How involved are your kids in activities?

[beachpotato]

The array of options boggles the mind - I'm trying to find a good balance between enrichment and unstructured, imaginative play.

[sclisa]

Finances are tight at the moment, but we are still managing to provide outside enrichment by squeezing the budget in other areas (like energy use...it's *hot* in here :D). We alternate between violin and piano lessons for the three older dc because we can't afford to do both at the same time. Ds is an on-again/off-again karate student. Dd15 takes dance. Dd12 takes art lessons but isn't interested in a sport. This summer, my three younger dc will take swimming lessons simply because I feel it's an important life skill. Financially, that will work well because the art/karate/dance goes on hiatus during the summer. Well, that's not entirely true...there are "summer sessions" that are available, but we choose not to participate in the summer months.

[nancypants]

un.

[iquilt]

So far just dance for dd6 and dd4, plus choir at our church. We tried basketball this winter but all were very happy when it was over :) We tend to go to the park and do a lot of crafting at our house.

[Jennifer in MI]

We do a lot. But, I have to mention that each of these activities is within 1 - 3 miles from our house. We walk to most of them.

Spring/summer - karate (all three boys), baseball (three different teams! all the kids)
Fall - Fencing (one child), soccer (one child), children's choir (two children), karate (all three boys), lacrosse (one child)
Winter - karate (all three boys), basketball (2 children), indoor soccer (one child)

I think that's it! My oldest also participates in our local high-powered rocketry club year round.

Piano lessons are done in our house.

I think that's it!! No wonder I'm tired!!! LOL

[Liza Q]

Eight years ago we had few planned activities for our children - just an occasional field trip or play date and 8 weeks of Ice Skating with our homeschool group in the winters. Money was tighter and I was - tired - and everything was hard with a baby and a toddler.

But things change! Three years ago we started our third on Ballet lessons once a week. And we started doing soccer in the spring - 2 evening a week and Saturday mornings. I really hate it but it is good for our younger ones - we live in an apartment building and they do not get as much fresh air/running around as I would like.

Then two years ago we started having the children take Art classes on Saturday mornings - 12 weeks during the fall and then again during the spring. While they are in class my husband and I have breakfast out, run errands, sit on a bench (or in the cafeteria) and talk - or just sit. It has been lovely!!!! This past year we let our oldest skip the classes and she had all those mornings alone at home, enjoying the peace and quiet!

The art classes have benefited us all but we may not do it again this year:confused: I am so sad but we may not have the money this time as there are other things that the children want to do!

Katie wants to supplement her French studies so we found a summer evening class. Sarah is taking classes in July in Digital Photography and Graphic Design. Hannah's ballet class goes to 2x per week this fall - she is thrilled but I am wondering how it will affect our lives. Benjamin wants to join the Boy Scouts or do Karate or something else boy-ish.

I wish they were all little again - everything was hard then but it is way more complicated now!

[WTMCassandra]

We do piano just about year-round, both children. This is top priority.

For the last two years we have done handbells, once a week, both children, off in the summer.

This last "school year" we added art lessons, once a week, both children, off in the summer. We also went for an informal chess night once a week, but that was in winter only (Nov - Mar).

We have had horse lessons off and on (both children) and have worked on the lady's barn in exchange. This has been sporadic and definitely off Nov-Mar.

We also then ended up adding a weekly Bible study. Ack!

I have felt very maxed out and am really ready for art and handbells to end next week. I definitely wouldn't add any more.

[GailV]

Overly.

A couple of years ago we were new in town and didn't do much of anything insofar as organized activities outside of the home. We got LOTS of schooling done, but were sort of lonely.

Flash forward: Irish Dance (on a competitive level), swimming, youth group, choir, more Irish Dance, piano, Scouts, and did I mention the Irish Dance?

And classes at the Science Center and Zoo, which I count as science. And probably some other stuff I'm not thinking of. Like Irish Dance performances or weekends spent at Irish Dance competitions (I'm scarred for life).

They'd like to take horseback riding lessons and violin and all sorts of other things, but, really, when? and how shall we pay for these lessons?

[hsmom]

I try to keep them involved with their friends and other kids with activities. They also enjoy it.

oldest DS
Spring - soccer and baseball
Fall - soccer
In the other times of the year he is out riding his dirt bike. He wants to add basketball and touch football to this.
youngest DS (starting this fall and next year)
spring - soccer and t-ball
fall - soccer
In the other times he is riding his 4 wheeler, while his older brother rides the dirt bike.
DD
Tap, cheerleading, ballet, gymnastics, basketball, soccer, and girl scouts.

