Parents of pre-school/kindy students - which sports are you trying out?

[arivecchi]

My boys are currently doing swimming lessons, tae kwon do (DS1 only) and we just added skating with a hockey league.

Which sports are your kids trying out? How many would you do at once?

[wifecat]

My kids are both taking gymnastics and my daughter is also taking ballet. I want them to start swimming lessons, and that's enough lessons for our family!

[ourbabygirl]

Just swimming for now. DD did a community ed. gymnastics class when she had just turned 2, and I'm thinking of doing one with DS (also just 2) when our swim session is over in December & I don't want to do a Jan-March session with frozen wet hair!
I'd love for DD to be in soccer- maybe next summer- and she'd like to do basketball, but they only let you start that here once you're in kindergarten (so 2 more years for DD).

[Cam&Clay]

DS2 just finished soccer. Since DS1 is a soccer rock star, we thought we would try that first. It didn't go well. I don't think sports will be his thing, but we will continue to introduce him to other sports. He will try gymnastics this winter and t-ball in the spring.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

my kiddos are still young (nearing 3 and nearing 2) but we are doing swimming for now, and i feel like that alone is a lot of work/commitment in itself! maybe i'm lazy but i can't imagine them doing more than one sport at a time :bag and so i think swimming will be it for a while, as they seem to be doing well so far. i would love to have them eventually try t-ball/baseball (DH loves baseball), karate and some sort of dance (on my dad's side, i have 2 aunts and a cousin who are professional ballet dancers, and for posture reasons i regret not doing dance/ballet as a kid), but hopefully i'll have more energy for that when they are a bit older and i don't have to get them dressed for everything...i detest having to drag mine out of bed and literally put on their clothes and getting everything ready etc.

[Kindra178]

Right now my boys are doing gymnastics and swimming year round. Ds1 just finished soccer and just started basketball. In the spring he will try tball. My twins will continue in Tkd as well.

[maydaymommy]

Great question!
Mine are close in age to yours and I'm trying to figure out the right amount of extracurriculars.

DS1
Soccer just ended this weekend. I only want him doing one team sport at a time.

He takes a weekly "sports" class at The Little Gym. They build skills and focus on one particular sport for several weeks at a time.

He also gets a multi-sport enrichment class at school, but I don't pay extra for it and it's more about being active.

I told him that when soccer ended he could do tennis on Saturdays.

He is begging for Karate. He does a Karate enrichment at school, and when it ends in December I suspect we will enroll at the instructor's studio. I am having a hard time with the time & money commitment that will entail.

I want to start back up with swim in January.

In the spring he will do t-ball for the first time.

DS 2
He does a developmental gymnastics class at The Little Gym. It seems like gymnastics might be "his thing."

Soon we'll probably start him in a soccer skills class.

He will start tennis soon, too. It's a tennis center for preschool kids, before they go on to play on real courts at tennis lessons.

He may start swim lessons in January also.

Eventually he will play on a soccer team and he will also probably want to do martial arts.


It sounds like a lot of sports -- and we're not really a "sporty" family.

[nfowife]

We've done swimming lessons, especially in the summer. Though through pre-k we did them year round because it was very cheap at the Y and pre-k was only a half-day program so it was a nice morning activity before pre-k 2 days a week (and I could put DD2 in childcare at the Y while I sat and watched DS for 40 minutes! It was awesome!). He also did a hybrid gymnastics/karate class for boys while in pre-k, in the mornings.
This past spring (also in pre-k) we did soccer.
In the summer, we did basketball. Which was a very laid back program since it was summer. Just games once a week and 30 minutes of practice right before the game. We did more swimming this summer too (lessons through swimamerica and just about daily swimming for fun).

This year he's in full-day kinder, so no more swimming or gymnastics. We just finished another season of soccer which went alright. The coach this season didn't do much so DS didn't gain much in the way of new skills. We are in our 2nd week of basketball practice through a school league, but the games don't start for another 2 weeks. I don't think basketball is really his thing, but how can you really tell at this age, and it is with most of the boys who are in kinder at the school so he is having fun seeing friends anyhow.

We'll go back to soccer in the spring I'm sure. We might try hockey as the local rink has a free skill development class and we might be moving to the NE where hockey is popular so it can't hurt to get some fundamentals under his belt.

I don't know that DS is necessarily athletic, but he's very energetic, loves to run, and ride scooters, and is outgoing. The skills are not really there but he's 5!

