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Original poster

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

411 replies

Jellycatjellycat · 07/03/2024 19:03

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.

OP posts:
UpsideLeft · 07/03/2024 19:58

Yes in the 70's and 80's at school for free in my state school I did Netball, tennis, gymnastics, cricket and the high jump in the athletics team

Outside of school I did Brownies, swimming and went to a couple of local youth clubs

I went horse riding a couple of times but it wasn't my thing

Never took any proper music lessons

God I was really sporty back then no wonder I was so slim

UpsideLeft · 07/03/2024 19:59

Age 14 onwards we were all down the local pub because of course times were different then

Bax765 · 07/03/2024 20:00

I did swimming, brownies/guides, girls brigade, violin lessons, ballet, dance/drama, then horse riding when I was in high school

Strokethefurrywall · 07/03/2024 20:00

I was born in late '79 and did (not all at same time)

  • ballet (when I was about 4)
  • swimming (4-15 years)
  • piano (4-15 years)
  • brownies/guides (until 15-16ish)
  • karate (1 year)
  • gymnastics (6 months)

We were allowed to try something for a term, but the absolute constants and non-negotiables were swimming, piano and guides. Swimming because I loved it, piano because the whole family is musical and guides because it kept me out of trouble insofar as was possible until I was 16.

I've never pressured either of my boys, they both only do football now, but spent a good few years doing karate, parkour, drama and piano/guitar lessons.

user1471556818 · 07/03/2024 20:01

No car but cycled to brownies for a while .Church youth club as it was really cheap to go to .But had a job after school from aged 12 so didn't have a lot of free time

UpsideLeft · 07/03/2024 20:01

Oh yes age 4 I did try ballet and I was absolutely rubbish and hated it Grin

HumanRightsAreHumanRights · 07/03/2024 20:02

Brownies, Ballet, Irish dancing, Piano, Public Speaking, Gymnastics & St Johns Ambulance First Aid.

HungryBeagle · 07/03/2024 20:02

Yes. Ballet and Rainbows/Brownies, then started football when I was about 11. Also piano lessons. Late 80s, early 90s.

UpsideLeft · 07/03/2024 20:03

UpsideLeft · 07/03/2024 19:59

Age 14 onwards we were all down the local pub because of course times were different then

50p for half a pint of cider which we had for the whole night, mostly we shared that one glass just to be there

supersonicginandtonic · 07/03/2024 20:03

I did girls brigade, Tuesday club (like a youth club at church), orchestra; swimming lessons and Sunday school.

Underastarlitsky · 07/03/2024 20:03

No nothing here either - I always wanted to do horse riding (which my sister did) - but was told we couldn't afford it and dance - but was told I was too shy!!!

lavenderlou · 07/03/2024 20:03

I did a lot when younger - swimming, ballet and tap, Brownies/Guides, gymnastics, trampolining. I got fed up with it all in the end and by my teen years I did nothing except Guides.

Lovelynames123 · 07/03/2024 20:04

Yes, gymnastics, horse riding, tennis, Brownies/guides....mainly between 8-12, probably tennis a bit longer

My dc do nothing, they've tried things but not stuck to them, we do things like clip n climb, roller discos etc but nothing weekly, although we always seem to be on the go so not sure when we'd fit it in anyway!

lavenderlou · 07/03/2024 20:04

Oh, I also did music lessons in school and was in a youth orchestra (although I wasn't very good..)

Madcats · 07/03/2024 20:05

I was 5-15 in the 70's in a town of about 2,000.

I was 10 miles from what could be classed as a decent size town (and our town didn't get a sports centre until I was 16). My mum didn't learn to drive until I'd gone to Uni, so we didn't really have a car,except at weekends when my dad was home (he commuted, so I didn't really see much of him). This was pretty normal amongst my group of friends. I was probably in a couple of clubs at school as well.

I did ballet/dance 2-3 hours/week until I was about 14, brownies/guides/ranger guides with venture scouts. I had violin lessons through school from age 7 or 8 and a gang of us would get on the train to the Youth Orchestra one night/week once we went to secondary school. Oh, the school did DofE as well.

I don't really remember holiday clubs. I think we just went out on our own from 7 or 8 years old ( none of my friends were much further than a 10 minute walk away).