[JenneinAZ]

We have:

dd9: Girl Scouts (off over the summer), Swimming Lessons (all year)

ds7: Cub Scouts (off over the summer), Swimming Lessons (all year), piano (all year)

ds4: Swimming Lessons (all year), music class (all year)

All the kids have swimming at the same time on Friday afternoons so it isn't as big a deal. Dd9 did have piano but is doing recorder independently now. And ds4 is trying out music class now. This is as busy as I can handle our schedule. They would do more, but my tolerance for busy-ness is maxed out here.

[mommylaw]

Three big kids: swim team, kung fu, piano (girls), guitar (boy), 3 enrichment classes each, American Heritage girls, Conquest boys group, Landsharks running club, jump rope classes, tennis lessons, and art lessons

The little guys: music and me, gymnastics, cheering on the big sibs at their activities.

ME: I'm in my final year of nursing school!, American Heritage Girl's leader, USA swimming official and taxi driver :)

[Jenny in Atl]

I often fell like a taxi... but that comes in waves.

[JFS in IL]

My homeschooler takes marital arts twice a week (over a year now), she also gets weekly music and band at the local school.

[Jenny in Florida]

He's an intense, social, on-the-go kind of kid. And with his big sister away at school this year, I knew we'd need to get him out and about and keep him busy. It's worked really well. He's happy as a clam.

(Of course, I'm exhausted and stressed from juggling his schedule, but, hey, he's happy.)

He does:

- Piano lesson once a week
- Ballet, three 1.5-hour classes per week
- Tap, one hour per week
- Jazz, one hour per week
- Choir, two-hour rehearsal once a week, plus an extra Saturday-morning rehearsal about once per month and one or more performances per month
- During the spring semester, musical theatre class two hours per week (plus occasional extra rehearsals)
- Model rocket club, one Saturday per month

He also participates in as much theatre as he can fit into his schedule. This year, he did The Nutcracker (for which they didn't have enough boys and so he ended up in every performance), sang with the children's choir in the local opera's production of Turandot, and "workshopped" a new opera semi-locally and in New York.

All told, we're out taking him to something pretty much every weekday and at least one day most weekends.

[Danestress]

They were involved very very little (I would say zero, but perhaps I am forgetting something) until they were five. Then we started violin at five, and they also did soccer one season. They did swimteam when they were six and then started to play tennis just for fun with their Daddy. Eventually one chose swimming and one chose tennis, and between that and violin, I feel like we are pretty busy!

[chiguirre]

We do something just about everyday. TKD is twice a week, gymnastics, kindermusik, hs coop, ballet and catechism. Our summer schedule will be much lighter :) and I need the break. I knew going in to hsing that I would have to do a lot of running to make sure ds had the suggested 10 hours a week of inclusion in typical classes so it's just part of the job.

[Margaret in CO]

Landsharks!!!! We ran against your club at JOs! Our boys (Mustangs) took 2nd at State, but we didn't field a team for the girls.

We have:
for 14yo:
x-c in the fall
gym in the winter
track in the spring
college orchestra
She also shows steers and sheep

12yo:
Scouts
swim team in the summer
archery

9yo:
orchestra (huge time commitment involving 2 hour drive each way twice a month--she's at a concert now, with another tomorrow night)
swim team in summer
shows sheep
once a week worship dance class--dance 3 times a year or so

All three have once a week Gun Club, shoot outside of town just once a year

This summer is completely thrown off kilter as the runner has just had major ankle surgery--she'll be out of commission all summer.

All of our sporting events involved a 2-5 hour drive--we spend a lot of time on the road...

[mcconnellboys]

We do a lot, but I think boys may need even more activity than girls sometimes. Right now, we're winding down our school year and getting ready for summer activities. Here's what's happening:

He has a piano lesson once weekly, which will continue for most of the summer.

He has a two hour "park day" once weekly, where a pack of hs kids get together to play outside in an area park. This will continue through summer when we can do it....

He has a one hour per week Spanish enrichment class and we generally eat lunch out with some other hser's on that day. This ends at the end of May.

He has a library class for hser's next Monday that covers outlining.

He has a 4-H Growbiz class that will run through summer. They will be growing basil and dill, marketing those and selling them at local farmer's markets and our food coop.

He is finishing up Webelos I for the year.

He is finishing up his spring soccer season.

He will be doing a couple of horseback riding camps at the end of May.

He'll be moving from winter swimming into summer swim team at the beginning of June.

He will do a week long summer theatre camp near the end of June.

I don't know yet what sorts of things I'll try to get him into for next school year.

