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.

[PrimulaVeris]

Brownies - hated

Ballet - hated once initial love affair with tutus faded

Church youth club (from age 9) - brilliant

[catweazle]

brownies
ballet, tap, modern and National
piano
sunday school

I did loads more than my dcs

[Tigerschick]

Brownies
Ballet
Tap - but that was Saturday mornings
2 nights a week clubs run by the school, changed every term.
2 nights a week swimming but only from April to October.

Oh and school netball practice.

[Tigerschick]

Darn it, forgot about piano.

[castlesintheair]

Swimming 5 nights a week
Ballet
Choir
Athletics (summer)
Brownies
Riding
Piano
Drama

Didn't seem much at the time. My DCs are extremely idle in comparison.

[mogs0]

I was just thinking I didn't really do anything after school then remembered all the things I actually went to!

Piano - hated it! Teacher used to smack her pencil across my knuckles when I got notes wrong!!
Friday club - Sunday school on a friday (I loved it!)
Brownies - loved that too.
County orchestra (violin) - not quite sure how this came about because I couldn't actually play the violin very well.
Pottery classes on a Saturday morning - this was, by far, my favourite!! I still have lots of plates/dishes that I made when I was 8!!!!

We lived in a tiny village but were lucky there were so many activities available. I don't think most of them are still running though.

[mazzystar]

ballet till i was six
gymnastics for a bit
brownies, sporadically
piano lessons
swimming lessons after school [got an early dart for that]
sunday school!
occasional drama workshop
not a lot of this overlapped though, was always a dilletante

[bythepowerofgreyskull]

I did
violin from age of 6
piano from age of 5
swimming from 5
ballet from 6
brownies.

Once I went to boarding school
I did
gymnastics
Piano
violin
wind band
swimming

[cariboo]

Until ballet at 8, absolutely nothing.

[cariboo]

Forgot about btownies. that was good fun.

[Scarletibis]

Brownies, ballet, gymnastics and also Sunday school (even tho my parents weren't particularly religious )

[madmummy4]

I did ballroom and latin for a bit until I got bored!
I used to do first aid at the Red Cross which my mum didn't mind as she thought I was getting something useful out of it and it was cheap.
Other than that I only went to the local youth club.

[SmugColditz]

I did Badgers and I had keyboard lessons.

My brother didn't do anything (didn't want to) and my sister had guitar lessons.

ironically, my brother is now an extremely accomplished pianist who nevertheless cannot read music at all - and who still has to get me to tell him what note pieces start on. He is also a fantastic pencil artist, and actually has a girlfriend a a full time job (the only one out of the three to do this at this time)

[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.

[asdmumandteacher]

At primary - piano lessons, brownies and church choir

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

[LittleBella]

Just brownies between 8 and 10.

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

[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.

[compo]

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

[compo]

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

[LurkerOfTheUniverse]

nothing

totally unheard of when i was a kid

1970's wigan

[LunarSea]

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

[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.

[Anna8888]

Brownies
Sunday School
Acting
Guitar

[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.

[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???