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.

From 7 I did a sport (at competitive level) 2/3 times a week (evenings/weekends), plus dance lessons twice a week. Also music lessons and netball at school. As a teen I dropped the sports and dance but did a lot of amateur theatre instead - a half day every Saturday and lots of evening rehearsals and performances. This was late 80s/early 90s.

I forgot ballet lessons which I did for a couple of years.

Did a variety of stuff over the years eg swimming, various instruments, dancing, gymnastics, badminton, tennis, brownies. But music was mainly via school & my secondary school had extracurriculars too

I wasn't encouraged to do anything because money was tight and everything was met with the idea that it would be a waste because I wouldn't stick at it anyway. I did Brownies briefly and I had piano lessons for a while. Anything else I had to pay for myself out of my pocket money and find my own transport. I don't think any of my friends had activities that they attended regularly either.
I do remember a girl at school who danced and she would attempt to teach us all because none of us were allowed to go.

Not really. Money wasn't tight but I didn't want to do many. Did dance classes for a couple of years.

Brownies, Guides, Elocution, junior theatre, singing, violin, viola and guitar. Ballet and tap when younger.

I did Brownies, swimming and ballet. Possibly not all at the same time. I loved Brownies but wasn't keen on ballet at all (the older girls were scary!) and I think only did it for a year so so.
My kids didn't do much more...all did Brownies/Guides and swimming (to a point of being competent swimmer rather than competitive) and one did ballet, another did cross country and the other didn't do anything in addition.

Yes. Brownies and then Guides. Swimming. Riding lessons when we lived in Lincolnshire. Then school provided a whole bunch of extra curriculars when we moved back to Germany (British Forces Schools Abroad) including pottery, cooking, cadets and table tennis. Also did Girls Brigade for a while and Sunday school.

I did but only school based things netball at primary, then netball, badminton, choir, drama, school paper, GAT activities on a Saturday morning, all free.
I also did brownies which I think there must've been a fee for, I lived in quite a deprived area and there was also something called the play centre which was on primary school grounds but available to u13s for free in the school holidays and some days after school, basically like a young youth club type thing. We didn't have spare money for extra curricular activities.

I think the average family had less spare money back then, but activities seemed to be prioritised over stuff like toys or non-essential clothes as there wasn't the money for both. Children these days seem to get so much stuff.

Oh and I played a musical instrument but this was during school hours.

I did brownies/ guides ballet and piano lessons. Then I gave up ballet for horse riding as they were both on Saturdays and then piano for clarinet. I did Irish dancing and swimming when we lived abroad too.

My mum believed in keeping us busy.

I learnt violin free through school.

My brother and I both did swimming lessons (heavily subsidised at the leisure centre near our house).

She signed us up there for an activity every holiday, and went there several hours early to be at the front of the queue. We did badminton, water polo, tennis, so many random things.

I did brownies but didn't like guides, I then did venture scouts (mixed from 16 I think).

My secondary had an orchestra that the music dept ran and my lessons were there as well.

I did gymnastics from age about 4 until 12. I was actually quite good but not really good enough to do it properly. I still remember listening to music with my dad in our old rover on the way to gym.

Then I did a martial art with a friend from about 13. It was a quite dodgy secondary and we felt it was helpful. I'm not sure it stopped anyone having a go but I only got beaten up once.

Born early 80s.

Did gymnastics then dance while at primary school.
Kept up the dancing 2x per week until 15. Did lots with school, plays, DoE and lunchtime clubs. Took up swimming at 16 (I hadn't learned in school lessons)

My DCs have had scouting, gymnastics that swapped for karate and swimming. One does football on top.

I did piano lessons, brownies and dancing. Most of my friends at my school did something,

I did Brownies, swimming, Athletics, kayaking and roller skating.

I was born in the mid seventies.

In primary school I did brownies and gymnastics. But when I went to secondary school, nothing. We lived way out in the sticks and there were no groups. I would have loved to do more gymnastics but there was no where within 40 miles or so that had any equipment.

What we did have was a youth club. Two nights a week out of the primary school. We had a tuck shop, snooker table, darts board. It was a place to hang out with friends that was safe. We did summer trips into the city which had an ice rink and a swimming pool. We had discos and Halloween parties.
I’m so grateful that they ran it. Everyone in the village went. It gave us a space that was ours.

No, my parents couldn't afford it and didn't have the time to ferry us around. But there were activities running and I envied those who were able to go. I was born in 1980.

Nothing. Now a solicitor in a “magic circle” law firm (which will mean something if you know law firms but ignore if not). They were only interested in my academics at interview!

I did Brownies, Guides then Venture Scouts. Sang in church and school choirs. Tried a musical instrument through school but it wasn’t something our family did and I didn’t get any encouragement so gave up. My parents think that people didn’t do activities back then but plenty of my friends did.

I'd bear in mind the replies on mn won't be reflective of society across the board as MN censuses show that's not the case statistically I believe.

In answer to your op, no we did not.

I remember we did a very very brief spell of ballet. Nothing else. Partly no money, partly my parents feeling uncomfortable with scouts and brownies which would have been the only cheaper extra curriculars in our community.

We all have turned out okay. 🤷

No nothing. My mum told me we couldn’t afford Brownies. I now think she just couldn’t be bothered.

Nah. Just hung out with mates, roller skated round the block, played dungeons and dragons, got up to mischief.

Did loads when I went to uni though!

Yes, Brownies, swimming until about age 10, horse-riding, piano, trampolining briefly at one point.

Swimming, ballet, tap & modern, Brownies, Sunday School and horse riding. Lots of horse riding!