[PinkInTheBlue]

We are as busy as we will be. I'm amazed at the list some of you have. :) Wow!! We do TKD 3 or 4 times a week, skateboarding 2 to 4 times a week and then just the full time neighborhood kids playing. The only change will be that I intend on the guys taking swim classes shortly for about 6 weeks.

[Jenny in Florida]

He does:

- Piano lesson once a week
- Ballet, three 1.5-hour classes per week
- Tap, one hour per week
- Jazz, one hour per week
- Choir, two-hour rehearsal once a week, plus an extra Saturday-morning rehearsal about once per month and one or more performances per month
- During the spring semester, musical theatre class two hours per week (plus occasional extra rehearsals)
- Model rocket club, one Saturday per month

He also participates in as much theatre as he can fit into his schedule. This year, he did The Nutcracker (for which they didn't have enough boys and so he ended up in every performance), sang with the children's choir in the local opera's production of Turandot, and "workshopped" a new opera semi-locally and in New York.

He's also taking twice-monthly classes at the science museum. They are four hours on Wednesday afternoons.

[Amy in Orlando]

WOW - some of you guys do so much! I feel like a slacker! We have Scouts/Venture Scouts - 2 meetings a week and usually at least one activity over the weekend. All four boys are in tae kwon do and we're there at least four times a week. Oldest ds has piano lessons once a week. We have tons of neighborhood kids so when they're not somewhere else, it's fun around here too.

[tess in the burbs]

My kids had swim lessons early on in life. My son was a natural and recommended to try private lessons. This teacher then recommended him for the swim team that had an early training class. He wanted to do this(and the teacher was one of the coaches) and so we spent a good two years by a pool, lol.

but then he was tired of it. so when we moved 45 minutes away we stopped going until the end of year event. And with no swim team near us that doesn't require purchasing a pool membership I haven't offered it again.

But then the sports began. He played soccer and basketball this year. We paid for and then decided against tball(the schedule was too much IMHO). My dd did dance but she too stopped liking it and I will be sooooooo glad when it's over in 2 weeks. She pulled through to finish but it was hard.

Now I am trying to figure out next year. Ds asked about swim team the other day :001_huh: Dd asked about some princess dance camp :001_huh:

For summer Ds is doing a basketball camp. Both are doing art camp. And I plan to teach some more swimming skills. I want Ds to get his form back in swimming and I just want Dd to float on her back(ask me how much I have spent already to teach her?!)

I know that I can't let them do nothing. I grew up in activities and they enjoy doing them. We don't push. In fact I find myself offering them to quit when it's overwhelming, LOL!!! They also did Awana's this year at another church and I had no intention of doing it again but both asked to.

So for fall they will do Awana's and the program at our current church. different nights. Awana's is more work and the other church thing is more fun/games. I will be teaching them piano at home. It is my understanding at this moment both will play soccer and basketball. Ds wants to do tball after that and I just pray Dd won't want to try it as well.

As long as we have the money I don't mind the sports. I hate having my Saturdays gone all year but I suppose that makes me selfish :tongue_smilie:

So I feel we are involved too much. I want the kids to try scouts but there is no way we could fit it in. And I just don't know what to cut out. I want them to try whatever they have interest in. So I am more torn about activities than they are, lol.

[nestof3]

My boys do nothing on a regular basis, except my oldest who runs everyday. He is planning to start fencing as well.

My younger boys are in a Mad Science class right now (just 6 classes).

They will take swim lessons for 10 days straight in June.

My 8 year old son will be in a history camp for 4 days this summer.

The youner boys are very creative, and I really don't want to fill their days too much. Today, they spent over an hour with watercolors. I try to allow them a lot of free time to explore intrests during the day.

I also don't have enough time to homeschool, take care of business paperwork, keep house, and cook food if I'm running around a lot.

[Sue G in PA]

Dd11, ds8 and ds7 will do swim team again this summer. Ds10 will start Football late Aug. Ds7 wants to play soccer this year but as sign-ups are tomorrow and we are broke...I doubt that will happen unless the coordinator will accept a check later this month. Typically, I have one dc or another involved in 1 sport each season.

Music lessons would be a dream come true for us. But, we can't afford it and even if we could...we couldn't afford the gas now. Gas prices are effecting our every decision these days. And, it is a shame b/c my ds10 shows such a talent for music and could really use some formal lessons to back-up his natural talent.

[gardenschooler]

I always try to keep it to around three things at a time. I just can't handle any more than that.

