To ask how many hobbies your Primary age children do per week?

[MaryShelley1818]

DS is nearly 6 (Year 1) and does swimming one night a week and Karate one night.
DD is 2 (3 in a couple of months) and does "ballet" on a Saturday morning.

I go to all the hobbies while DH has the other child - he absolutely pulls his weight and does everything for us but I enjoy mixing with other parents and the social aspect more and he doesn't so both happy.

Last night I got an email from Scouts (Beavers) offering DS a place to start in January - he's keen to do this so I will of course facilitate it.

But....it feels like a lot. DD will start swimming lessons too next year and in time may choose other hobbies too. How do I do 3 each per week?? Or is this just normal life with kids.

For context - we both work full time, and also have very busy weekends - just family days out, swimming, parks etc

DS Y4 - swimming x 2, drums, running and cricket in the summer. Swimming is going to x3 in January.
DD Y1 - gymnastics and swimming and hockey in the summer.
I’ve said no to anymore for DS if he wants to swim this much. DD has space for one more and is angling to start the piano soon.

Two things a week is enough IMO. Lots of kids are over-programmed.

My almost 6 year old does 4 - swimming lesson, sports club (mixed sports and athletics), martial arts and art club.

We are very lucky though as two of them (martial arts and art) are after-school clubs organised by DC's school so I don't actually have to take DC to these, just pick them up later.

Thank you everyone...sounds totally normal then, and as people have pointed out swimming usually ends unless they compete, in fact DS will probably stop before DD starts in a years time.

Will just follow their lead and if they're happy and enjoy it will continue 😊

Dd6 in year 1 does 4 dance lessons a week from 9am to 1pm on Saturday.

DS3 (nursery) does one dance lesson midweek evening and one dance lesson on Saturday

Dd1 (almost 2) will probably start a dance lesson on midweek morning in new year

Dd15 does cadets 2 days a week. Also includes weekends and 2 weeks summer camp.

Dd10 does brownies, she has music lessons. We deliberately did these through the school though.

Ds6 use to do karate 2 days a week.

Dd3 does baby ballet once a week during school hours.

All do swimming lessons. We moved to private as it worked better then having them have lessons on different days. They just have lessons after each other now.

Yr6 - training (1.5hrs) 4 times a week, music lesson once a week, band once every two weeks. Matches at weekends - one every 2-3 weeks.
When Yr 1 did swimming, football and dance each once a week and DC1 had two activities a week (plus 2-3x therapy).

I'd say normal life. Try and get them into swimming at the same time/ one right after the other. Check which activities you think you can get to easily and offer those rather than a blank "what do you want to try out" until they're a bit older.

DD1 does 6 activities - 2 at weekends, 2 after school (on school site, so she finished at 4.20pm) and 2 after school (at other locations I take her to, so she gets home quite late). They keep her busy but she's fine with it, doing brilliantly at school and she's never been one to need to sleep early and still has plenty of time for free play as we live 5 mins from school and she doesn't need breakfast club or after school care, and or childcare during school holidays.

It depends very much on the individual child I think. It is quite tiring doing the ferrying around though (I have to bring a younger sibling along and also prepare their dinners to take out with us) so you might want to limit it as you work ft on top.

9 yo- disability swim team 1x week (increasing soon) and guides. She's autistic so that's plenty for her.

6yo- Woodcraft, plus one cycling club (road or bmx) a week. She also does 2x after school clubs, one athletics and one craft.

I'd like them to do some music as well but neither are that interested. DH doesn't drive so I end up with woodcraft and swim team, but I use the time by going for a run during woodcraft and swim when DD1 does. Luckily all of these are pretty cheap; they were doing horse riding but weren't that bothered and it was expensive and far away so we knocked it on the head and they haven't even noticed...

We also think it's important for adults to have time for their own sports and interests so I don't really want them doing any more. I ride and swim and DP cycles and plays football. Plus we like to see friends and stuff too! And go to museums etc etc.

Yr 2 - beavers, swimming, and up to one after school club per week plus weekend piano with daily practice. She would like to do more but it would be too much for all of us.
school AM nursery - evening swimming, weekend ballet and afternoon cookery and gymnastics.

The more children you have the more difficult it becomes to juggle groups.

2

Ds is Y6 and does swimming, football, cubs and choir. Two are after school clubs so easy for us. He can be shy with strangers so after Covid we wanted him to do lots of different things because he missed out completely for a few years. I'd like him to play an instrument as well but he's not keen (although spends ages composing stuff on the computer).

His older sisters were close in age and I got them doing the same thing as much as possible when at primary. They both did swimming, football, Brownies and played an instrument. Two of those at school clubs.

They are now at a secondary that does lots of (free!) clubs before and after school which is great so between then they've done swimming, football, hockey, calligraphy, newspaper, choir, orchestra and drama club at various points at school but there's no impact on me so they can fill their boots. We also pay for football for one and piano and singing lessons for the other.

