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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

How many after school activities did YOU do at primary age?

63 replies

Hulababy · 17/09/2008 20:20

Just reading through another thread and I am suprised at how many activities some young children do. I ahve no idea how people fit them all in and their children have time to play and relax.

But anyway - just wondered - do our children do more formal after school activities/weekend classes that we did when little?

When I was at primary I did one activitiy - Brownies.

OP posts:
SmugColditz · 21/09/2008 09:56

I did Badgers and I had keyboard lessons.

My brother didn't do anything (didn't want to) and my sister had guitar lessons.

ironically, my brother is now an extremely accomplished pianist who nevertheless cannot read music at all - and who still has to get me to tell him what note pieces start on. He is also a fantastic pencil artist, and actually has a girlfriend a a full time job (the only one out of the three to do this at this time)

madmummy4 · 21/09/2008 09:47

I did ballroom and latin for a bit until I got bored!
I used to do first aid at the Red Cross which my mum didn't mind as she thought I was getting something useful out of it and it was cheap.
Other than that I only went to the local youth club.

Scarletibis · 18/09/2008 20:22

Brownies, ballet, gymnastics and also Sunday school (even tho my parents weren't particularly religious )

cariboo · 18/09/2008 20:19

Forgot about btownies. that was good fun.

cariboo · 18/09/2008 20:18

Until ballet at 8, absolutely nothing.

bythepowerofgreyskull · 18/09/2008 20:14

I did
violin from age of 6
piano from age of 5
swimming from 5
ballet from 6
brownies.

Once I went to boarding school
I did
gymnastics
Piano
violin
wind band
swimming

mazzystar · 18/09/2008 20:11

ballet till i was six
gymnastics for a bit
brownies, sporadically
piano lessons
swimming lessons after school [got an early dart for that]
sunday school!
occasional drama workshop
not a lot of this overlapped though, was always a dilletante

mogs0 · 18/09/2008 20:07

I was just thinking I didn't really do anything after school then remembered all the things I actually went to!

Piano - hated it! Teacher used to smack her pencil across my knuckles when I got notes wrong!!
Friday club - Sunday school on a friday (I loved it!)
Brownies - loved that too.
County orchestra (violin) - not quite sure how this came about because I couldn't actually play the violin very well.
Pottery classes on a Saturday morning - this was, by far, my favourite!! I still have lots of plates/dishes that I made when I was 8!!!!

We lived in a tiny village but were lucky there were so many activities available. I don't think most of them are still running though.

castlesintheair · 18/09/2008 18:31

Swimming 5 nights a week
Ballet
Choir
Athletics (summer)
Brownies
Riding
Piano
Drama

Didn't seem much at the time. My DCs are extremely idle in comparison.

Tigerschick · 18/09/2008 18:25

Darn it, forgot about piano.

Tigerschick · 18/09/2008 18:25

Brownies
Ballet
Tap - but that was Saturday mornings
2 nights a week clubs run by the school, changed every term.
2 nights a week swimming but only from April to October.

Oh and school netball practice.

catweazle · 18/09/2008 18:23

brownies
ballet, tap, modern and National
piano
sunday school

I did loads more than my dcs

PrimulaVeris · 18/09/2008 18:12

Brownies - hated

Ballet - hated once initial love affair with tutus faded

Church youth club (from age 9) - brilliant

islandofsodor · 18/09/2008 18:11

I did piano lessons
School show during Autumn term
Choir
Sunday School (including church Eisteddofrd type competitions)
Brownies
Recorders

HeinzSight · 18/09/2008 18:05

Swimming Club (about 5 hours a week)
Brownies

ForeverOptimistic · 18/09/2008 18:05

Just Brownies.

Smithagain · 18/09/2008 18:03

Piano lessons from age 6ish.

Brownies from age 7 - then Guides at 10.

Violin lessons in school from age 8ish.

Sunday school.

Pollyanna · 18/09/2008 18:00

gymnastics in school, brownies, swimming, piano and drama out of school.

my chidren have have 2 after school clubs each (because they insist really)and piano and swimming on a saturday

Flier · 18/09/2008 17:56

was going to say no activities, but forgot about brownies, also did dancing but didn't like it. Did a kids club at the sport centre on a saturday morning.

EachPeachPearMum · 18/09/2008 17:54

Brownies
Ballet
Tap
Modern
Swimming
Piano
Gymnastics
School choir at lunchtime

It didn't feel like too much at the tie- I enjoyed them.

harpomarx · 18/09/2008 17:44

I was thinking about this too - it's not just primary school, is it? When dd was still 3 I knew kids going to ballet, gymnastics, swimming etc, etc.

I did ride quite a lot from about 6 or 7. Had piano lessons for a few years, tried ballet about twice, Brownies once. Oh, had swimming lessons because my mum was terrified of the water and was determined we wouldn't be. A few tennis lessons.

That sounds like quite a lot now I look at it, but I didn't feel like I was doing much, most of my after school activities involved playing in the garden or watching tv.

surreylady · 18/09/2008 17:39

Ballet and Brownies - hated ballet and gave up as soon as I could find a good excuse and tolerated brownies but manage to escape when it came to guides though

MrsMattie · 18/09/2008 17:19

I did ballet twice a week and 'girl's club' ( a kind of youth group) once a week.

lljkk · 18/09/2008 11:23

There's another thread about this somewhere, chat? I usually did one thing a week, varied what it was (1970s).

DontCallMeBaby · 18/09/2008 08:27

I did ballet for a while, not sure at what age.

I was a Brownie at one point, and after that I was a naval cadet for a while - not sure if that was late primary age or early secondary age though).

DH wants me to find DD a gymnastics class, but I've said no way is she doing THREE after school activities at just four, I want her to have friends round for tea, and go to friends for tea, and even play out with the kids next-door-but-one.

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