Hi all-
I'm wondering what other acivities your kids do. My ds8 has never been interested in sports or music. I think we are coming to the end of sports 'just for fun'. He has playdates with friends. Loves video games (not my favorite activity but helps socially to connect with others), builds with Legos and reads, reads, reads. I'd like to offer him some new activities but am afraid of something that comes to close to school work such as math club. Do some kids just focus on learning and that's it?

I tried soccer with my DS and he hated it. He's only 5 though so I might try it again next year. He does gymnastics but I think after this year he won't be interested in that. I looked into instrument lessons (not sure if he would like it) but they're way too expensive so basically he just plays at home.

I feel like my DS9 needs to have constant learning opportunites and I try to keep it fun. Here's some ideas - hope something is new: Chess, Scratch - computer programing, Lego robotics, yo yo tricks, Library classes, Park nature classes & hiking, rock climbing, Skiing, Museum and Zoo classes, origami, weaving, pottery, learn to draw books, Bug collectors and books to identify, Jacobs Ladder type String Games, Paper Aiplane Books, Science Experiments for kids, Games, Make comic strips, make flip books, magic tricks, card tricks, cook together, Look at recreation center for classes,

Unplugged play : no batteries, no plugs, pure fun / Bobbi Conner
The kids winter handbook / by Jane Drake & Ann Love (There is also a summer version)
Loreen Lidy Books, http://loreenleedy.com/

http://info.scratch.mit.edu/Support

http://www.popupbooks.com/

Our DS8 chose karate & tennis on his own. He's been with karate for a couple of years and tennis for just over one. Quite happy in both. They've both helped to provide challenge when it was sorely lacking in school.

We found for sports (or active pursuits in general), we had to think pretty far outside the box.... Virtually our whole town plays soccer, does Ninjitsu, and swims. DS can play soccer but doesn't like it that well, hated all the martial arts he tried, and swims well but has no interest in joining the team again. So all the obvious choices were shot down...

What we ended up with was tennis, rock climbing, and tap dance. I think he's done with tap dance for now, but it was a good four years or so... Right now it's just rock climbing, although come spring we'll add tennis back in and he might try fencing next year. We also go hiking as a family, and he and DH might shoot hoops every once in a while, but we could do more in that direction.

If you look around a bit (or encourage your DS to look around a bit) you might find there are possibilities you hadn't considered. I never would have guessed that our local Parks and Rec would have a climbing wall if DS hadn't asked me to find one!

In our town, music is introduced through the schools in 5th grade. DS hadn't been very interested before that, but he was allowed to do band with the 5th graders when he was in 4th grade to see if he would be able to build friendship 'in case' a skip was going to be offered. He loved his brass instrument. I think that if the school offers music, that it's a great idea to take them up on it, if the child has any interest.

I think that at age 8 it's fine not to have a 'sport' as long as the child is playing actively. Kick ball, wall ball, king of the hill and tag were school yard games that my son grew to love between ages of 9 and 11. At age 8, most of DS's agemates were involved in 'little hitters' and 'little kickers' etc. It was hard to line up a play date that didn't conflict with the sports schedule. When asked which sport DS played, I'd say: 'Oh, DS retired from professional sports.'

HTH,
Grinity

Our DS7 does tennis (since January) and karate (for last 12 months). Those are his only "out of school" activities. He does piano lessons during school and loves them.

DS6 plays soccer - it is his passion - he has played since he was 4, Spring, Summer and Fall - and this year we've discovered they play indoors for the winter, so he's signed up for that too. He isn't interested in any other sport yet. He also recently joined Tiger Cubs, which he really enjoys.

Thank you! Sometimes I just get worn at having to come up with new activities. We do ski and canoe, and he does play wall ball, so he is getting outside activities. Karate was fine until they started sparring then 'it was too violent'. I'm excited about the Scratch site! How cool!

I feel like an appreciation for their place in humanity is what would make my kids well rounded. I want them to understand that they are part of something bigger. They are no different from a child born in a third world country who works in a sweat shop and has no education, or who loses her family to HIV. They are human first. If I can get them to have the "attitude of gratitude", then I feel like they will have a true appreciation for their gifts and how to best use them, and that will make them rounded.

DD7 has a friend who I believe may be PG (not identified). This friend has no outside activities. Zero. She has a disabled sibling who takes up her parent's time and energy. Yet, she is the most wonderful appreciative child you could meet. When she comes over, she dances, writes plays, and performs. She does gymnastics on our front lawn. I feel like she is more well rounded than my kids who have "activities".

