What time do your children go to Rainbows / Beavers?

[elevenplusdilemma]

We're starting a new Rainbows unit and the meetings will be held on a weekday from 6-7pm. Initial feedback is that it's too late for the youngest girls (they start at age 5).
The problem is finding volunteer adults that could do an earlier time; realistically 6pm is the earliest we can start for those who have to get home from work and have enough time to set up the activities etc.
TBF, when my children were that age, bath / bedtime started at 6-6:30 so I do understand.
Would this time be too late for your 5/6/7 year olds?

It depends what day I think. My youngest is 4 and goes to Rainbows from 5.15 -6.15 on Mondays. Is is late as she goes straight from after school club so when we get home we still have to do tea, Reading, bath etc.

My son is 6 and goes to beavers on Fridays which is 6-7pm. That's fine as it's the weekend and he's a little bit older.

Our local unit runs from 6.15pm - 7.15pm, and has never had a problem getting girls to attend. There are even some 4 year olds in the group.

It will be on a Tuesday or Wednesday, so mid-week

I should have also added the group runs on a Tuesday night, and has a waiting list.

I think if you open the group you'll be surprised at how many attend. It's a very cheap activity compared to other clubs, and although the time might put some off, there will still be plenty who want to join.

Our rainbow group is 6-7 on a Thursday. We have 4 year olds. It works well for us. We wouldnt be able to do it any earlier as we can't have the hall and our leaders all work.

My DD is 5 and we have swimming lesson 6-6.40pm. It’s not ideal, but it was the only spot they had and it’s been fine.

We get home about 7.15 and she goes straight to bed

I'd take my 4 year old 6-7, but I'm still wfh so would have time to feed her beforehand. Home, teeth and bed and leave bath until the day after in the winter I think.

My local one is 6-7.

Our Beavers is 5.30-7pm, Wednesday (as is Cubs on a Tuesday)

DD1 did 5.30-6.30 at hers, but stayed until 7pm for when I finished Cubs
DD2 did 5.30-7pm at hers

We do beavers on a Tuesday and it's 6 -7.30.

To add... I don't like the 5.30 start. Means dinner at 4.30 or 7.30.

My 6 year old goes to rainbows 5.45-6.45. I don’t have a problem with the time, my only issue is they give them cakes ALL the time & she doesn’t sleep!

6-7pm - it is on the late side for us, but our 6 year old is an early bird. He copes but if I could choose a time, I would prefer slightly earlier

Beavers is 1830-1945. Been going since he was 6

Ours is 6-7
I usually feed dd beforehand (though it is a rush) then afterwards it’s just a story to wind down then straight to bed

Beavers 6-7. I think we’d struggle to get there much earlier, (and I finish work at 3.30. No chance if I worked full time). And yes, you’ll struggle to get volunteers earlier.
It is on the late side for the youngest ones, but it just is what it is.

Another Rainbows that runs 6-7 on Thursdays. No one has ever raised the time as an issue.

The rainbow unit we run is at 6-7pm and we have 4 year olds attending. You can tell the girls get tired/ emotional sometimes especially towards end of term etc, but we're never short of numbers.
Do check that there's no other nearby groups running same night as that might affect have many you get signing up.

Our Beavers (age 6 & 7) is 615 to 715

Squirrels (age 4 & 5) is 5-6pm

And we have huge waiting lists for both.

I should add she does a different club 5-6 and that’s far more tricky to work dinner around and means a later bedtime

For our eldest I wouldn’t have considered it but for our youngest who is up later anyway because of oldest activities/just general house stuff it would be be fine. He does beavers 520-630 now and I’d prefer the 600 start as he could eat dinner before he goes.

Rainbows was 4.30-5.30, it meant I had to get a gp to pick them up that day and take them otherwise they wouldn't have been able to go as usually in ASC.

Beavers is 6-7 here, it will depend on the child I guess, my kids were in breakfast club, after school club and still managed football training or Beavers at 6. Takes a lot to tire mine out 🙈

6-7 would be too late for my little DD. I like to be home by 6.