With my older two, most of their activities have been the same (but not all). We'd usually have choir or Awana, Girl Scouts, and then either a sport or music class. There just wasn't time for everything. The older ones can, of course, go off to things on their own now, so they do a lot more now (especially sports with a church just down the street). They're very active in our youth group, and that keeps them plenty busy. My oldest is the only one still in scouts.

Thankfully, the youngest is an introvert like me, and would gladly not be involved in *any* group activities. She only does a few co-op classes, church, and Awana. She is not interested in Brownies, choir, or any kind of sports. I used to make her go, but I finally got it - she's just like her mom. She likes to get together with friends, but group things are for the birds, as far as she's concerned. Except Awana, which she loves.

For the summer and next year, we'll do
dd#1 - ? A job maybe? She'll be taking some AP classes, so I don't know how much time she'll have. She's planning on quitting scouts, but she'll stay involved with youth group. We also have another youth group sort of thing, that is just for girls, and that meets twice a month. And they even go to another church's youth group, which meets twice a week! So they do -
Sun afternoon - our youth group
Sun night & Wed night - other church's youth group
Every other Thursday night - girls' group
Weekends - some kind of activity at least once a month with one or more of these groups (these two youth groups are combined for activities)

That's enough!! It's too much, IMO, but now that they're older and I don't have to go stand outside the door, :D they can do as much as they want. They even know how to organize carpools, but these are all very close to home, so they can walk sometimes.

Dd#2 will continue with our hs group's student council (and hopefully be more involved), and maybe another group there. We have an honor society that meets once a month, and a speech & debate team (but she's not interested in either of those -grrrrr). We do co-op on Tuesdays, and some of those meet at the same place, so it wouldn't be a hassle. I guess I need to find something that she likes, but really, she just likes going to all these groups and hanging out with her friends (they do a good bit of volunteer work and bible study in these groups, but it's still a whole lot of 'hanging'). She isn't interested in sports, either. I really need to find something constructive for her to do, but she doesn't have a whole lot of time, either.

Dd#3 will just do Awana, church, co-op, and *maybe* one other thing. I don't really count the co-op as one of their activities, because that's just school. We also do a few science/zoo classes here and there, but those aren't all the time. I might look into some additional art/drama something or another for her next year, because she would enjoy more of that. She usually takes those kinds of classes at co-op, but she might enjoy something to do on a Friday. I am planning on at least one week-long day camp for her of that sort.

[gardenschooler]

Flash forward: Irish Dance (on a competitive level)

did I mention the Irish Dance?

Like Irish Dance performances or weekends spent at Irish Dance competitions (I'm scarred for life).



I'm secretly glad now I never took a friend up on her invitation to get my dds started in Irish Dance. I guess anything you do competitively will be very time consuming, but still....I. Just. Can't. I hope my children haven't missed out on discovering some great talents by my lack of willingness to be involved in these kinds of things.

Well, we can't afford them, either, so I'll go with that reason. :tongue_smilie:

[Hannah]

Here's our schedule.

Monday
- Horse-riding for 8yo dd
- Swimming lessons for 3yo (4 in two weeks) dd

Tuesday
- Violin for 8yo dd

Wednesday
- Pottery/therapy with occupational therapist for 8yo dd (in a group of 4)
- Swimming lessons for 3yo dd
- Catechism for 8yo dd

Thursday
- History Club / Science Club - we rotate this with two other families and do the SOTW activities and Sonlight "Discover and Do" experiments together. We did have each once a week, but one of the other family's competitive gymnastics practice has made it harder to get together. We are moving through SOTW slower than I'd have liked (we're half way through book 2 after 2.5 years), but the advantage is that the children benefit from getting a lesson from someone else and from the mom's diverse crafting skills for the activity preparations. We're doing a literature based South African history study in the alternative weeks. For science I regard the Science Club afternoons as an "extra". Both girls join in.
- Kindermusik for 3yo dd.

Saturday
8yo dd has an hour horse-riding lesson, but spends the whole morning mucking about at the stables. She is horse-mad and hanging out with the other girls there is the highlight of her week. They get put to work looking after the horses, so its good for her!

[Julie Herbster]

We live in a rural area, 30 minutes from "town" and over an hour from the nearest "city." Church is an hour away.

The kids play rec league soccer (fall) and church league basketball (winter) each year. Spring is just too busy for baseball/softball, although we have done it before.

Our three older children all take piano and a string instrument. They walk to piano lessons, and we take the whole afternoon on Tuesday to travel to and from string lessons. I'm a stickler about daily practice.

