How much £ on toddler activities per week?

[CommonSenseSuze]

My DD (two years) goes to at least one paid for activity per weekday. A few people over the past couple of years have commented that they don't do much as groups are expensive. These people don't seem any worse off financially than me though.

I suppose I just feel that these activities are a priority. I gave up working to look after DD and so I feel I should get her involved in plenty of 'things'. I spend about the following each week:

Toddler play groups: £4
Swimming class: £10
Gym/play class: £4.50
Music groups: £8.50

Does this seem the same as everyone else, or at least reasonable??

Thanks all! :-)

We do messy play, which is £1 and music is £3. Used to have swimming lessons which were £10 but can't manage it now with 2 dc, so just take them swimming with dh at weekends.

I need to get out with them every day otherwise we all go a bit mad (have 2 under 2), but I spend much less when we go to a paid activity than if I take them to the park or something as we generally end up going for a coffee or something afterwards.

We don't do anything like that - just a couple of toddler groups. All the paid for stuff is on the wrong days or I can't get to it without a car. DS seems perfectly happy with stay n play, library, park and visiting friends. His needs are simple. :)

No we couldn't afford all that.

One toddler class @ £4.

I am looking to get him into one other class though, or the library or equivalent.

Swimming about £10.50 and gym tots £5. Like you I'd probably spend more if I wasn't working, but he does a load of stuff in nursery. I don't think your expenditure is too high, so long as you can afford it.

Do you go to any of the free sessions at the library? I find them better than some of the paid for classes I used to go to

I forgot to add - I think that is reasonable if you can afford it.

For us, that would be unreasonable because we would have to sacrifice something else, like food or petrol.

Crikey. That's a lot.

DD and I went to playgroups, but they were practically free.

Thanks all.

Yes, we go to free sessions at a SureStart Children's Centre and at the library. We also do 'play dates' (for some reason I hate that phrase - don't know why!) with friends and park, etc.

Thanks again. :)

blimey that's a lot! We do:

Art group £3
Music group £6

the rest of the time we do stuff like parks, library, and going to friends' houses. It's fine if you can afford it, but don't feel you have to do something everyday, nothing wrong with a lazy walk counting ducks and picking up leaves

That sounds like a really busy week to me, and an expensive one.

I couldn't afford all that, and even if I could, I'm not sure I'd want to pay that amount per week.

We go to a few different groups, sometimes every week, sometimes every other. But the most expensive of those is £1.50 which includes a drink and biscuit.

Swimming, if we decide to go, is just under £4.

We go for walks, go to the park, visit friends.

If I was going to spend £8.50, I'd prefer to go to a coffee shop, have a drink, share a cake with DD and have a giggle!

£0

But he does go to nursery 1.5 days a week. That's more than £0.

When I say £4 on toddler groups, that 2 x £2, which doesn't seem a lot. Music groups are £4.50 and £4.

With each activity taking a maximum of 2.5 hours, we have plenty of time left in the day for park, cafe, library etc with friends.

I think it's all relative - I couldn't afford to spend that much, so to me it does seem expensive. BUT, if you can afford it, then it's perfectly reasonable to spend it, especially as you're both getting a social life out of it.

(sounds perfectly lovely to me )

Thanks all. :)

I suppose I was also wondering if this seems a lot of activity. I notice quite a few people I know describe their week as "hectic", if they've been to literally a couple of activities.

I feel like DD's happier when there's something to go to. She has a lot of different groups of friends because of it too.

I also feel as though life's easier for me, as I don't have to be the sole entertainer all of the time. Perhaps I'm the lazy one!

We get out to at least one paid-for session each day too (apart from weekends). I suppose they cost about the same as yours, Commonsensesuze.

I think it's money will spent and (I know this is going to sound bitchy and I really don't mean to be nasty, so sorry in advance) but I think a child is going to benefit a lot more from a music group, for example, where they can dance around and play percussion instruments with their friends, than a cake in a cafe.

Of course cakes and cafes, as Commonsensesuze says, can all happen before and after little groups. I'm addicted to coffee, so it has to!

Our weekly activities cost :

Swimming Lesson- £10
Ballet- £4
Toddler groups - £2

Doesnt sound too excess to me.
I think if you can afford it and the activities suit you and your DD then thats fine.

my son is 2 and my weekly costs are ...

2.50 toddler group 1
2.50 toddler group 2
Quite low really. We do alot of socialising/coffees/lunches round each others houses plus walks, park visits and often don our wellies to walk in the local shallow streams. I and my friends are also members of various places - including slimbridge which has the wonderful wellyland.

However come March when son starts play group costs will be ...

7.50 per play group session and he will be attending 2 - so 15 per week term time until he is 3 and gets it free.

I am also considering doing a toddler gym session at 4.50 per week but may leave it till his pre-school year when my out goings are much lower.

My 7 year old is far more expensive to run!!!
He does piano in school hours at 70 per term, swimming at 60 per term and dance at 60 per term. Then theres the endless school costs. Not a week goes by without being asked for money.

That is a heck of a lot of money! Blimey!

forgot to say that the toddler groups are very musical.

Genrally we do something in the morning and then my son sleeps from 12 to 2pm - followed by the school run.

sounds a lot to me!

I go to:

Swimming (£3.50)
Stay and Play (£1)
Messy play (free)
toddler group (free)
Parks/friends houses/art gallery/museums (free)

i dont think its too busy, we go to activities every day and i think its better that way if your dc like to be busy and also if you dont like to be sat in the house yourself, but i just go to all free ones. if you can afford and that is the ones you like to go to though i dont see a problem @ all.

I think it sounds fine; as long as itfits in with your finances then it's ok. I probably spend the same:

Swimming £10
Little Gym £10

CSS, do what works for you and if you can afford it, why not?!

Here swimming lessons would be under a fiver for sure, toddlers is £10 for a term and gym/music type toddler classes also under a fiver a week. Personally I couldn't afford to do all that with my toddler (and I also have 2 older ones with activities to pay for but I've done less with each one so far!).

I have a 2 year old - she goes to toddler groups a week, we go for a swim most weeks but she's free so just paying for me £3.60 I think, then we do the church cafe and have mummy/baby friends or house/park meet ups.

I stopped going to music groups when I realised that I was paying £7 to sing the Wheels on the Bloody Bus. Also, the toddler group I go to (for £1.50) does a few songs at the end so that's two birds with one stone :)

Also never saw the point of Tumble Tots etc, I just take them for a run round the park every day.

I do go to soft play once a week (£3.60) but only 'cause all my friends do.

I do spend quite a lot of money in coffee shops though!