I didn't have them doing a lot at preschool age, just swimming lessons which was my non-negotiable with them all. I think a couple is plenty in Year One (in all years actually but if they want to try an activity and I can afford the time and money I'll let them).

Gymnastics one day, swimming another, and three days of after school club. They're always home by 6 and weekends are kept free for birthday parties/visiting family/chilling.

Y3 - Beavers, football x 3, rugby, swimming lesson, chess club (at school so no extra hassle), drama

Y1 - drama, swimming lesson, football x 3, rugby, school multi-sports club (again school-based so just a later pick up)

little one - swimming

The older ones both want to take up something new (tennis and basketball respectively) but I have told them that they will need to drop something else to facilitate it. I do virtually all club running around so can’t juggle any more!

When ds was small we facilitated every interest he had - coding, Beavers, swimming, gymnastics, karate, judo, acting classes, rugby, scootering . It was lovely he got to express, explore and enjoy all of his interests. He taught himself to play guitar at 10 so gave up gym for guitar lessons. It turned out that he is an extremely talented player, studies music at a top PA college and plans to make his career in the industry. He enjoyed all his clubs, learning skills along the way and having great experiences and making friends.
He is a fantastic swimmer due to his lessons and also becane a junior blackbelt in Karate age 10.
So, clubs can just be for be fun or lead to more, either way they are beneficial.
As long as kids aren't visibly tired or telling you they don't want to go, Op then take your lead from your dc.

Year 7: fencing one evening/ week, Warhammer club one evening/ week, Rugby twice/ week and match Saturday Mornings, Jiu Jitsu Sunday morning.

Year 4: football training two evenings/ week, karate once/ week after school, tutor once/ week after school, Swimming lesson one evening/ week, football match every Saturday morning.

Summer Term is worse with extra cricket evenings (but less rugby).

I work until 6pm, husband and I divide and conquer Saturdays and I read a lot of books in my car (using a head torch) in the evenings.

I don’t quite know how it ended up like this- I kind of miss early primary school age 😂

2 - swimming then football on Sat am. DH takes him while I look after our toddler at home and prepare lunch. Work for us - we don’t have to turn down much other stuff on a Sat as we are done by 12.30. He does other things as part of after school club - foreign languages, multi sports etc. Considering fitting in an instrument but will see how it goes.

DD6 Does Rainbows(M), Swimming(F) and Gymnastics(Sat) weekly, she also sometimes does roller skating(Th)

I’ve got sporty kids.
DD aged 8 does swimming lessons, tennis twice a week, squash, netball and Brownies.
DS aged 4 does swimming, tennis and football currently and will be joining the local cricket club as soon as he turns 5.

2 after-school sports a week, just the ones arranged by the school (any 2 from football, skateboarding, basketball, running, dodgeball, yoga - varies every term) plus a private kids art club. We should really be doing swimming regularly, but we aren't.

More than 3 and he'd start to complain. Less than 3 and we'd have to put him into after-school provision because we wfh and need the extra working hours!

He's no stranger to vegging out in front of netflix but is also quite creative and active at home - crafts, cooking, lego, hobbies. He came home last week with an idea for a sculpture which we had to make, and yesterday it was a recipe for biscuits which he'd invented. I like that and I think more frequent formal clubs would reduce his enthusiasm for it.

Reception age DD does a dance class straight after school on a Thursday, and swimming on a Tuesday. The swimming is only a recent change - I'm not sure if its too much for her to cope with but we will see.

She needs very early bed times at the moment (like 6.30pm) because she does often seem very tired after school.

DD Y4 does performing arts, Acro, Brownies and swimming.
DD Reception does performing arts, Rainbows, dance and swimming.

Added in the evenings they go to afterschool club, they don't have much spare time through the week.

DS (Year7) now does one club that is on twice a week. He was doing another 2 but gave them up on starting secondary school and now plays his chosen sport for school as well.

DD (Year 4) does swimming, gymnastics, netball, horse riding and is also going to panto rehearsals. She does Piano as well but that is during school time. Honestly she would do more if she could, dance & brownies have been mentioned but I have said she needs to give one up before taking on another.

She has only been doing this routine of clubs for about 6 months, luckily just as DS dropped his others. Life is so busy with it all but they love what they do and it won't last forever.

The benefit (I find) of the clubs is it means they make friends quite easily and will happily chat to new people and with DS starting secondary he knew quite a lot of children that weren't from primary school which I think helped him settle really well.

Y6 age -

Cubs one night a week
Kickboxing one weekend day
Swimming lessons the other weekend day
Plus whatever after school club they're fancying that term (the options change around a lot)

Swimming lessons are stopping soon because we can't get the times for multiple children to work anymore as they've moved up stages, and Cubs will become Scouts at some point after Christmas. They've gone all the way up through Scouting so started as Beavers and they've got so much out of it I'd encourage it all the way.

I also have a Y7 child who does the same stuff, plus two after school clubs that she's decided she wants to do.

Swimming Saturday morning, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu 3 days a week. We recently dropped Cubs and he hasn't missed it at all.