Dd9 made it into the Carolina Youth Symphony, which rehearses Sun. afternoon in Greenville, SC., which is just 45 min. from our church. The rest of the family hangs out at church all afternoon (home is too far away) while dh or I take her to practice.

Since we live at a year-round camp and conference center (over 11,000 kids come here to summer camp each year), the 3 older kids have opportunities to sing in a children's chorus (and this summer, in a trio) for the junior camp services.

We really have it made! Rural, wooded setting, four waterfalls on the property, hiking trails, safe biking trails, lake for swimming and boating, fun activities galore, neighborhood like Mayberry...The kids don't know how good they have it.

[Ravin]

Right now DD is in a weekly 2 hour art class through the city. When that wraps up, I'm going to put her in swimming lessons, for a couple of weeks at least (the weekday morning sessions are 4 days/week for 2 weeks through the city at the nearby pool).

For the fall, we might be starting up a Kids Collegium through my SCA group (the ball for that is in my court, because I'm the Minister of Youth for the group). There are only going to be 2 school aged kids in the College in fall, but we'll invite families from the tri-baronial area (AKA the Phoenix metro area) to join in. Alternately, we might start a Spiral Scouts group. DD will continue to be in a class of some sort through the city, probably another dance or gymnastics class in the fall and then martial arts, then T-ball in the spring.

And that's probably enough, at least unless/until DD finds something she's passionate about pursuing. It's likely we'll add formal music lessons of some sort in first grade.

[Violet]

This summer, dd 11 and dd 8 will do swim team. DD 11 will be doing dance camp this summer. Both will continue with violin and piano lessons. DD 8 *may* do a theatre or art class, unsure as of yet. For the fall, they'll both do piano and violin, dd 11 will be in dance (ballet, tap, and jazz) and we're planning to start dd 8 on a fall/winter swim team. She was doing karate, but we've decided to focus on swimming with her. Karate and swimming along with violin and piano was just too much for her and me! It's still a lot for us. The music lessons require a lot of time on our parts, not just for lessons but working on it at home. Oh, and dd 8 goes to Occupational Therapy, so that's another thing we have to build into our schedule.

Anita

[EarleneW]

ds(10) currently plays basketball but is going back to baseball in the fall. He starts swim team next week.
dd(7) does competitive cheerleading year round and starts swim team next week.
The other 2 just tag along for now, but ds(5) will play baseball in the fall as well.
Basketball is 2X a week, cheerleading is 2-3X a week-plus competitions on weekends from Oct-April, on an average of 2 weekends a month. Baseball will be 2-3X a week in the fall. Swim team is everyday from next week through the end of June.

[3lilreds in NC]

Right now, both girls take horse riding lessons, gymnastics 1x per week and they're in the same ballet/tap class. Dd8 also takes an additional ballet class. We didn't do a co-op or other outside homeschool thing this year, so we let them go a little nuts with activities.

Next year, dd8 will likely be dancing 3x per week. We've already decided that they will need to cut back to horses and one other thing each. Dd7 does not like dance, so she doesn't mind dropping it, but dd8 would really like to continue with gymnastics. I don't know why, because she's afraid to try half the stuff, but I'm tempted to let her go once a week since we will have to take dd7 anyway. She's not great at it, but if she likes it, why not?

For fall, we're currently wait listed for Community Bible Study, which is once a week and the kids would have a Bible class too, and Classical Conversations. I don't know if we will get into either one, but I hope we do. I don't know that we would do both if we got into both.

I would also like them to start piano lessons, but I'm afraid that might be pushing it. They may need to try it, though, because piano lessons are really important to me.

(Note: inlaws pay for dance and may kick in for gymnastics if dd7 doesn't dance, bless them. I'm blathering on here like $$ is no consideration, and it really is. If we were doing it all on our own, they'd have to choose one thing, and they would probably choose horses.)

And with horses, there is a new Cloverbuds 4-H club at our barn, and I'd really like the girls to be able to participate in that. We'll have to see how all the scheduling works out.

[linders]

DS7 takes piano weekly year-round, swim lessons 2x/week (with an eye on a recreational swim team this summer), and co-op weekly (which ended in March). This summer, he will do a week-long science camp and art lessons/golf lessons here and there.

DS5 takes swim lessons 2x/week and co-op weekly. He had no summer plans (good heavens, he's only 5!) until his best friend signed up for soccer camp (1 week) and best friend's dad decided to coach a YMCA soccer team this summer. The little guy has so much energy and is so tight with the friend (and I trust the dad to make it "fun") that I have reluctantly agreed to enter the soccer arena.

Oh, and VBS this summer for both.

