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?

[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.

[Elsiequadrille]

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

[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!

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[BackforGood]

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

[BrianTheMole]

7 classes. The majority is dance.

[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.

[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.