If you grew up in the 80s/early 90s. Did you do extra curricular activities?

[Jellycatjellycat]

I'm interested to see what is the norm.

I did nothing, no swimming, dance, brownies or anything like that. I do remember other girls doing Brownies and Ballet after school and asking my mum if I could go. She shut it down and told me I wouldn't like it.

These days of course most children do a lot of extra curricular activities but wondering if perhaps it wasn't such a thing years ago.

Late 70s/80s mostly free or very low cost stuff-church groups/Sunday school, LA funded music groups and swimming. Odd stuff at libraries/parks/other schools eg kite making out of leaves. Mum must have scoured the local papers for these. Again walked there independently or dropped off with younger sibs and left.
paid for Brownies/guides and riding. Other sibs did dancing, roller disco and karate.

Born in 1972 so can only really talk about the 80s. I did no after school activities at all. They weren’t a thing where I grew up (very deprived area of a big city). The only thing was Sunday school which I hated but was forced to go to from 0-16 years.

I did majorettes for a few years; tried judo but that didn't last long. Tried recorder too, but didn't last.
Swimming we did at school.

Born in early 90s. Did ballet and tap as a small girl. Swimming lessons age 4-9 ish.
netball as a teenager.
brownies and the guided - absolutely loved these!!

86 - Does church choir count? My sisters and I were all members for a time. We all joined army cadets after we turned 13 and shooting club through that (my best friend joined too). My husband did air cadets as did another friend. I did some in-school extra curriculars like choir and a sewing club. I had friends who did ballet or tap dance (still a bit jealous about the tap dance).

We all learned to swim as standard through primary school weekly lessons.

I was born in 85 and didn’t do any extra activities outside of school, I know some of my friends did but it just wasn’t something offered to us as kids so we didn’t expect to do it. I’m annoyed that my parents never made sure I learnt to swim though, I had to get lessons as an adult which was embarrassing and I will never have the same confidence in the water that I would have done if I’d have learned as a child.

I did a drama class during primary, but nothing for secondary.

I did brownies/guides, tennis, squash (briefly), swimming when younger, horse riding and dance (ballet, modern and tap but mainly ballet).

I forgot the piano lessons.

no, was not allowed, only homework or 20 hours part-time job - 4 hours Friday night and 8 hours both Saturday and Sunday once 16 years old.

Nope nothing . We just played out . My mother wouldn’t even but a recorder and the said book that went with it! I turned out ok

I did Brownies, art club (in school) and tennis when I was very young, then netball and choir as a teenager.

Yes loads of activities after school and at weekends. Born in the 70’s. Squash, horse riding, brownies, music, windsurfing, dance. There were loads but I kept changing what I wanted to do!

Girls Brigade, Sunday school, disco dancing, Highland dancing, a church-related crafting group and badminton.

1984 birth year, I did:
swimming lessons
netball
basket ball
guitar lessons
Guides
horse riding
sunday school
country dancing

All I can remember was brownies/guides and a short stint in drama club (which I took to be acting like a dick for fun). I did holiday clubs which were good fun. Other friends did more but I was from a single parent family on an estate. My mum never really asked if I wanted to do anything. My brother did football.

DS school does a lot of cheap clubs 10 to 40 quid per term, which he occasionally does and then two other regular paid ones (cubs and a sport). I'd love him to try something musical but these are very expensive. Other son has severe SEN and you can't even get them into after school or holiday club, let alone anything else.

I think years ago for many kids you played out rather than organised activities, although my mum didn't have much money.

Yes, piano lessons, Brownies, swimming, there used to be a local youth club as well and a weekly disco!

At school, in ours anyway, all after school clubs were free, in primary anyway, so usually had at least one of those per week as well. Can't recall any after school clubs at secondary.

Yes swimming, brownies and a slightly hippyish group called Woodcraft Folk.

80s baby.

Swimming lessons. Ballet for about 2 years but then wasnt bothered & quit.

2 x musical instrument lessons & local orchestra from age 9 or so onwards, a youth council & school rounders team in secondary.

Ballet, tap and gymnastics for a few years in infant school
Music lessons and then youth orchestra through to county orchestra from junior school onwards
Drama, swimming, cadets and netball (played for the school team and the cadets team) during high school

I used to go to things but I’d never last more than a few weeks. Tap dancing and brownies are what I remember. Brownies interfered with my Saturday telly so I stopped going. We were poor so my mum wouldn’t have encouraged us to keep going.

My 2 DC grew up in 80s/90s. They did swimming, Brownies/Rainbows/Guides music lessons and horse riding.

Much parental resistance to extracurriculars, the 70s parenting style of 'benign neglect'.

I did ballet, swimming, gymnastics, (not to a high level) brownies and guides and did county badminton which did not do my knees any good, and drama.

Nope I never did anything and I desperately wanted to. Lived in a small rural town so very few opportunities and I don't feel I was ever encouraged to have a hobby.
As a result I think I push my son quite hard into doing extra curricular sports and cub scouts so he has a passion. I have now taken up ladies football at 40, so it's never too late.