[elektra]

DD is doing swim team and ballet. DS does swim lessons. DD is wanting to try something else though now- she is not loving swimming like she did in the summer. I am a little bummed about that i admit. However her reasons are that she thinks the practices are too hard and that she gets too cold. in her defense, the practices do seem really hard and I would be freezing too! I am making her hang in there until the next meet.
So I want to let her try something else and she may want to do swimming again later. I was also thinking tai Kwon do , but I also want her to try a team sport sometime in the next year. so maybe tkd this winter and softball in the spring.
DS is dying to play a sport but he is still too young for most organized stuff.
I think 2 sports/activities at a time is a good amount. I think one individual and one team thing is a good mix.

[baileygirl]

Our kids are similar ages. Ds1 and Ds2 both pretty much do hockey year round. They are finishing up soccer now. Ds1 also just started tennis. Ds1 is a good swimmer, so I probably will only put him in swimming if he asks or if he wants to do swim team. DS2 will probably start swimming again after Christmas. We have also tried gymnastics, multisport classes (both kids) and basketball (DS1). At some point I would like them both to do martial arts and learn to play golf.

[pomegranate]

DS is 5 and I've been following what his interests are. I try to encourage him to be interested in a wide variety of extracurriculars, but so far he hasn't been that into sports, probably because both DH and aren't. DS also has 2x a week speech therapy and 1x week OT. So for sports we are currently only doing swimming lessons. But this summer he also did tennis lessons and horseback riding lessons. He didn't take to tennis but really liked horseback riding. He has also expressed interest in jiu jitsu, but DH and I are pushing him toward karate, kung fu or tae kwon do instead.

[MontrealMum]

DS started skiing formally (ski school) last year...it was with daddy way before that, and, quite frankly that was way too early. We will do swim lessons during the winter along with skiing again. I'm not looking at swimming as a sport at this age, but as a necessary life skill. We're planning on adding on piano, but other than that, we have no plans to add anything else for a bit. I'd rather avoid the overprogrammed kid model that I've seen with some of my friends. Most of the school "extras" are for grade 2 and above, and I think that's quite telling.

[edurnemk]

DS does soccer and basketball once a week each and swimming lessons twice a week. i've let him try out several extracurricular activities at school but he always sticks to soccer and basketball. He tried karate and hated it, he wants violin lessons but I'm waiting for him to be a bit more mature before starting an instrument, at that point we'll drop one of the sports so it won't be too much.

[AnnieW625]

DD1 did swim lessons over the summer, and she will do them next summer as well. I don't plan on having her do swim team until she is at least 8, if not 9.

She is taking gymnastics, which she started in late August. She will go through December and then will take a break in January and February because basketball is on Saturday mornings at the same time and she is looking forward to that.

DH says she has to be involved in something, but we are okay with that just being one thing, and IMHO since I work full time I think it is plenty. As she gets older and even now if she wanted to do gym on Th. nights, and basketball on Sat. Am I would be fine with that, but she was getting soo tired on Th. nights during gym. we just decided to switch to Sat. Am. .

DD2 is just doing toddler parent n me gymnastics, she'll switch to a non parent class in May after she turns in 3.

DD2 will also do swim lessons again.

[wellyes]

Both kids do gymnastics, it's fantastic for little ones in terms of strength and flexibility and body awareness. I'm amazed that it's really made a difference, especially with the 2.5 year old.

DD is learning to skate, and has great ab and leg strength like her dad, so we are thinking hockey would be a good team sport for her down the road.

[KrisM]

DS2 is doing gymnastics and likes it. In the spring, he'll do preschool soccer for the first time. I'll add swim lessons in when I can in the spring or summer.

I tend not to have more than 2 activities per child or it's just too much.

[Momit]

We do swimming lessons year-round. We did one session of flag football and one of tumbling but have not done the typical soccer and t-ball yet.

[niccig]

I've learned to find out as much as possible about the team sports before agreeing to let DS sign up.

Our AYSO soccer is super organized, schedule never changes. Silly me didn't realize baseball was the complete opposite. They'll change the practice day/times a couple times in the season. No other parents seemed to have an issue with it. I was fuming as had to keep changing my schedule and on one change I just refused to take DS.

So find out ahead of time the commitment and how they schedule practices.

[MamaMolly]

Last year Lula did swimming and ballet, but it was too much because they were on the same day. This year we are going to do swimming if I ever get around to it. Ballet was a bad fit because it was a poorly run class. I think she'd do better in a more formal class.

