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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

Original poster

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

63 replies

Hulababy · 17/09/2008 20:20

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.

OP posts:
MrsQ · 17/09/2008 20:23

Yep, that'll be a 'none' from me. Dancing on a Saturday morning... but thinking about it now that might have been so Mum & Dad could go round the supermarket with one less child in tow

MaloryDontDiveItsShallow · 17/09/2008 20:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AMumInScotland · 17/09/2008 20:23

Snap = just brownies

Marne · 17/09/2008 20:27

I did football (i was the only girl)
Ballet and tap dancing (hated it but mother made me go)
Horse ridding on a sunday (loved it)

Never went to brownies

francagoestohollywood · 17/09/2008 20:42

I did ballet twice a week at primary.
At 9 I started doing english lessons. But it was a very informal setting, as it was at a friend of mine place and her mother would teach us (she was good but with a strong italian accent )

Btw, I hated being interrupted in my games to go to ballet classes.

MrsWeasley · 17/09/2008 20:46

None for me I wanted to join Brownies but my parents said No

mimsum · 17/09/2008 23:36

my mum never did any so over-compensated wildly with me and my sisters - at one point I was doing violin, piano, recorder, choir, orchestra, ballet, swimming, ice-skating and horse-riding - it was absolutely exhausting and how my mum got us from one activity to another as well as working as a teacher I'll never know ...

NoBiggy · 17/09/2008 23:38

Recorder and dancing at school. Brownies, Girls Brigade and piano out of school.

streakybacon · 18/09/2008 07:51

Nothing, not a sausage. I don't even remember there being much available tbh - a few of the girlie-girls went to dancing classes but that wasn't my thing. Other than that we just did played outside.

Mind you, that was forty years ago so I guess that makes a difference.

lizziemun · 18/09/2008 08:14

Nothing, we played outside in the street with the other children in the street without adult supervision. Oh the joys of growing up in the 70's .

pooka · 18/09/2008 08:19

Did ballet briefly aged about 6. Hated it.
Did brownies for a year aged8 - 9.

Apart from that: nothing.

ghosty · 18/09/2008 08:21

I did ballet once a week and twice a week (sometimes 3) if an exam was looming. I loved it.
DS (8) does: Tennis and swimming all year round. Soccer in the winter and Cricket in the summer.

IdrisTheDragon · 18/09/2008 08:22

I did after school clubs - orchestra, choir, gym club and drama club. Not all at the same time though. They went on until about 4:15 or 4:30.

Out of school I did guides.

DontCallMeBaby · 18/09/2008 08:27

I did ballet for a while, not sure at what age.

I was a Brownie at one point, and after that I was a naval cadet for a while - not sure if that was late primary age or early secondary age though).

DH wants me to find DD a gymnastics class, but I've said no way is she doing THREE after school activities at just four, I want her to have friends round for tea, and go to friends for tea, and even play out with the kids next-door-but-one.

lljkk · 18/09/2008 11:23

There's another thread about this somewhere, chat? I usually did one thing a week, varied what it was (1970s).

MrsMattie · 18/09/2008 17:19

I did ballet twice a week and 'girl's club' ( a kind of youth group) once a week.

surreylady · 18/09/2008 17:39

Ballet and Brownies - hated ballet and gave up as soon as I could find a good excuse and tolerated brownies but manage to escape when it came to guides though

harpomarx · 18/09/2008 17:44

I was thinking about this too - it's not just primary school, is it? When dd was still 3 I knew kids going to ballet, gymnastics, swimming etc, etc.

I did ride quite a lot from about 6 or 7. Had piano lessons for a few years, tried ballet about twice, Brownies once. Oh, had swimming lessons because my mum was terrified of the water and was determined we wouldn't be. A few tennis lessons.

That sounds like quite a lot now I look at it, but I didn't feel like I was doing much, most of my after school activities involved playing in the garden or watching tv.

EachPeachPearMum · 18/09/2008 17:54

Brownies
Ballet
Tap
Modern
Swimming
Piano
Gymnastics
School choir at lunchtime

It didn't feel like too much at the tie- I enjoyed them.

Flier · 18/09/2008 17:56

was going to say no activities, but forgot about brownies, also did dancing but didn't like it. Did a kids club at the sport centre on a saturday morning.

Pollyanna · 18/09/2008 18:00

gymnastics in school, brownies, swimming, piano and drama out of school.

my chidren have have 2 after school clubs each (because they insist really)and piano and swimming on a saturday

Smithagain · 18/09/2008 18:03

Piano lessons from age 6ish.

Brownies from age 7 - then Guides at 10.

Violin lessons in school from age 8ish.

Sunday school.

ForeverOptimistic · 18/09/2008 18:05

Just Brownies.

HeinzSight · 18/09/2008 18:05

Swimming Club (about 5 hours a week)
Brownies

islandofsodor · 18/09/2008 18:11

I did piano lessons
School show during Autumn term
Choir
Sunday School (including church Eisteddofrd type competitions)
Brownies
Recorders