is there anything that your dc's do that doesn't involve grading, exams, competing etc..?

[daenerysstormborn]

are there any out of school activities kids can do just for fun?

Racingheart it pretty much is but also the people who run it are so well knowledgeable. In the summer it was fossil hunting & they could not only spot them in the cliff but also name them.

Seeker it's about balance for us. DS also plays tennis for a team & his competitive side has been known to show itself there

DS goes to a dance (for fun and exercise) class . No grades no shows etc.

He also goes to bike club, not competitive in itself , just cycle training and bike handling skills, but lots of the children ( including DS) do race as well, so that may not fit your criteria.

Swimming lessons, don't seem competitive to my eyes, just working at their own pace to achieve the skills. some spend 3 terms in each level, some progress faster. Once he can "swim" we will drop teh lessons and just swim for fun ( and body boarding) .

The only After school club he does is cookery.

"seeker - I do like my DC to work towards goals most of the time,and so do they, but it's equally important to do something for sheer enjoyment in the moment, don't you think?"

Absolutely. And my 10 year old Cub rolls round in mud and eats raw dough too. But he's also learned how to sail a boat, paddle a canoe and read a map. Both really important parts of Cub life.

I don't think the sheer enjoyment in the moment is necessarily taken away by doing things properly. Do they enjoy it any less if they've been shown how to make sure the dough's not raw?

you can learn to do something "properly"without being tested/graded and getting medals, badges and awards

Absolutely you can! Sorry- didn't mean to imply that I thought you couldn't.

DS2 is in two different rock bands but also does some 'serious' music stuff too.

Do they enjoy it any less if they've been shown how to make sure the dough's not raw?

I don't know why, but that really made me giggle, seeker. The voice of common sense stands up against years of raw dough scouting.

Thanks, Cat64

If they persist in eating it raw that's fine-n my Cub claims he likes it like that!

DD2 goes to the local youth theatre. It's dirt cheap and no grades or exams, they just seem to have fun, like a drama class. They only take from Year 6, though. Maybe your local theatre runs something like this?

It is possible to learn to do things properly without grades and exams. In Sweden there has never been a system of grades or exams for musical instruments: we do still manage to turn out some pretty good performers. If a child is keen you can get them to a high level of performance, amateur or professional- which I assume is what you would define as "learning properly"- regardless of whether the incentive is a grade or just the chance to play a more difficult piece.

Dd is learning lots from her drama school even though it's not graded.