[TwinFoxes]

DDs have done swim (loved), ice skating (liked) and tennis (sigh, didn't love). I want to try TKD (or other martial art) and I want to give tennis another try. And maybe t-ball.

[o_mom]

DS3 is doing swim team twice a week and Tae kwon do once a week. We tried soccer last spring and it was a disaster.

[KDsMommy]

DS is doing soccer 3 times a week and Awana club once a week.

[boolady]

DD has taken swimming lessons, played t-ball, and played field hockey. I need to get her back into swimming lessons, because she really loves to swim. She is looking forward to t-ball again, and tells me that next fall, she wants to play field hockey and try soccer. I'm not sure if that will be too much, so we will revisit the issue when it's time to sign up and I'll see which she shows more of an interest in. I'm just happy she's trying different things and will let her decide what she likes and doesn't care for.

ETA: She may do an 8-week tennis clinic this winter with a friend who invited her to join with her, which would be really nice.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Soccer, swimming and maybe basketball.

[gatorsmom]

The twins have been taking swimming lessons since they were 3yo. They go at the same time as their older brothers which is convenient. They all go year round. SiSi's takes ballet/tap all year round too and soccer in the summer which she loves.

Once we've moved into our house, all 4kids will start karate. They tried it for a month this summer and loved it. I plan to start them taking it all year long, but right now our schedules are too filled (mainly with house building stuff). Since this is a karate studio that has experience working with kids with special needs, it is particularly good for Greenbean. His therapist recommended it.

[BabyBearsMom]

DD1 (2.5) just finished a swimming class at the rec center which she liked but she wasn't thrilled with. In the next session, I'm thinking of signing her up for either gymnastics or a combination tap/ballet class.

DD2 is a bit young for classes, so nothing right now although I'd love to do one of the gymboree music classes with her. I just don't know if that is in the budget right now since they are much more $ than the rec center classes.

[stinkyfeet]

DS1 does gymnastics (toddler tumbling). He really likes it.

[smilequeen]

My kindergartner is doing gymnastics and hockey. He also takes a soccer class after school 1x/week.

He has done swimming and t-ball as well. My 2nd grader started basketball last night and now the K'er wants to do that too.

He did tae kwon do for about 6 months and didn't like it, but I think it was just not a great fit with the teacher more than anything.

[carolinamama]

I am always interested in seeing what others say. There are so many things I want my kids to do and so little time. Plus I don't want to overschedule. It is very important to both boys to get their playtime with all the neighborhood kids so I like to allow for that too.

Right now DS1 (1st grade) is doing once a week science class, basketball (one practice, one game each week) and Y Guides with DH which meets twice a month. He will start piano lessons and swimming lessons in January when basketball ends. Science and Y Guides will continue. Then it's soccer and t-ball/baseball in the spring.

DS2 only does science once a week. He will do swimming lessons in January through summer and then soccer/t-ball in the spring too.

DD is a baby. She just gets to be carted around to the boys' activities.

In K, DS1 did science class, soccer in fall and spring, basketball in winter, t-ball in spring after soccer ended and swimming from January through the summer. He also did gymnastics for a few months in the winter when we couldn't get outside as much.

[mikeys_mom]

My girls do swimming and gymnastics.

DD1 is also taking 1 session of skating lessons this fall. It's a minor exception to our policy of only 1 activity during the week but only because we needed her to become a more confident skater so we can take all 4 kids on Saturday nights to the public skating rink.

At that age DS did swimming and ice hockey.

[hillview]

Both boys finished tennis a few weeks ago
DS2 finished soccer 2 weeks ago and just started martial arts
DS1 just finished soccer last week and is going to have a play date this weekend and check out martial arts next weekend

I am thinking I might just get past the holidays and then look for something else.

After school
DS1 does chess, woodworking and 2 days of adventure club (playing outside)
DS2 does woodworking, gymnastics and a day of adventure club

[maestramommy]

It's really hard for me to call ballet a sport, but all 3 girls take it once a week. Today Arwyn and Laurel will start TKD twice a week. And that's it for us.

