5-6 yrs old at school full time - after school activities

[OmarsMum]

How many after school activities do your children go to?

Omar goes to swimming at school on Mobdays, karate on Saturdays and Wednesday at 5 pm and piano and arts on Saturday morning. A friend thinks it is too much for a 5 yrs old.

Other than piano (as it needs some practicing at home but he is doing well) he doesn't complain or seems tired.

He likes all classes and next year he will go to football classes once a week at school (he asked for them as he is obsessed with football those days)

Does it sound too much for a 5-6 yrs old?

 

[Natsku]

That sounds like a lot to me but that does depend how long his school day is. And having karate, piano and arts all on Saturday does sound quite a lot - how much time do they take up altogether? Of course if he's enjoying it all and doesn't seem tired it might not be too much for him

When I was 5 I only did something one day a week after school.

 

[Boomerslady]

Ben doesn't go to any classes. I don't have the money right now if I'm honest, and I only have him 4 days a week so I cherish those few hours after school!

I would like him to do 1-2 classes after school, it's just finding a class that he wants to go to on a day I have him!! I don't think that's too much, unless he's exhausted? But I know Ben comes out of school full of every most days!

Does Omar enjoy the clubs and activities? I think that's all that matters.

 

[OmarsMum]

He finishes school at 2.40 pm, we reach home at 3.10

He is never tired after school and he goes out immediately to play football as soon as we reach home!

He is ok with 3 classes on Saturday, piano is 30 mins only, arts is 1 hour.

We had the 3 classes today, we went to a mall after the morning classes and he went to the play area. Then we went to karate and he was fine. He's still up and running around now at 10 pm looool.

The weather gets really hot here from May till mid November, all the classes are around our place, I don't have the energy to commute to play areas or leave him at home on weekends.

 

[Natsku]

Sounds like its fine for him then and a good way to work out his energy!

 

[Twinmum87]

it does seam like a lot. i cant afford all that kind of stuff so mine only get to go to the clubs that school provide for free for 1 term at a time so they can rotate thru groups and give all children who are interested a chance. this term just gone they both wanted to do spanish and foot ball, one ended up dropping spanish and the other football as they didnt like being away from me for the extra hour for 2 nights a week. they usually do 1 or 2 after school clubs per year that last one term each. if i could afford it i would do swimming lessons and music lessons instead of the school clubs but it just isnt an option.

 

[lindseymw]

Joshua goes to Swimming on a Tuesday after school and Beavers on a Wednesday.

He's not interested in doing anything else clubwise. At the weekend, we try and get out either to the beach, over the moors or a hike up the woods for the full day. This week, we have been fishing, hiking twice and to the beach twice.

 

[Quartz]

I think it depends on the 5 year old. My daughter needs a lot of activities in order to physically and perhaps more importantly mentally tire her out. She does a similar amount (recorder, drama, gymnastics, swimming, french club and ballet) and does something most days after school.

Its not too much at school and she has enough time at home afterwards.

 

[OmarsMum]

Joshua goes to Swimming on a Tuesday after school and Beavers on a Wednesday.

He's not interested in doing anything else clubwise. At the weekend, we try and get out either to the beach, over the moors or a hike up the woods for the full day. This week, we have been fishing, hiking twice and to the beach twice.

Other than the beach we don't have anything natural here, everything is man made. We go to the park but we can't do much during the day as the sun is killing. I avoid the beach in winter, it is all what we do during the summer in addition to play areas

We have a break now, today we will go egg hunting and in the evening we have a play date.

He loves trying new stuff, he asked for the arts classes and he's enjoying them, at home he's not bothered in colouring or painting but he enjoys it in class

 

[OmarsMum]

I think it depends on the 5 year old. My daughter needs a lot of activities in order to physically and perhaps more importantly mentally tire her out. She does a similar amount (recorder, drama, gymnastics, swimming, french club and ballet) and does something most days after school.

Its not too much at school and she has enough time at home afterwards.

Omar is the same, if he stays at home he drives me insane, he turns the house upside down, he converts the rooms into classes and he moves his stuffed toys from place to place.

 

[lindseymw]

Joshua goes to Swimming on a Tuesday after school and Beavers on a Wednesday.

He's not interested in doing anything else clubwise. At the weekend, we try and get out either to the beach, over the moors or a hike up the woods for the full day. This week, we have been fishing, hiking twice and to the beach twice.

Other than the beach we don't have anything natural here, everything is man made. We go to the park but we can't do much during the day as the sun is killing. I avoid the beach in winter, it is all what we do during the summer in addition to play areas

We have a break now, today we will go egg hunting and in the evening we have a play date.

He loves trying new stuff, he asked for the arts classes and he's enjoying them, at home he's not bothered in colouring or painting but he enjoys it in class

We are lucky that we have all those things all within reach (woods are 2 mins walk, many beaches are within 10-30min drive, moors are the same.)

