what she likes.

Maybe she'd rather play football than do ballet.

Seriously, it’s not worth thinking about ballet or piano grades for university. Only a few unis will accept them under a points system. My dd is a professional ballet dancer and didn’t start dance lessons until eight.

She is 4? Just let her be at home and play with her toys and play games with you!
University is not something to worry about right now.

I agree with @parietal . I only mentioned it because that’s the stage one of mine is at now so it’s relevant 13 years on, but it absolutely wasn’t important when they’re 4. Just pick what they enjoy and let them have time to play.

don't think about things like university entry when your child is only 4. Not many of these things officially count for university unless you are at a very high level or applying for music / dance at uni.

i'd do neither activity and give the child a chance to chill out at home with you and do drawing / craft / games / lego etc. school is very intense at that age and kids need time to chill out.

re-visit the issue in 2 or 3 years time and see if there is space for another activity when your child is a bit older. she has plenty of time to learn.

Neither in the first term of Reception. It’s exhausting and often totally overwhelming for them. Leave it at least a term, there is no rush.