Wow, that was lovely. And it gave me an avenue I hadn't considered before. Many thanks-

Well rounded to me doesn't necessarily mean traditional organized children's activities. How about: learn to maintain a car from books or a few lessons from a local mechanic, and then maintain your own car together. Learn a language with a parent with the goal of a family trip to some neat place (if you are in the US and don't want to go far, a native American language might be interesting) -- take a class if you can but otherwise do internet/CDs etc. Learn to make a website so that the you and he can start a small business for real (selling something not necessarily designed to make a lot of money, just for the cool-ness of being an internet CEO, twigs by the ounce, or "video game tips by email" for example). DS keeps proceeds. Build a bookshelf (for his books) from a book or with the assistance of a local carpenter for the hard parts. Still a kid so maybe interest wanes, but done in a organized way the way any "official" activity would be it gets to be a routine and a lot can be accomplished, ie Tuesdays for an hour is X. Time consuming for the parent but if one can swing it, rewarding for the kid to be included in a "adult" thing.

Polly

That is a very wonderful idea. My DS has wanted to make little businesses before. He wanted to sell braceletts, pretty beads on toothe picks and some other ideas but I never figured out how to help him do this. I always feel like I need a few ideas ready to be there to suggest. Right now he is on another path - learning programming.

We have the same difficulty with ds6 (not the reading part!). What I've found is that he loses interest so quickly in most activities, it's hard to keep up. I can't figure out if he gives up because it becomes a challenge (he complains of things that are too easy but is a classic case of a child who hasn't had to learn to work at anything yet), or if he's just quickly habituating to the activity. Maybe sports are just not his thing. For my ds, sports that allow constant activity work best for him. T-ball was torture after about the first two weeks. He usually was digging in the dirt. Gymnastics: it was fun until a "big boy" picked on him and he had to wait too long for his turn. He loved soccer the first time around, so we're going to try that again in the spring. Ds just started mixed martial arts, and LOVES it. They keep them moving almost the entire time, plus they get to kick, punch, wrestle, and run relay races. They do a good job of making it fun, and it's something new he feels like he can do well. This is key for us, as we're dealing with a major case of perfectionism. He gives up quickly.

I've heard quite a few people mention tennis. My ds6 really wants to take hip-hop dancing classes! He LOVES "So You Think You Can Dance," and he's always dancing around the house. He's quite serious about this, so I'm looking into it! I agree that an instrument is a good idea, but it seems like for us everything is a shot in the dark. Some local zoos have programs where kids can go and learn about the animals. They get to feed them and do minor care-taking. We like kayaking and canoeing as a family. Hiking is great because it's not a structured, repetitive activity. I love the idea of rock climbing and repelling, but we're in FL, and it's totally flat! We really like being outside when possible and are not as inclined to do the indoor rock walls. Do you live near water? We like to go water-skiing when possible. Ds is also learning to surf. Oh, and one of ds's friends is taking lacrosse.

Good thread; I'm curious what to do about my ds getting tired of activities really quickly and wanting to move on to something else. Like you, I feel the pressure to keep him stimulated and challenged, but there's only so much you can do. I do think we get a little caught up in the pressure to be involved in EVERYTHING we can. Being well-rounded involves home-life and independent play just as much as enjoying and learning some extracturricular activity. That said, physical activity is important enough to continue to try to find an outlet to stay healthy and active.

Very random, but hopefully a little helpful.

I gave you the wrong impression. My DS can stick with stuff for hours. He is a project Kid. He also keeps building on ideas since K like making paper airplanes and legos. Activities just keep getting more involved.

Along the way I keep offering variety so he learns to try need things. This summer we took a on day fly fishing class just to try it. I had no intentions of getting into Free fly fishing. It was a day we had some great one on one time, which gets hard to come by sometimes.

I think my showing interest and actively participating helps. He can do all his homework by himself, but wants me there just to have time with me.

Don't get me wrong. I not saying you are not participating enough. Lots of kids don't have long attention spands like my DS but they have other qualities. I hope this helps in some way. I'm not sure of what else to suggest other than working on perfectionism. Maturity will probally help as he gets older. It sounds like you do lots of wonderful activites.

Best of Luck.

You have a town that does Ninjitsu? Wow. I found my books on it the other day, in the bottom of a large box of books. I didn't know there was anywhere that it had caught on that big.

My DD5 does Art, Tennis, Piano and Chess. It is all driven by her...