https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 15 Apr 2026 03:10:19 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-do-your-kids-do-activities#post-2664622 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 09:30:29 +0000 mediagirl 2664622@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Full time daycare here. Daycare does not offer it. We do not do outside activities. It's too much with our schedules. When she starts K, we will look into it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-do-your-kids-do-activities#post-2664619 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 09:26:39 +0000 SeptMomma12 2664619@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our day care offers extracurriculars. You pay extra for them, since they bring in outside teachers, but I really like having the option. DS is 4 and does yoga, piano and soccer. On weekends, he does soccer on Saturday mornings (he's obsessed) and DD does a music class. We keep our Sundays free! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-do-your-kids-do-activities#post-2664579 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 07:42:17 +0000 ValentineMommy 2664579@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS1 is almost 4, and is in preschool 3x a week (half days). Both DH and I work full time.</p> <p>We did do soccer, which was on Saturday mornings, but he hated it, and franky, so did we. We enjoy our lazy weekend mornings together and it was too much for us. There's no way we could pull off a weeknight evening activity, at least not at this stage. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-do-your-kids-do-activities#post-2664567 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 06:07:43 +0000 hellobeeboston 2664567@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My 4 yo is in preschool 3 days a week. The off days he does activities, and on the weekends we do one activity. We're just finishing soccer, drumming and learning to skate. Going to do gymnastics, swimming and probably either drumming again or soccer since he loves both. </p> <p>The baby goes to all of these but we do them in the morning usually so naps are still in tact! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-do-your-kids-do-activities#post-2664560 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 02:10:22 +0000 birdofafeather 2664560@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>we did 2 afternoons a week after school because i was worried her nap was going to interfere with bedtime if i didn't tire her out. and that backfired because we were running around everywhere. we did monday morning next (TThurs preschool all day) and that worked because DD2 transitioned to 2 naps, but the class wasn't a good fit for us. hoping to find another morning class for the winter (only a 6 week schedule). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-do-your-kids-do-activities#post-2664558 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 01:34:23 +0000 LilSprinkles 2664558@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS is in preschool full time, and has swimming once a week after school. He was doing soccer, but that ended. He will be starting basketball up in the winter, and then soccer in the spring. Those are once a week too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-do-your-kids-do-activities#post-2664462 Mon, 12 Dec 2016 18:27:44 +0000 Boogs 2664462@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My oldest is in school full time, so depending on the season he has a sport practice one weekday evening and a game Saturday morning or afternoon. In the summer, he has swimming every day. The youngest is starting gymnastics and swim in the new year, both will be later in the morning while brother is at school. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-do-your-kids-do-activities#post-2664460 Mon, 12 Dec 2016 18:19:25 +0000 Foodnerd81 2664460@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@caterw: I have looked at localibrarirs, and we are lucky our be within ten minutes or so of 3 or 4 different libraries! So we do story times and such, but that's not really enough for the preschooler. Or me, frankly, as it's still a lot of work for me to be actively watching her as well as the baby. </p> <p>And on two naps I did mess with the baby's nap sometimes but now that she just takes one, it's me who will pay if she doesn't get a nap! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-do-your-kids-do-activities#post-2664409 Mon, 12 Dec 2016 16:01:16 +0000 caterw 2664409@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Have you looked into library storytimes or classes at nontraditional venues for your other class? I love our local library and we do an activity there at least once a week- they have some storytimes that are every week and some that are special themes on Saturdays. We have also taken classes at the local jump place, the bounce place, and are currently enrolled in an awesome music class at a church. I SAH and I don't do any classes that interfere with meals or afternoon nap... AM activities only in this house and the afternoons are for the park, craft time, stories, etc. The baby is still young enough to nap anywhere, but she will just have to adjust to DD1's activity schedule when she gets bigger. There is no way I am gonna be trapped in the house to a nap schedule with a cranky wound up toddler. Morning nap can happen in the car or I will try to put her down early. