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.

Going to the shop for sherbert dibdabs. Blockbusters. Sitting on the wall if it was a weekend.

I did ballet, piano, youth orchestra, flute, brownies/guides, gymnastics, swimming and horse riding (not all at the same time!)

This was early 90s for the most part, no idea how my parents afforded it as we weren't that well off. I think a lot of the music lessons, orchestra, swimming etc were council funded.

Yes. I did swimming for years. Brownies for a short time but didn’t like it. Music lessons and practice and later- bands and orchestras.
Dancing for a time but no other sport.
sounds like a lot but not more than 2 at any time.

it was definitely a “thing” but there is more available these days. I suppose because two working parents is common so more disposable income generally.

I remember Brownies , dancing, swimming, diving, badminton, judo and youth club

But, my mum didn't work, we lived in a large city, had a car and my parents could afford to pay for these. Lots of valid reasons why other children wouldn't do these activities

And, whilst I enjoyed them, I don't do any of them now

I did Brownies, swimming lessons, ballet (which I hated) and was in an amateur dramatics group for a bit.

My 2 dc did rainbows/brownies, gymnastics, piano lessons, judo, swimming club, football and highland dancing at various stages of their lives during the 1990’s.

I did horse-riding, swimming and Brownies at various times between about 6 and 14. The last one to go was the riding but it wasn't by choice.

I did loads but not at the same time - ballet, gymnastics up to about 11 then it was athletics, hockey, swimming, flute and clarinet, band practice.

We had a great leisure centre near where I lived and during the holidays pretty much all the local kids used to turn up to the kids club for a full day of bouncy castle, trampolines, roller skating, tennis etc… and we’d be there for weeks on end.

I was always up to mischief so my mum kept me very busy!

Born in 79. Did brownies, ballet, piano, ballroom dancing, horse riding and swimming as a pre-teen. Then swimming took over and I just did that (up to youth international level) throughout my teens.

Girls Brigade, drama and dancing (tap/ballet).

Yes. Gymnastics and brownies.

88 baby and the oldest

We all had piano lessons from fairly young, I did rugby, my two younger siblings did the standard scouts etc.

Yes, I did swimming as a young child until I could do basic strokes and swim 200m. I did cubs too.

Yes. Activitied to death and beyond. Piano, cello, choir, orchestra, Brownies, Guides, St John Ambulance, swimming, tennis, riding, gymnastics, ballet, museum club, holiday club…. I liked the sport, didn’t mind the uniformed stuff. Hated the music. Really, really hated the random “dump your kids here” clubs and never really understood why I had to go when my mum was a teacher and at home whenever I was.

I did Brownies and my friends and I would also go to this bible study group twice a week. None of us were religious but they’d give out sweets for colouring-in. There’s nothing we wouldn’t do for free sweets! Also worth mentioning that in the 80s our parents didn’t take us to these activities, we’d walk ourselves there and back.

I'm transported!!

I went to ballet lessons, brownies,horse riding and swimming. As I teenager I joined the Army Cadet Force.

Yes, because my mum facilitated it. She spent masses of time and must have scrimped and saved to get me to the things I did out of school as we lived rurally so lots of driving. I'm glad she did, I hated school.
I did lots of music, some theatre things and trampolining and youth club. Wasn't allowed to do Brownies though, she was an atheist anti monachist.

I did something every night and Saturday morning. They varied over the years, but included guides, swimming lessons, piano lessons, orchestra, school swimming club, youth group at church , badminton club. Mid 80s to mid 90s. Some if them were cheap or free apart from the piano. Some of my academic skills improved once I started piano.

Same here. Family swims.

I grew up in the 80s. Did choir, drama club and netball (at school) brownies and guides (which I loathed) and swimming. Probably about the same as my dc have done, although they have both carried on sport into their teens, which I didn't do.

I did Brownies but not really anything else. I'm sure if I'd told my parents I wanted to do more, they'd have made an effort to find things for me, but I really didn't. From the age of 11 onwards I didn't do any organised activities; I much preferred to do my own thing and pursue my own interests. I still do, to be honest.

I did brownies/guides and horse riding. Most friends did ballet.

Brownies, swimming lessons, ballet (kicked out for already being too tall at six), music lessons at school. DDad took me along to women’s cricket but I was terrified of the ladies and never went back! DMum took us roller skating almost every weekend (but it wasn’t an organised club).

Over a period of years (so not all at the same time) I did ballet and tap, Brownies, badminton, and youth club. Those were the activities for young people that took place in the parish hall in the village so all the eligible young people went to them. I did swimming through school.