NCForQuestions · 07/03/2024 20:08

Loads... In primary school it was Brownies, piano lessons, gymnastics and school sports. I also started to learn the cornet for the local silver band.

In secondary school (1992-1997) it was Guides, piano, trumpet, flute, hockey, athletics, silver band, youth wing band and later the double bass plus youth orchestra. All after school or at weekends etc.

But my parents were living vicariously through us with things they didn't get to do due to absolute poverty as kids so we were packed off to as many events as possible really.

OddBoots · 07/03/2024 20:09

One at a time but in sequence I had Girls Brigade, Brownies, Guides then St John's Ambulance.

In the summer holidays we had a catalogue of activities we could sign up for at the local police station, things like roller discos , multi sports and fun swim/floats sessions - it was called SPLASH but I can only remember that the final SH stood for 'Summer Holidays'

Thulpelly · 07/03/2024 20:11

Swimming, drama, horse riding, brownies, guides, athletics (was on the county team as a teen), netball, guitar, flute and choir.

Zanatdy · 07/03/2024 20:11

I was born in 76. I did brownies, swimming and karate. I wasn’t allowed to do anything else as I gave up brownies and karate! Most of my friends did at least one thing but not like now. My friends kids have something on most evenings after school. Mine did one thing each plus swimming on top. Grown up now thankfully as I’ve done my share of driving them around for matches etc

NeverDropYourMooncup · 07/03/2024 20:17

If it was available after school for free, I could do it, as long as it finished by 4pm in summer or 3.30pm in winter. A ten minute walk at 3.30-3.40pm was dangerously close to being out in the nighttime. Oh, but only if she decided I would like it. I wouldn't like dance, drama, football, tennis, cricket, judo, gymnastics, BMX, computing or singing, as they were all 'boy's things' or I'd 'only get stupid' about it if somebody said I was any good at it. I was begrudgingly permitted to do Art club until she realised i wasn't too bad at it and then she pulled me out of that, too.

I had a little more freedom at secondary, but that was because she wouldn't walk twenty minutes to the school (never set foot in there in five years) and by the time she realised I wasn't coming in, the school office was closed, so I did every club I possibly could.

OceanicBoundlessness · 07/03/2024 20:18

I did brownies, guides, had a little go at martial arts, ice skating lessons, piano.

Nothing really stuck.

I felt a bit sorry for the kids whose time was over scheduled and we went loads of places with our parents, including swimming every week. I'd have loved to continue the skating but the friend whose mother took me stopped going, so I had to.

winterplumage · 07/03/2024 20:18

I did drama club for a bit when I was 10. Tried piano lessons.
When I was at secondary school, one of my friends did pottery and was with horses a lot. Another went to a drama club.
That's it, really.

My DC doesn't do any, just wants to see us and rest after a long day at school. Seems understandable to me!

garlictwist · 07/03/2024 20:18

I did brownies and swimming and drama club at the weekend. Oh yeah and Scottish country dancing 😬

BedRot · 07/03/2024 20:20

I did drama, ballet, piano, netball, swimming club. Always busy and I loved it.

ThirtyThrillionThreeTrees · 07/03/2024 20:22

I was born in the mid 80s. We didn't have a lot of money but weren't poor. All bills were paid and we had enough food/heat etc but there was no extra fun money if that makes sense but no holidays/cinema/tv channels/McDonalds etc.

Didn't do them all at once but over course of primary school.

Music was free in school
Irish dancing was free in school

Netball was free because a student teacher did it at weekends
Camogie & Ladies football also free

Badminton was 50p a class in local hall
Brownies was 50p very week again in the local hall

Swimming lessons were compulsory but no idea what they cost.

It was normal in the 80s in Ireland that most people only did the free or cheap stuff.

Between 5-10% of the class would have had private piano or ballot lessons and went on holidays in the UK or mainland Europe.

One girl did horse riding lessons and had a pony. Her holidays were in America or places we had never heard off. She was lovely and we used to love being invited to her house. We all thought her family was very exotic. I think we were about 11-12 before we realised that there was a huge money divide- we didn't seem to realise it sooner.

Kids were a lot more innocent then.