[babybryte]

We only do soccer which lasts 7 weeks in the spring and 7 weeks in the fall. And sometimes that feels like too much!! LOL!

Jacquelyn

[CLHCO]

DDs (almost) 14 - guitar/banjo lessons, 4-H, church choir, independent Girl Scouts (Juliettes)

DS 7 - violin lessons, fiddle lesson (2x/month), 4-H, cub scouts, soon to add baseball for the season

DD 3 - Nothing so far

In the summer choir and scouts ends but 4-H takes over our lives. I swear it tries to all year long. That's the one thing I've considered dropping due to the time but all have become obsessed with doing the shooting sports next year. That will certainly take over my life. Sigh.

[Tap, tap, tap]

ds13 schedule per week.

swim team 2.5-3 hours/day x 5-6 days
private swim lessons 30min/day x 1-2days
swim meets 2-3days/mth-these often require overnight travel
piano lessons 30 minutes/day x 1 day
piano practice 15-30minutes/day x 5 days
chess team pratice 1.5 hours/day x 1 days
chess team events 1 all day event/mth
AWANA/Youth Group 3 hours/day x 1 day (Awana 7mths of the year-Youth all year)
Tutor-right now working through Shakespeare 1 hr/day x 1 day

dd9
volley ball 1 hr/2days
AWANA 2.5 hrs/ 1 day (7mths of year)
Piano -off for summer (conflicts with summer Volleyball) but otherwise
piano lessons 30 minutes/day x 1 day
piano practice 15-30minutes/day x 5 days

[pamjk]

We used to be way overscheduled but now I'm on a mission to limit our out-of-the-house days due to gas prices, as well as the stress of constant running around. Weekdays, I try to only plan 2 (or sometimes 3) days out. These days include playdates, library, field trips, park days, open gym, science museum classes and all errands. So obviously, we can't do all those things every week. Weekends are for hanging out with DH and the neighbors, working around the house, 4H, and church.

I go so far as to pencil in "home" on my calendar at least two days per week. I always feel so much calmer when I get that downtime. :chillpill:

[RoughCollie]

This year, my DD is in a drama club (meets 1.5 hours twice a week), a robotics club (meets 2 hours twice a week), and karate (meets 1 hour twice a week).

Two of my DS also take karate and one of them is also in the drama club.

All of the DC usually take art classes at the local museum in the fall, and sometimes in the spring, finances permitting.

One of my DS is not involved in any outside activities. His main interest is baseball and most activities interfere with him watching Red Sox games.

Two of my DC are extroverts and they cannot be involved in too many outside activities, from their points of view as people who must be chauffeured.

I try to limit everyone to 2 activities at a time, with varying success. Sometimes opportunities arise which are too good to resist.

[cin]

DD3 & 6 are in gymnastics, Awana & violin, they take these classes at the same time, so it's not a schedule problem. And they take classes at the co-op in which I teach, so that, too is not a big scheduling issue. The catch is, when you total all this up....
Tues: Violin
Wed: Co-op
Thurs: MY Bible Study then Gymnastics
Fri: granny's in the afternoon


It is a little crazy, but I get cabin fever easy, so it actually keeps me sane during the week.

[Virginia Heather]

My oldest two boys (7 & 9):

~swim competitively year round, 3 practices/week during the school year, every day in the summer.

~play fall and spring soccer

~participate in the Creative Arts Club at church

~participate in AWANA at church (my 3yo does this, too)

Next fall when my little guy starts soccer, life will go from chaotic to even moreso...I just can't imagine what things will look like when our 4 month old gets older!

[transientChris]

DD. 14, 9th grade, Youth group, Adult church choir, Law enforcement Explorers, Homeschool one day a Week classes, library volunteer, projectionist at church, karate lessons weekly,

DD, 11 . 5th grade Homeschool co-op day, Homeschool book club (1 time a month), trumpet lessons weekly, karate lessons weekly

Both girls are in a local production of Fiddler on the Roof which will be performed at the end of the month.

Next year, I have scheduled the girls for even more (at least the younger). Why, because she is an extrovert and we aren't and she needs the extra contact with others. She does much better work for outsiders but likes the balance homeschooling provides so I compromised and will be having her go to homeschool classes two days a week and and extra day every month to help her get happier. It means less classical but more actual work getting done.

[transientChris]

I should have added their summer activities. Both will continue karate. Youngest will continue trumpet and oldest will continue choir with a one month break. Oldest has marine biology camp, and archery classes. Youngest has a science of musical instruments camp and also the archery classes. I am trying to find a sewing or quilting class or camp for both together.

