[SilverMaple]

I'm wondering what everyone else does for outside activities for their 6ish y.o.'s. DD has been taking swim classes and wants to continue but also wants to do dance class and a homeschool gym class (all my kids could do this one together). These are all 1x week committments. We also try to visit family (45 min. away) or do a field trip once a week, in addition to errands. I have 2 younger kids, ages 3 and 1.

Is this too much? It sounded ok to me at first but when I planned it all out we will have only 1 day fully at home. We've been very laid back all summer and I dread getting back into the "scheduled activity routine". So what are your kids involved in this fall?

 

[chfriend]

Soccer (3x week), belly dancing (1x week), hs coop classes (1xweek), gymnastics (1xweek), Spanish (1xweek). Often a park day 1x week. And renovating the house. Plus both dp and I work. dd1 will turn 6 in the Fall. dd2 just turned 2.

dp is teaching one of the coop classes...and we go to everything with her 'cause she doesn't like drop-offs. It's an amazingly fun life.

 

[SagMom]

My 6 yr old will be taking gymnastics lessons, 1x a week. That's his only organized activity.

Of course, he goes along to the older kids' activities, and we go to park day when the weather is good, and the community room for game day, and the library, and errands, etc. I'm trying to arrange it so that we have one day a week where we don't have to be anywhere. I'd be happy with that at this point!

 

[annethcz]

I struggle with this too. For this fall, my 6.5 and almost 6yos will be doing the following:

Homeschool co-op (1x/week- DS1 is taking science and spanish classes, DS2 is taking an art class)
soccer team (2x/week)
Sunday School (1x/week)
Wednesday night church class (1x/week)
Ethiopian family class (1x/week)

We also have the opportunity to attend on a weekly basis:
homeschool open gym (2 different places/times)
playgroup
field trips with co-op group

 

[PumpkinSeeds]

We aim for 2 field trips (at the minimum) a week and my 5yo is thinking of trying out gymnastics this year. Field trips for us include extended park visits (as in all day at the park--short trips to the park constitute "letting off steam" and not really a field trip)

We live in the city and my boys need lots of outdoor time and we are lucky to live near several awesome parks. Not to mention that we have lots of access to museums, zoos, etc.

 

[ShannonCC]

By "outside" do you mean outdoors or out of the house? From the title I thought outdoors but now I'm thinking you just meant out of the house.

Anyway, Bridget is 7 and Owen is 4. We have nothing that is scheduled (as in - same time, same day each week) but we do a lot. We usually have at least one playdate a week and try to get to the library at least once a week. Though this week we had 0 playdates and are going to the library three times

We do Roots & Shoots at least once a month. When we are free fridays there's a homeschool playdate we try to go to (right now Friday is library day to coincide with reader's theater that my dd decided to do). Museums, zoos, aquariums, arboretums (etc) are when we feel like it. Visiting my Grandma is once a month and being babysat by one of their Grandmas is once a week. Playgrounds are usually part of playdates.

I try to have two days a week where we stay home but that doesn't always happen. I try very hard to not have more then 3 days in a row of doing Big Things but again, that doesn't always happen.

 

[onlyzombiecat]

We try to make it to the library once a week (Thursdays).
Dd (6) goes with us when we go visiting or do errands but none of that is really scheduled.
No classes. No regular playdate. No homeschool group.

 

[raleigh_mom]

DD1 (almost 6yo)

-Library class 1x week
-Brownies every other week.
-Thinking of taking a 6week art class 1x week
-Class every other week while I babysit at same location

DD2 (3yo)
-Goes to library with us for dd1's class
-Will be taking a "class" 1x week all fall/winter. I consider it a playgroup.
-Thinking of taking a 6week dance class 1x week
-Class every other week while I babysit at same location

We also go on periodic field trips. This is more than we've done in the past, but I hope we'll all have fun with it. If istarts getting overwhelming, we'll make changes.

 

[oldcrunchymom]

When my son was 6, he had just one scheduled activity (dance) per week. When my daughter was 6, she had two dance classes (back to back so just one day) and a homeschool swim and gym class once a week. Last year when she was 7/8, she did gymnastics, pottery, homeschool swim, and dance. I won't even post her schedule for this year because it's too scary for MDC.

 

[mamaMAMAma]

I'm also thinking about adding a dance class for dd#1. She is also in a swim class on the weekend, dh takes her and dd#2(in parent and me class). We have a homeschool coop and a playgroup(for dd#2 but dd#1 will be coming along) during the week. So during the week, we're home 3 days a week. I would like to be home with no scheduled activities for at least 3 days a week. The dance class is on Monday in the pm and the playgroup is over by noon. I thought we can have lunch and quiet time and then dd#1 can go to dance class. The class is only 10 minutes away and an hour long. I'm going back and forth with this. I think I might wait till the winter session since we're just starting to homeschool in the fall.

 

[1growingsprout]

ds11: chess club 3x week
dd 8: ice skating 2x week art class 2x week
ds 6: art 2x week w/dd 8... cooking class 1x week
dd 3: gym class 2x week

plus multipule trips to the library and park... ds 11 dd8 have therapy appts 1x and 2x week... ice skating happens during chess time.. art class during gym time... so its not 'that' difficult...

 

[SilverMaple]

Quote:

By "outside" do you mean outdoors or out of the house?

Yes, I meant away from home. I couldn't think how to word it. We are outside in the yard every day at home as well.

 

[kokotg]

My 5 year old has gymnastics 1x week and will take 1 day a week (2 1 hr classes) at a local homeschool center. we'll probably add in a park day w/ a homeschool group, too. Other than that, we do field trips and playdates, but nothing else is scheduled.

 

[lilyka]

that would be way to much for me.
we do co-op one day a week
swimming twice a week but it is just with our family
and church on sundays and wednesdays

all the activities cater tot he whole family.