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.

I was allowed to choose one out of school activity, as long as I could get there under my own steam and I was never allowed to ask for or accept a lift from anyone. The idea was that learning to accept nothing from anybody was a much better lesson than swimming, guides or dance lessons. It meant that if I tried anything and got good at it then I had to give up. For example, I was picked for the town swim team, but because the parents shared lifts to get to meets and my parents refused, I had to give up, so that we weren't beholden to anybody.
I haven'y followed the same philosophy with my own children, but as an adult with a disability I follow it for myself still.

Yes I did swimming, piano, dance, ballet, Guides, volleyball, netball, indoor netball. Not all at the same time.

Lived in a village so all walkable distance.

Brownies and Guides and then became a young leader. Netball, rounders, tennis, cross-country and athletics with school which included after school and weekend matches. Tennis, badminton, trampolining and dance after school.

We had a great sports hall and swimming pool so also did street hockey. I was very sporty when I was younger! Can still play decent racquet sports and roller skate.

Born early 80s and no, nothing. I don't think I ever really wanted to? I was quite shy, and was happy at home reading. Learned to swim at school and on holiday.

We did do a lot of weekend outings though, lots of National Trust, gardens, trip into London etc.

80s primary, 90s secondary. I did brownies, swimming, music lessons, orchestra, horseriding, tennis, karate. Most kids I knew did at least some kind of sport or music.

Very similar: Brownies/ Swimming club/ dancing (ballet/ tap/ modern) & drama club when I was 10+. But they were all very cheap except the dancing. (My dad ran the swim club as a voluntary thing).

I remember my mam worked hard to pay the dancing, and I imagine it was because I was the youngest of 5 & we were better off once I was at school & mam worked part-time.

This was 70s/ 80s (Born late 71).

Brother nearest in age did swimming/ football/ cubs/ scouts/ running team- again all very cheap.

It definitely wasn't like now when it can be £££.

We also never went out for weekend day trips unless it was to cousins houses or a park (rare). We certainly didn't eat out ever! We had crisps & chocolate bars at home, never sweets unless it was a birthday/ huge treat. Changed days.

I grew up in the 60's/70's and did lots of activities: Dancing, brownies/guides, swimming as standard then other age related youth club type things and school run things. I was never in. We didn't have much money but we seemed to manage.

In another country, maths and English lessons, piano and ball room, swimming, mountain orienteering, aerobics, yoga, group rowing in a sort of a small fishing boat, not for competition, just for fun, walks, visits to historic monuments , all this if I tell you which country you would open your mouth wide

Born in the 70’s, did no clubs whatsoever. I wanted to do Brownies and asked my dm and she shut me down straight away it was a no. I reminded her of this and she denied it 😏 absolute crap. I knew not to ask for anything after that. Not sure what her reasoning was? I wanted to do a paper round and that was met with a no. I could wait to leave school to get my first part time job and do what I wanted.

Piano lessons and Brownies

Possibly more of a class split back then? Money was tight, not that I realised at the time. Me and sibling did no extracurricular activities but middle class peers did various things.

I did swimming and brownies, and later at school, netball.

I was in the Girls Brigade, as it was within walking distance from home, and cheaper than brownies.

I was horse-mad as a kid, and desperately wanted to learn to ride and have my own pony, but growing up in a single parent family on benefits, this sadly was not an option.

I did swimming and Brownies. When I was to old for Brownies (didn't like Guides) I did horse riding. I did netball club at school for a couple of years and had recorder lessons.
Gave it all up at about 14

Primary age in 80's
Did brownies but only if I walked there myself and home.
I had a pony... again had to get there and look after pony myself

We never had family days out or "family time" which seems to cause so much angst on MN.
My mother did chores on Saturday, my father took my brother to rugby, on Sunday it was church and then lunchtime drinks at rugby club.

Few years earlier. Swimming club and dance (ballroom - before it was cool!). Fairly rural upbringing, so mainly I had to entertain myself.

Born 1967. I did brownies (later guides followed by rangers) did ballet for a short time and had ballroom “lessons” which were more drop your kids off on a Saturday morning type of thing, (terrible at both) and guitar lessons (equally bad).

Oh, I forgot there was hockey at school (secondary) & I played in the team at weekends. And choir and a glee club during the primary years - all run by volunteers, so free.

Brownies, netball, stoolball, gymnastics, riding, cello, orchestra, tennis, swimming, rollerskating and trampolining but not all at the same time!
Born in 69.

Nothing. But then I had a very working class upbringing. People will start yelling that it isn’t a class issue, but it is. It’s about not having the money, having a parent who doesn’t drive, about it being a cultural norm not to do extracurricular activities, and there not being many opportunities to do activities in the town.

I realise now that we didn’t even go on many day trips at weekends and during the holidays, because my Dad couldn’t be arsed!

I did Brownies, Guides, swimming, Sunday school. I think that was it. I had friends who did things like dance classes. I feel like kids do more extra curricular activities now but most people I knew still did extra activities in the 80s.

I did swimming, ballet/tap/modern, brownies, piano when young- probably up to age 9. I then did athletics club, horse riding, and a church youth group for a bit, age 9 to about 14.
my bothers did rugby, swimming and athletics club.
This was 1984- 1994 ish
My Kids do even more, every day of the week except Thursday

Swimming until 14 and brownies / guides (boring, didn't last long).

Yes…at various times ballet, disco, trampolining, Brownies and Guides until I was 14 and several years of church youth club.

I think my parents were keen to give me opportunities to meet kids my own age as I’m an only child as we didn’t have vast amounts of cash.

I did loads. Not sure I can remember everything I did but I’ll give it a go:-

Swimming, water polo, mountain biking, gymnastics, tennis, badminton, hockey, netball, athletics (running), athletics (high jump), table tennis, canoeing, sailing, roller skating, roller hockey, badminton, brownies, guides, rangers, drama, choir, ballet, other dancing, gang show, new image rugby, football, unihoc, cross country

Some things my parents suggested, some I asked to do, some were through school (if there was a club I joined it), some were through guides (our leader was good at contacting eg the local canoeing club and saying “I have 20 guides who would love to learn to canoe - can you do us a six week course at a discount”).

I remember our local leisure centre used to run something called “select a sport” where you would go for the day in the holidays and there would be (very loosely supervised) football, hockey, tennis, table tennis, badminton, netball, unihoc, etc going on and you could just decide what you joined in with.

What was interesting was that I lived in a very small town. The same girls seem to turn up at everything over and over again.