[Melissa B]

We do very little. Everyone takes karate twice a week all year.

This fall dd10 will join a running program as well. She will do all of her training at home, but we will be going to races approximately once per month. I would expect the rest of the children to join the program as they get older.

We chose these two activities because we see them as "life-long activities" and because multiple children can participate together.

If we could afford it I would add swimming in the summer. And if there was a local art program I would be interested. :)

[Mosaicmind]

Six of our 7 are playing rec soccer right now. We used our tax refund to pay for that. This summer things will slow down, but I am looking at flute lessons for DD/12 and guitar lessons for DS/14 We do a paper route so it helps with the extras.

[Parrothead]

Dd paricipates in several outside activities throughout the year - ballet, horseback riding, gynmastics, church, a two day a week program at the local ps, and hopefully we will get back to piano this fall.

I am not involved with any of these other than as transportation co-ordinator. I purposely do not get involved with any outside activities. She spends enough time with me day in and day out. I think it is good for her to learn from other people.

[Plaid Dad]

During the school year, dd has two weekly activities: swimming and Brownies. She will occasionally take a short-term homeschool class at the library or be involved in some other educational project, but for recreation, it's just the two things.

We've talked about various weeklong day camps, VBS, etc. for the summer and will probably have her in a couple of those since Brownies won't be meeting and dd is an extrovert who needs her people time. :)

[PamInMN]

My kids don't do much..... organized anyway. The boy was in Tiger Cubs this past year (he's 7) and this year we are keeping him in Scouts but putting him in the Lone Scout program. The girls (8 and 10) are in Juliette Girl Scouts and have done horseback riding lessons.... in a couple of months they will have a week at Girl Scout Summer Camp.

I swore that when we finally had kids that we would not be running all over kingdom come with activities for the kids. We just don't have the money or the time and typically we wind up sitting alone and so do our kids...... once parents find out our religion. That's what has happened with our boys Scout Troop...

[Isa]

We keep outside activities to a minimum, mainly because we have a lot of children and partly because of expenses.

Our older boys (7 & 8) are involved with Cub Scouts once a week. At the same time and place as Cub Scouts, there is a group for our girls called Little Flowers.

This Spring we put our boys in Little League Baseball which meets twice a week (the season runs 2 months).

Fortunately, I give my children their own music lessons in the violin since I played for many years.

[dirty ethel rackham]

Probably too many! Some are accomplishing academic goals better than I could do on my own. Some are because I have shy introverted boys who need a shove to get out and meet people, some are because dd has absolutely no girls in the neighborhood to play with and she is my social butterfly.

DS14 - Boys' book club (monthly), Lit. club (literature co op with 2 other families 2 x's a month), Boy Scouts (1x a week), Karate (his love 3 - 4x a week including a leadership class that is a priority), baseball (he wanted to play), piano (music is not optional and I can't teach it.) We finished up Religious Education (he made his confirmation this year), Government and Constitution (at a local co op)

DS11 - Boys' book club (monthly not the same as ds14), Science club (2x's a month - keeps us on track), Karate (same as bro), baseball, piano. He finished up an Art class at a local co op and quit boy scouts.

DD7 - Science club (2 x's a month not the same as ds11), History club (2 x's a month), soccer, piano. Just finished up Religious Ed (weekly - ) and Art at the co op.

[muffinmom]

We really have it made! Rural, wooded setting, four waterfalls on the property, hiking trails, safe biking trails, lake for swimming and boating, fun activities galore, neighborhood like Mayberry...

Can I come live with you?? ;)

Signed,
She who lives in urban hive

[cin]

DD 3 & 6: Violin, Gymnastics, Co-op, Children's Choir and Awana. Choir and Awana meet back to back at our church, and the Choir assistant takes the kids to Awana. Their violin & gymnastics classes are together, & I teach at the co-op where they take their classes, so it's not too bad.

[paula j]

Boy Scouts and 4H right now. Ds was taking guitar but is now doing it on his own. DD is involved in track but that's about it now that she works.

[Laura Corin]

The array of options boggles the mind - I'm trying to find a good balance between enrichment and unstructured, imaginative play.

That seems like a good balance to me.

Best wishes

Laura

[Peela]

Um, extremely. But it is the social life my kids crave, and I get it to cover some school stuff as well!

Scouts for both. That's a lot just on its own, but inexpensive for what they do. Lots of camps and extra activities. Dd is passionate about Scouts, and a patrol leader.
Gymnastics for both.
Drama and Sport coop with other homeschoolers for both.
Science class for both (highschool level, with other homeschoolers).
Musical instrument lessons for both.
Watercolour class and sewing class for dd only (walking distance).