Joshua is not an indoor child, he has to be doing something. We have just started Geocaching which he loves (might be worth looking into for Omar), basically it's a worldwide treasure hunt. You get coords and you have to look for something. On the app, you have a map and a compass which you follow to find the 'treasure' (ranges from Tupperware boxes with bits and pieces in to micro ones that just have a log in to sign)

 

[gingajewel]

Meg does swimming on a Tuesday after school, ballet and tap on a Saturday morning and she is just starting cheer on a Wednesday straight after school. She loves doing activities and I think its a good way to keep her fit and active.

 

[Tasha]

My children do a 1 he 15 minute lesson once a week (different days for each of them), a two hour lesson on a Friday and they're soon to start on a Saturday morning (think that's around three hours).

I think Omar sounds like he needs that stimulation, so for him it isn't too much but other children it may be x

 

[aimee-lou]

We don't do anything at the moment. It's mainly money but also logistics. I'm on my own with the 3 boys in the week, so no-one to watch the younger ones and it's not fair to have them coming to everything. Earl used to do gymnastics which was great - there was a creche for the younger ones and it was local and good value, but it closed down due to low numbers. I tried to get people to come but nope. Nearest thing to us that's similar it 20 miles away and I can't afford the fuel on top of the fees. Earl would love to do it again though so I'm keeping my ear to the ground for a more local opportunity for him. I'm looking at swimming and beavers for him from September when he goes into Yr1 and then next year when he turns 7 he'll start Piano.

 

[RachA]

To me it sounds like a lot-I'm not sure I'd be happy adding another activity to that list.

Daniel is 7, nearly 8, and does Beavers on a Monday, swimming in a Tuesday, tennis in a Thursday and a club at church on a Friday. He really really enjoys doing all if these however we feel that his school work is affected by it so we are currently reviewing it.
Having more homework is definitely what's caused the issues. It was fine when he was 5/6 as he didn't have much homework.

I would say that as long as he's enjoying it and it isn't affecting his schoolwork and his mental state that it's ok

 

[Kte]

So long as he is enjoying them all!

Chloe used to do tennis, she started it before she went to school and then carried it on for two terms but it was a rush from school to eat and get to her lessons and I think it was too much for her, she got tired after a full day at school. She was really good at it and had a rare backhander but we figured it was best that she stopped now rather then dislike playing and hopefully when she is older she may decided to do it again. Although at the moment she is keen to learn to swim but that is more expensive so something I will have to save up for her to do, plus we are also looking at starting her in Beavers if there is a place. All those kind of clubs have a waiting list here.

One of my nephews attends gymnastics, he is older now, but he is the kind of active kid that needs to be busy all the time. He goes 5 days a week (one day off midweek) and goes on a Sunday. He also asked to go to rugby club at school.

You will know if it gets too much, so long as it's all fun for him then why not

 

[kitabird]

Xander does football on a Saturday morning. I'd probably do more classes if I didn't have his little brother too, it's just not practical taking a 2 year old along!

 

[heidi87814]

I think as long as you don't see that he's completely exhausted by it and is still happy to do it, he's fine.

The school day here goes from 8.30am-4.45pm. Once a week there'll be after-school activities at the school. DD does dance and DS does music.

For the most part, they're pretty happy with just doing those once a week because it is a long school day. (A lot of their Korean friends end up going to academies after school though where they do extra science, English and math classes until 10/11pm!!!)

 

[Rhi_Rhi1]

Oh dear, my son only does swimming :/ once a week on a Sunday morning.


This list seems fine to me! better to be doing something than doing nothing
Especially if he isn't protesting. My son has tried other classes and ended up quitting so i just gave up in the end, he would just moan about having to go, but now i wish i had made him keep going. I would love for him to learn an instrument but that would be private tuition. yikes. he just wouldn't concentrate long enough for it to not be a waste of money, and he is nearly 7 ! x

 

[OmarsMum]

Oh dear, my son only does swimming :/ once a week on a Sunday morning.


This list seems fine to me! better to be doing something than doing nothing
Especially if he isn't protesting. My son has tried other classes and ended up quitting so i just gave up in the end, he would just moan about having to go, but now i wish i had made him keep going. I would love for him to learn an instrument but that would be private tuition. yikes. he just wouldn't concentrate long enough for it to not be a waste of money, and he is nearly 7 ! x

DS moaned about his piano lessons so we took a break for 4 months then we started again last month. He was in a stage of wanting to run & play football all day, he wasn't concentrating in his piano classes. When we started again he got his concentration again, and he is doing great.

He chooses the classes, we have a rule: if he asks for it quitting is not an option. He is a perfectionist, when something gets challenging he freaks out & asks to quit to avoid making mistakes. With encouragement & rewards (I bought few medals for rewards) his confidence started to build up more.

He is advanced for his age, all what they are covering at school is basic for him, he needs loads of stimulation but I feel stuck at home with new ideas. This is why we enrol him in classes.