So how many extra-curricular activities does your 6 year old do?

[gamescompendium]

Me and my friend's DC do very different numbers of extracurricular activities. I don't want to overburden the DC with too many different activities, nor do I want to deny them the chance to try out different skills at an age where it's still possible to do so.

So, what's the average number of activities a MN child does each week?

[PancakesAndMapleSyrup]

Ds does cricket on a monday, viola on thurs and football on a sat which unfortunayley is at 9am so it does depend on if we have a lie in or not. He also does horse riding on an ad hoc basis depending on how tired he is. Atm he is positivley knackered and he understands that homework comes first.

[TheSarcasticFringehead]

DS does Hebrew lessons three times a week (one at home with a tutor), baseball three times a week and swimming lessons once a week.

[BrianTheMole]

7 classes. The majority is dance.

[BackforGood]

When mine were 6 - just swimming up until then, and then starting Beavers once they turn 6

[dancestomyowntune]

DS2, who is six, currently does street jazz on a Monday, Greek and ballet on a Wednesday, modern, tap and song and dance on a Friday and another ballet class on a Saturday. So 7 dance classes a week.

However a huge part of me thinks he only does this because his siblings practically live at the dance school so I have booked him a few horse riding lessons on a Sunday to see if he would prefer that.

DD2, who was five last week, does 6 dance classes a week plus regular private lesson for festival solos.

[OutragedFromLeeds]

3.

Two are after school. One he chose himself and loves. The other is swimming, which he doesn't mind, but it was my choice iyswim.

The other is on a Saturday, but requires practise during the week (music related).

I would let him do extra if he wanted, but he doesn't want to.

[jamtoast12]

Mine are 8&6 and they both do 3 each...swimming (they're both good but told they can't stop til high school as it's all about stamina for me), dancing (hour per week and twice yearly shows) and brownies. They would like to do others but I draw the line at 3. Unless they are going to become professional at something I don't feel the need to over invest in both time and money on things they will outgrow next year. Plus now dd is in the juniors I find after homework and social gatherings after school at the park etc we wouldn't have time to do other things. I think it's important that they have free play rather than structured activities so I find 3 hours at the park with friends more beneficial in most ways.

Family is hugely important to us too so on Sundays most of the day is taken up visiting grandparents and cousins. That will get less as they get more independent but I feel it should come above activities. When they did weekend activities I hated it as it limited days out, parties that they'd been invited too etc.

[Cat2014]

Ds does 3 activities at the moment, all sports.
One of them he is very good at and in a squad, so he does about 5 hours a week training for that one plus competitions. The other sports are 2 hours a week and half an hour a week.

[VioletGoesVintage]

Mine does 4: swimming, football, hockey and tennis, although the hockey is only between September and March. He'd do more if I let him but I want him to have time just to play. That said, he's on the waiting list for Beavers and will play cricket next summer.

[Provencalroseparadox]

DD (Yr 1 but she's still 5) does French, Recorder, Ballet, Spanish, Swimming and Gymnastics. She also asked to do Tennis. She has tried (and given up) football, tennis (!), Playball, choir and drama.

DS (Yr 3 but he did similar in Yr 1) does French, Football, Choir, Chess Recorder, Gymnastics, Cross-fit, Guitar, Spanish, Swimming, Jujitsu and rugby/cricket (depending on time of year). He has tried and given up yoga and drama. He would like to do ballet but we can't fit it in!

I'm of the 'sign them up for everything and see' school of thought.

[RaspberryLemonPavlova]

DD in Y1 did Rainbows, swimming, gymnastics and ballet all year. Occasional after school clubs for a few weeks (eg 6 weeks of tennis or multi-skills).

DS2 did Beavers, gymnastics and swimming and started piano half way through. There was after school football at some point I think, but that didn't last,

DS1 did swimming. First one much easier - he didn't know what was out there!

[Elsiequadrille]

Haven't added musical instruments. Oddly? I never describe them as activities, I personally label them as educational

[chauffeurmummy]

She's 7 now but ballet (x2), Modern Theatre dance, tap, Street dance, gymnastics, singing, piano, cello, choir, drama, Musical Theatre and riding. Swimming and tennis are currently on hold due to timetabling problems but she's desperate to get them started again.

[FiveHoursSleep]

DS is 6. He does Beavers, swimming and piano out of school and does an afterschool sports club as well.
This isn't a lot but he has three older sisters and I do find myself providing quite the taxi service!

[Swoosg]

Swimming. She was doing French and drama at the start of the year but she dropped both. She'd stop swimming if I'd let her. She'd much rather hang out at home.

[MrsMot]

Rugby, tennis, swimming and Beavers.

[IwishIwasmoreorganised]

My just 6 year old does beavers and swimming. He also did rugby during the winter but that has stopped for now.

[Tapamino]

My 6 year old does Stagecoach on Sat (1.5 hrs) which my mum kindly funds and church run craft group during the week(1 hour).
Would like her to do more e.g swimming/instrument but just not able to fund it at the moment.

Cant grumble cos she loves Saturdays and seems so tired after school, homework etc that I'm not sure she could cope with anything else at the moment. Also spends some time in the park, on the way home from school with her friends, so has loads of fun & exercise.

[Elsiequadrille]

5 year old does 5 activities; ballet (X2 as she goes to two different ballet schools teaching different syllabi), gymnastics, swimming, modern dance, tap dancing.

7 year old only does three activities; ballet (again at two ballet schools), gymnastics and tap, but does more hours; approx 15 hours in total.

10 year old also does 5 activities; ballet, tap, modern, gymnastics and Scouts.

They also do workshops and holiday camps. They really enjoy the activities and would do more if I let them; though I find it tiring I must say!

[xihha]

DD is nearly 6, she does 2, Rainbows and Ballet, but wants to add Recorder, French club and Football when she goes into year 1, which I will probably let her do.

[moonbells]

*Thursdays are

(Dearie me! I'll lose my pedant badge today if I'm not careful!)

[moonbells]

DS (6.5) does cricket (Sundays), swimming (Weds) and Beavers (Fridays), and learns a musical instrument at school so he practices for about 10 mins a night if I nag him and during one after school club there's an organised session of something or other instead of free play.

I wouldn't be happy with him doing anything else though, since he's in after school club most days and getting home late would mean he was permanently tired. Thursdays is bad enough after swimming.

[5madthings]

Ds4 (6) does kung fu twice a week and swimming is during school time.

He sees friends or has someone round once a week.

School is a two Mile walk home so after playing in the playground for a bit or stopping at park on way hone its often 4:30-5 by the time we are home.

So twice weekly activities is fine.

It all depends on the child.

[sixlive]

Mine have to do one musical instrument in year 1 and their second in year 3 and at least two sports outside school. I think music and sport bring huge benefits. I know many can't afford it which is a shame.