[Mekanamom]

Just horses and 4-H. We also do nature hikes once a week with another family.

If the kids were enrolled in anything else, we'd have to give up the horses... we can only justify keeping them with all these rising costs because they are the only sport the kids are involved in.

The kids could choose to do something else, but they'd have to give up their horse to do it.

[Jumping In Puddles]

My younger boys are in a Mad Science class right now (just 6 classes).



Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but did your boys enjoy Mad Science?

I signed my ds up b/c I thought he might enjoy it and get something out of it. This one is 8 classes, one hour each. :)

[JudoMom]

The older 3 boys take piano and Judo, and we attend an enrichment co-op 1 morning a week.

We've chosen not to go the route of baseball, soccer, football, etc. because the boys would be on different teams and that would mean different practice times and game times. With Judo, we all attend the same classes and tournaments.

[3lilreds in NC]

Let's see.

Dd8 - Dance 3x per week, horses 1x per week.
dd7 - gymnastics 1x perweek, horses 1x per week.

I want to get them into piano lessons, and dd7 would really like to play the violin. We watched a Barbie movie (:ack2:) that had a video at the end of all these amazing young women who will be professional musicians, and she took away from that a desire to learn to play the violin. I would like to start with piano, but I'm fine with whatever instruments she'd like to try.

We don't have a lot of social activities; school this year is taking up a lot more time, and their evening activities make it hard to schedule very many play dates. We have a bi-weekly co-op, which we love, and some other family things that we do.

I feel a bit like we're running around like crazy people, but one of the best things about homeschooling, to me, is that the girls have time to do these things that they enjoy. If they were in school full time, I would think it was WAY too much.

[Scarlett]

The array of options boggles the mind - I'm trying to find a good balance between enrichment and unstructured, imaginative play.


One child--ds8
Swim-- 3- -45 minute lessons per week--
Piano---1 lesson a week (30 minutes)

That is all. Except for our religious studies which by some standards is intensive....but as far as extra-curricular...this is it. I am about to drop from the load of it all...I don't know how some families do multiple kids with multiple activities.

This is all we can do.

[laughing lioness]

We aren't invovled in much right now. We live 45 min from town so it's not just the expense of activity, it's the expense of getting there and the time involved. We do a once a week co-op as well as particpate in a drama camp once a year and the older kids particpate in a One Act Play Festival each winter.

In the past we've been involved in scouts, Awanas, soccer, softball, etc.

[Jennifer3141]

We currently do:

swimming lessons
gymnastics
Spanish
and art classes
homeschool park day on Tuesdays

Swimming will be over the middle of November and won't resume until the end of January. That sounded so far off when we enrolled in August!!

Jen

[Sarah CB]

We try to keep it to one instrument and one sport per child, but it doesn't always work out that way.

The problem is that both the music (violin for the boys, piano for the girl) and the sport (taekwon-do for all) are year round. There is no "off season" to try new things. So, for the most part I stick to the basics, but the kids also do one session of swim lessons per year and they usually also do a short session (4 or 6 weeks) of something they'd like to do for fun - like tennis lessons, homeschool PE, soccer at the community center or whatever.

And with four kids - the one music one sport thing is still really busy.

The boys have group violin class on Monday afternoon, private classes from 11 to 12:30 (3 boys) on Thursday morning. Then we have a 1/2 hour break before the littlest one starts his Pre-Twinkle group class, then dd has piano at 2:30 and we've got to be back at the music school for Jr. Strings Orchestra at 4. Yikes. That's just the music.

Dd's a red belt in taekwon-do and, ideally, she'd be doing 6 hours a week of classes. I try to get her there as often as I can. The boys do at least two hours a week, but they could be doing more.

Oh, and they also have Italian classes on Saturday mornings, but that's only for half the year.

[LibraryLover]

My teen hser does riding, xcountry, & guitar as extras. Music & riding are year round, the running on a team is not.

The 9 yr old does riding and music lessons. She's been asking for gymnastics and ballet lately, but I have been 'gently' putting off those requests. I personally don't want to drive more.

In summer, they've done summer-y activities. Town tennis & baseball, sailing, swim or art camp etc, depending on interests. The teens are mostly aged -out of that now.

My hsers have down time daily and lots of it. It's our sanity.

[LibraryLover]

And with four kids - the one music one sport thing is still really busy.
.

That's the rub, eh?

I laugh sometimes. Even limiting one or two activities per child means a certain amount of driving.