After school activities for a six year old

[Pumpkin20222]

Please let me know any recommendations for after school activities - what is too little, what is too much? As parents, our overall stance is that childhood is a time to play and explore. We live in the countryside, in a village where there are plenty of other young children, and have lots of animals. It is nice, as it feels like growing up in the countryside decades ago - in and out of each others houses, climbing trees, looking after pets, etc. Before moving here, my husband and I were in cities and travelling for work after Uni, with fairly stressful careers. We wanted more of a balance for DS and he loves country life, but we also want him to have the options of children who have grown up with a lot of extra-curricular activities and slightly higher-powered school environments. DS spends a lot of time on unstructured play, which is great and the same as the other kids in the village. He does far fewer formal activities than some of the kids I know in the UK. I have been ill, so cannot ferry him about as much as I would like.

We prioritised swimming, doing an intensive summer course at five and keeping this up with a trip to the pool every week or other week. We are not in the UK and in the country where we live there is a big emphasis on gaining strong swimming skills, with a step by step programme from the national lifeguard authority (we are following the programme, not going beyond). DS loves swimming and really enjoyed the course and is always happy about recreational trips to the pool/messing about in the water with friends. I really support this, because of the safety aspect and also the confidence gained by learning this skill well.

When he started school, we said to do whatever afterschool activities you want. He wanted to join a sports group (trying lots of different things), because his friends do it and he enjoys this. I gave him a nudge towards the junior programme at the local football club and he enjoys this and it has helped him know the older kids on the school bus, therefore to be a bit more confident.

Music lessons are possible at the school. We gave him a nudge towards this and he starts piano soon. If he enjoys it will keep it going. Not many of the kids in the village seem interested in music lessons, but both my husband and I did this growing up.

He is bilingual (English and a Euro language), just because of the first languages my husband and I have.

DS(8) does tennis, Cubs, swimming, ice skating, scuba diving, choir (at school), cricket (summer only), and air pistol shooting. He also looks after and rides his pony 6 days a week.

Beavers (then cubs and scouts) is pretty good if there is a group near enough. Big range of activities, teaches them skills, and teamwork, camps etc. pretty cheap compared with anything else as each group is a charity and tend to do everything at cost. BUT it is run by volunteers who are fully trained and abide by the Scout Association rules, so it isn't necessarily an easy "pay, drop and run situation" If you have to travel to it, it makes sense to volunteer anyway. Often has waitlists.

Well I couldn't if I worked full time unless I had a nanny to take them.
As it is, I work part time and either me, my husband or my mum are around after school to take to activities.

Yeah, that’s the dilemma and appeal of private school for those that can afford it and have two full-time working parents. All the activities are at school either during lunch or after or before school so no need to coordinate anything.

Where I live, parents share taking Dc to things. The hospital consultants Dc didn’t miss out. Parents help each other.