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-do-your-kids-do-activities#post-2663473 Fri, 09 Dec 2016 13:13:54 +0000 Foodnerd81 2663473@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@honeybear: I don't think she NEEDS group activities but I think they would be really good for her and she would enjoy it. We dance around the house together and she is pretty good at copying me, but I'm not a very good dancer! And she needs a little work on listening and sharing and such so group activities are good for her in that way too, and it's winter now and hard for her to get all her energy out otherwise. But it may come at the expense of the baby's nap which isn't so good. </p> <p>Ideally this winter / spring is love two morning activities, two mornings of preschool, and a free day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-do-your-kids-do-activities#post-2663450 Fri, 09 Dec 2016 12:50:13 +0000 tinyperson 2663450@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My daughters in kindergarten and there's no way we can do activities on weeknights. She's done by the time the day is done. In January we'all be doing gymnastics on Saturday mornings and swimming on Sunday afternoons. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-do-your-kids-do-activities#post-2663438 Fri, 09 Dec 2016 12:34:28 +0000 oliviaoblivia 2663438@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My old two do an art class in the morning. We're home for afternoon nap but my youngests morning nap is often in the car, stroller, or carrier. My oldest is in afternoon preschool MWF for four hours. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-do-your-kids-do-activities#post-2663436 Fri, 09 Dec 2016 12:29:16 +0000 lamariniere 2663436@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son is in kindergarten. He does guitar one hour per week, but with a teacher he knows from daycare, and it's in our home. We may start swimming lessons early next year, and that would be Saturday morning. I think that's more than plenty, especially since he has homework every day.</p> <p>ETA: my younger LO only goes to daycare. We probably won't do any additional activities for her until school, unless we do swim lessons for her too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-do-your-kids-do-activities#post-2663319 Fri, 09 Dec 2016 09:25:32 +0000 fancyfunction 2663319@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>M is in preschool from 9-12, 3 days. We have dance class at 12:30 another day and cooking class right after school one day. This leaves us with a free and unplanned Wed each week, which is nice. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-do-your-kids-do-activities#post-2663308 Fri, 09 Dec 2016 09:10:06 +0000 lawbee11 2663308@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>She does ballet and gymnastics at school which is super convenient. Next year we're planning to sign her up for soccer, so I think that'll be one practice/week (in the evening) then the games are on Saturday. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-do-your-kids-do-activities#post-2663302 Fri, 09 Dec 2016 09:05:08 +0000 tlynne 2663302@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>With all the therapy appointments, we are busy. DS2 has about 4 hours of various therapies week, and 2 of his appointments are from 5-6 PM with an hour (or more) ride home. DS1 takes piano and violin Mondays from 5-7, though, and we've agreed that he can do swim or horses this spring when he "graduates" from occupational therapy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-do-your-kids-do-activities#post-2663290 Fri, 09 Dec 2016 08:40:04 +0000 looch 2663290@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son is in kindergarten now and there is no way that I could put him through activities during the week, he's just too tired in the afternoon and he's in bed by 7:30. Our only option is the weekend, and we're doing a Saturday morning art class for the first time beginning in January.</p> <p>When my son was in preschool, it was part time, he went in the morning or afternoon, but even then we didn't do activities because he was there 4 or 5 days a week and I really protected his downtime. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-do-your-kids-do-activities#post-2663288 Fri, 09 Dec 2016 08:36:34 +0000 Mrs. Sunshine 2663288@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No childcare yet (hoping to get her in somewhere soon) and she only has one activity on Wednesdays at 415. It's about 45 minutes away (pretty typical drive for us) meaning that I usually have to wake them both from their naps. Since I SAH I usually make dinner while they nap on Wednesdays, pack everything up, get snacks ready and then wake DD1. I spend about 10 minutes getting her ready to go then take her and all our stuff to the car. Run in, wake DD2 and put her straight in the car and go. It's hectic and I am usually fixing DD2's hair and changing her diaper once we get there but it's only one day a week so I don't mind. Then when we get home, dinner is ready and the kitchen is usually clean so we're ready to jump right in to the evening routine (we usually get home a little after 6). