Do your reception age children do any after school classes/activities?

[Sparrowlegs248]

DS1 starts school this week. Since he was a baby, we have been swimming once a week, on a weekday morning. We won't be able to do this now he's starting school so I'm looking into swimming lessons for him, many are at after school times or Saturday mornings. He goes to his dad's on Sundays so Saturday will be his 1 day at hone with me.

I'm just wondering if it's going to be too much to add a swimming lesson in. He already gets quite tired, and is only just 4. Yet I think lots of children do other activities, just not sure what age they start in general.

My ds is about to start reception and he is youngest of 3. I never do any activities with them till year 1. It’s just such a step up for them they really need no e tea demands on them.

Swimming lesson (half hour a week)

my DS only did swimming during the week and tennis at weekends. Anymore and it would have been too much.

DD1 got very tired. She had swimming and I think drama at the weekends but nothing after school until the third term.
DD2 is starting reception tomorrow, she’s currently signed up for 2 after school clubs plus weekend swimming and I think she’ll be fine (though the clubs are free so can drop if not fine).
It really depends on the child.
I don’t think after school swimming lessons are likely to be very productive for almost any child, fun swimming might be ok then but not a lesson.

DD started doing after school things in, I think, her second term of reception. School never really tired her out so she was fine.

Didn't do anything with DC1 until he was older. He's quite a low energy child.

DC2 is starting reception next week and I've got a few activities for her..... she needs them (a year at full time pre school didn't slow her down) DC1 is fine for clubs now.

OP, I'd say sign your DC up to swimming on a Mon or Tues after school to free up your Saturday

Thanks. The swimming club has a waiting list so it may not be til after Christmas that he can start, and actually dc2 will be old enough to start in the spring so I might leave it til they can both go. And maybe swim once a fortnight just to keep it up, I've winter. He's so confident and enjoys swimming, and I don't want to lose that.

@Crunchymum thanks, that's what I was thinking.

DS is one of the youngest in his year and we moved swimming to 4pm on a week night when he was in reception. Mainly because I didn't want it clogging up a weekend day. He doesn't do any other activities but some in his class were doing a lot more after school stuff.

DS is an August born. late August too. He does after school swimming on a Monday, multi sports club at school on a Wednesday and local cricket club training on a Friday, plus the local park run on a Sunday. It’s not too much for him, he’s an active child and prefers running about to watching TV.

Thinking about it, many children will be at after school clubs, childminders etc until parents finish work, so I don't suppose a half hour swimming lesson will be too bad once a week. I work part time, for which I am incredibly grateful. There's only 1 Night that they won't get home til 6.30pm.

My DD is starting school this week and she does gymnastics and swimming. She's been swimming since she was 2.5 and it's non negotiable, as a life skill. I would let her drop gymnastics if she wanted to, it's more for fun at her age.

My youngest dd is about to start reception and does swimming on a Friday and used to do ballet Friday afternoon but this is moving to a Saturday morning . My eldest dd did the sale at this age and was fine .

My dc did swimming and ballet after school in reception. They were ok as long as they had something to eat between school and the activity.

Mine got MORE energy and louder when they started Reception... sorry to tell you! I was hoping and waiting for the exhausted quiet kids flumping out to sleep dead early and I got a paint covered kid bouncing off the walls!

During Reception year I think mine did swimming lessons on a weekend, dancing on a weekend and one day after school and Rainbows into the mix as well midway through the year and coped fine.

Mine carried on with gymnastics and swimming.

To be honest it didn't seem to make a difference.

I just found having pyjama mornings/days at the weekends useful as he just wanted to play with his toys at the weekend

Ds3 is 5.6 & just about to start Year 1. He only did swimming lessons after school last year (on Wednesdays). However, as he has 2 older brothers & only me at home with them while DH works, he also watched their swimming lessons & came with me on Beavers/Cubs/Scout runs & after-school club pick-ups, meaning that 3/5 evenings we were not at home until 6.30pm & sometimes back out later than that (Cubs pick up is 8.15). So he went to bed 8-8.30pm. He was fine with it.

This year he wants to do 2 afterschool clubs (at school) plus swimming lessons & he'll start Beavers in February (after his birthday).

When DS was in reception we found he was too tired of an afternoon, so we kept swimming to a Saturday morning. As he got older the school offered various after school clubs sports/arts&crafts/music so he went to those. DD starts next week so we are going to do the same and see how it goes.
We walk home from school through the park so we often stop off there for 15 mins.