How many after school activities did YOU do at primary age?

[Hulababy]

Just reading through another thread and I am suprised at how many activities some young children do. I ahve no idea how people fit them all in and their children have time to play and relax.

But anyway - just wondered - do our children do more formal after school activities/weekend classes that we did when little?

When I was at primary I did one activitiy - Brownies.

[Simplysally]

My sister and I attended Girls Brigade one night, played in their band another night. I had ballet (no tap or modern) on a third night. Later on she had sailing lessons mid-week but this was at secondary school age. We also had to go to Church each Sunday at one or the other Church. Plus there were frequent occasions when our band was requested to play at school fayres on Saturday as well as church Parades on Sundays. Add in personal music practice..!

Sounds a bit 'When I was at band camp' but it was fun at the time.

[hatwoman]

my mum has always said she wanted to give me the chance to try stuff - so I could find out what I enjoyed. she was never pushy but I can remeber my timetable quite vividly - even now 30 years later. at its peak it was
monday - swimming
tuesday - piano
wednesday - gym and dancing (two seperate classes but at the same place - a combined dancing and gym school)
thursday - Brownies
friday - night off!
saturday - dancing
sunday - riding

piano, brownies and swimming didn;t last long. but I loved dancing and gym and did about 6 hours a week, going up to 8 or more when preparing for a show or exam. I loved riding too but it fell away - looking back I expect for financial reasons.

[ChasingSquirrels]

Tufty club - at school, lunchtime maybe
brownies

[UniS]

oops- forgot piano & recorder lessons at primary school age.
London - 1970s-80s.

[UniS]

ballet, brownies,drama club, country dance club,swimming, choir & church stuff. as I got older added guides & running, dropped brownies.

once i was at high school I ramped up to guides, youth club or running club ( same night couldn't do both ) helping with Beavers, choir, church stuff, youth theatre or school play, trampolining, another choir , school librarian & local hospital friends group.

by top end of high school all the above Plus cycling long distances , stage managing the school play, YMCA youth council, crewing amateur dramatic shows and singing in yet another choir.

Somehow I found time to pass a few GCSEs and 2 A levels, would have done 3 but I got run over on a bike ride and was too busy having fun once I went back to school to put in enough work to catch up on all 3.
I cycled or walked to most activities so my parents didn't do much ferrying about.

[ketal]

My DD, 5 does dancing, Gymnastics and ballet... but a lot of hobbies such as cubs don't start until they're seven, so I wouldn't worry - plenty of time when he gets older!

[ketal]

LOL, I think I tried everything as a child, including...

Brownies, Guides, Girls brigade, Judo, Karate, Gymnastics, Ballet tap and modern, Ballroom dancing, Disco dancing, Horse riding, Swimming, Majorettes, Scouts and then I also learnt to play the cornet and violin. Then there were the inschool / afterschool clubs that I went to including the Christian union club type thingy, choir and school show...

The list goes on, but that's all I can remember for now. Some hobbies I only did for 6 months or so, Other hobbies I did for 6/7 years! I usually had about 3/4 on the go at any one time. Mum always said that she didn't muind what I did as long as I had a hobby and interests - so I think I tried them all! I still have loads of hobbies to this day!

[Blondeshavemorefun]

my nearly 6yr does 2

gym on a tuesday and tennis on a thursday

[CathWale]

thanks wilkos. very reassuring. kind of felt that too, but peer pressure can get you down!

[wilkos]

Brownies and Maypole dancing - oh the shame!!!!!

even more shamefully despite practically getting a medal for long service to blardy Maypole i only ever made it to one off "stand in" May Queen at the village fete

The real May Queen was on holiday - which was announced on loudspeaker just as i skipped triumphantly onto the village green

[mimsum]

cathwale - that's baloney about needing to start football at 5 - if your ds wants to play football when he's a bit older then if he has any talent at all he'll pick it up pretty quickly - and there are plenty of boys who don't like football - it's not compulsory!

neither of my boys was doing anything other than swimming lessons at 5 - both did a little bit of football at 6 but didn't particularly enjoy it so stopped after a few months - ds1 discovered swimming club at 7 and ds2 has been going to cycling club for about 18 months and discovered cricket this summer (he's nearly 9)but at 5 he simply wasn't ready for anything structured

[elliott]

Was about to say 'nothing much' and then started totting it up...

brownies - for about one week. v boring
ballet - for long enough to do one exam. all that hairspray and special kit - not for me.
gymnastics - loved it.
horseriding - learnt to ride at about seven, did occasional rides after that
violin and piano lessons.

So, quite a lot really. I ahve to say, I don't think I started any of them before about 7. And I still feel like I ahd lots of time to go round to friends houses and just hang out.

[CathWale]

I've been really worried about this. My 5 year old is a complete home boy and is adamant he doesn't want to do any activities. Personally I'm not bothered by this, and feel that 5 is very young, a time when unstructured play is good. All of my friends' kids have clubs and activities coming out of their ears. Today I was told 'they have to start football at 5 - starting at 6 is too late as they will be behind. And football is critical socially'. When I said 'well we didn't do much at 5', I was firmly told that it was different for boys. Is there not something wrong, when a 5 year old is written off because he's not already taking lessons? Oh, and he's going to be a social failure into the bargain. Am I losing the plot or is it all getting a bit out of hand???

[luckylady74]

I tried tap and ballet when I was about 5 and hated them.
I did Brownies for a bit.
I went swimming after school on my own when I was in middle school.
I went to the library on my own from middle school age.
The whole time I was at school all I really did was play out with friends every day and follow my parents about at weekends on their endless outdoor pursuits.

[Anna8888]

Brownies
Sunday School
Acting
Guitar

[notagrannyyet]

Brownies, swimming, school choir and Sunday school.
Also remember GFS. Think this stood for Girls Friendly Society, and was connected in some way to the church.

Was not allowed to play a musical instrument or have riding lessons because of cost.

[LunarSea]

The only thing I was allowed to do was go to the library!

[LurkerOfTheUniverse]

nothing

totally unheard of when i was a kid

1970's wigan

[compo]

oh did recorder lessons briefly on Sundays and went to Sunday school too

[compo]

piano lesson once a week
ballet for a short while
brownies
then horseriding Sat mornings

[MuffinMclay]

Next to none.

Brownies, briefly. I hated it and begged not to go.
Swimming. Also hated that. Did it until I could swim a width then stopped.
Sunday School and other church things (not my choice)

Wanted to do ballet but wasn't allowed.

I hated organised activities and resented the time they took up when I could think of 1001 things I'd rather do with the time.

[LittleBella]

Just brownies between 8 and 10.

Though do remember doing swimming as well, probably for about a year.

[asdmumandteacher]

At primary - piano lessons, brownies and church choir

At secondary - guides, piano lessons, oboe lessons, youth band, youth orchestra

[SmugColditz]

Oh I forgot - from 12 I played the cornet and took myself to band practice twice a week and to whatever events the band held over Christmas and in the summer. My parents didn't get involved, wouldn't get involved, and I loved the autonomy, that I had a huge part of me that they had not brought about, but I did feel very sad at the events watching the other players and their families, who were very very careful NOT to leave me out (bless them). It was not a childen's band, it was a town brass band (think brassed off, just like that) and thinking back, I used to get lifts with anyone.