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-do-your-kids-do-activities#post-2663287 Fri, 09 Dec 2016 08:31:10 +0000 honeybear 2663287@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think we might be in the minority here, but LO mostly didn't do scheduled activities when he was in preschool. He was in preschool for 3 mornings/week and then we found other things to do--reading, hiking, playing outside, etc. We tried a couple of group activities, because I felt like he might be missing out and I wanted to meet more parents. I eventually decided that he wasn't and that it was not a particularly efficient way to make new friends for either of us. </p> <p>To be honest, I don't see enough value in doing a weekly/twice weekly group sports/dance until they're older to outweigh the costs (particularly in the child's time) anyhow. The main exception to this is that I think swimming lessons are important, but they don't have to be done in a group. </p> <p>For dance specifically, I would show her videos of excellent ballets or excellent versions of whatever style of dance you prefer. Or take her to see a live performance if she'll sit through it. I danced ballet from preschool through college and now sometimes dabble in ballroom. I love dance, but I don't think there's much advantage to toddler/preschooler dance classes. I think there is a case to be made for laying the groundwork by showing the child the best of the best, though! And then supplement that by putting on music for her to move/dance to during the day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-do-your-kids-do-activities#post-2663283 Fri, 09 Dec 2016 08:16:06 +0000 erinbaderin 2663283@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>B is in daycare full time. Right now we do gymnastics on Saturday morning and Sportball on Sunday afternoon. Over the summer we did gymnastics Wednesdays at 4:30 but that was only possible because I'm on mat leave and my husband worked from home every Wednesday. I find it disappointing because our local community centre offers some cool classes I'd like to do with B, like cooking, but they're all at 6:30pm on weekdays which is right in the middle of dinner/bath/bedtime for us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-do-your-kids-do-activities#post-2663281 Fri, 09 Dec 2016 08:03:06 +0000 Baby Boy Mom 2663281@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Only on the weekend! By the time we get home from school it is 3:00/3:30 pm and by 6 we are starting bedtime routine. There's just no time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-do-your-kids-do-activities#post-2663277 Fri, 09 Dec 2016 07:57:35 +0000 Anagram 2663277@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My older one who is in preschool full time has Ballet on Saturdays. My younger one goes to a music class with our nanny every Thursday. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-do-your-kids-do-activities#post-2663275 Fri, 09 Dec 2016 07:51:19 +0000 Adira 2663275@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mine are in daycare full-time, so we only do activities on the weekend. Usually one activity at a time on Saturday mornings. Last time it was Gymnastics and before that it was Swimming. We'll probably do Swimming again next. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-do-your-kids-do-activities#post-2663273 Fri, 09 Dec 2016 07:47:04 +0000 Foodnerd81 2663273@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@wheres_c: I think we would all be melting down at 7:30! That's bedtime/ wine time. But makes sense- I like being there too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-do-your-kids-do-activities#post-2663272 Fri, 09 Dec 2016 07:34:24 +0000 wheres_c 2663272@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We do soccer 2X week. Monday's at 5:30pm and Sat at 9am.<br /> We do swim Wednesday at 7:30pm.</p> <p>Daycare offers stuff onsite but I enjoy going with DS to local facilities so I can meet other kids/parents. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-do-your-kids-do-activities#post-2663268 Fri, 09 Dec 2016 06:57:29 +0000 Foodnerd81 2663268@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Especially if they are in school/ daycare part or full time? </p> <p>Currently my 3.5 year old goes to preschool two mornings a week, and she has a gymnastics class on other morning. I think she would really enjoy another scheduled activity-I think dance- but I'm already having trouble finding one that works with our schedule- which I think is more flexible than most! A lot of things are early afternoon, when she sometimes naps but little sister needs to be napping. Next year she goes to four mornings a week preschool so we will be more limited. </p> <p>So I'm curious when other kids are doing their extra classes and activities. If they are in full time daycare, do they offer it there, if you stay home, do you just mess with other siblings naps? Or mostly just weekends? </p>