[Melbel]

DD2 age 4

took swim lessons over the summer and will probably do swim team over the summer.

takes a fun ballet/tap class after preschool 1 day a week for 45 minutes

soccer just ended (coached by DH; will start again in March)

we may let her do gymnastics on Saturday mornings

[misshollygolightly]

DS started swim lessons this past summer and took them up through October (after that session I decided to take a break to avoid the wet hair in frigid temperatures thing). We plan to start swim lessons again in the spring. Depending on where we are living this summer, I may try to sign him up for some kind of activity for part of the summer in addition to swim lessons (maybe a sport or a little class at the zoo). That's it for us, though...I can't really see how we'd fit anything else in even if we wanted to! I usually work until 4:30 most days and the kids go to bed at 7:00, so there's not a lot of time between daycare, supper, and bedtime to haul ourselves all over town.

[speo]

Both boys started soccer and swim lessons at 3 yo. They also took some karate classes. They have done soccer team (AYSO) every year they have been eligible. Both loooove soccer. DS1 took tennis lessons starting in K. DS1 also started track team in 1st grade. He is a runner so he just loves soccer and track.

Our plan is to have 1 sport and piano. We are very busy on the weekends so that is enough for us. We are also thinking about starting DS1 with a martial art. Not sure how that will work since it can be a real time suck.

[Jai]

We went to the Little Gym off and on starting at about 6 months and ending last summer (2011) when DS was 2. We also did swim lessons off and on starting around 12 months (mommy and me) until this past summer. This past spring, we did soccer at the Y. This summer, we started swim lessons again and are going through the winter. I plan to stop when it gets warmer (and more crowded!). If he wants, we will do soccer again in the spring and go back to the Little Gym next summer. I would have gone back to LG this past summer, but we traveled a lot.

Right now, I keep him at one sport at a time since he goes to preschool 3 mornings each week. Swim class is Saturday morning.

[LMPC]

DD takes gymnastics 1x a week and goes to a general sports class where the coach teaches sportsmanship as well as sport specific skills (e.g., hitting a ball off a t, dribbing a soccer ball)...it's very non-competitive and fun :)

[Snow mom]

DD is almost 4. She is doing dance (ballet/tap combo). I'd like for her to add soccer next season but I didn't think she'd be able to handle team sports at 3.5 so we didn't start that yet.

[mom2binsd]

Ds started hockey and dance/tap at age 3. In kindergarten he added flag football in the fall and then continued hockey and dance.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

[ang79]

Wow! I must admit that I am amazed at all the activities you ladies have your kids in at such young ages. I have a few questions: 1. How do you afford all of it? 2. How do you find the time to run several kids to several things a week? 3. What is your drive/reasoning to have them involved in so many things at such a young age?

DD1 is in Kindergarten, DD2 will be 4 in 2 weeks. They just finished an 8 class swim instruction through the YMCA at our local high school. Class was Sat. mornings. They take a break through the winter months, then have another 8 classes starting in March and we are planning to sign them up for that. Other than that, the only other activity they are in is a Kids Club (similar to Awana I guess) at our church which meets 2 Sunday afternoons a month and Sunday school and Jr. Church every Sunday. We have discussed Daisy Scouts for DD1, but I think there is a lack of troops in this area, not sure if that will pan out.

If we had more money (I'm a SAHM and we have given up a lot in order to afford that), yes it would be fun to have them involved in more activities, but I don't see a need for it at this age, and I think time would also be an issue. DD1 gets off the bus at 4, the little boy I baby-sit doesn't leave til after 4:30, then I make dinner, we eat as a family, and the girls play or we do family games until they start to get ready for bed around 7:15. I don't want to spend my nights rushing and they really need to be in bed between 7:30-8 or they are too tired the next day. Also, I tutor in the evenings about 6 mos. of the year, so then we rush to eat dinner as a family and then DH plays with the girls and does bedtime.

My two girls play great together and have awesome imaginations when they play. We also like to play family games or do crafts, etc. I don't think they are ever bored and I am not worried at all about their social skills, sportsmanship, etc., I think they are doing well with those for their ages. I have friends who have several kids involved in several activities so that they are running every night of the week and groan about having to run somewhere every night. I have no idea how they get homework done and they never eat together as a family. To me, that sounds chaotic and not a lifestyle I want to start, so I'm always interested in the reasoning behind it. As the girls get older, our plan is to keep them in swim lessons until they are strong enough swimmers so that I don't have to worry about them, and then let them each choose one other activity at a time to do, whether it be a sport, dance, music, etc., just something that they want to do for fun (I have no expectations of them being super athletes and earning a scholarship, but I'd like for them to try new things and enjoy it). And I realize that by middle school and highschool they'll have more afterschool activities, so I'm enjoying keeping things low-key for now :)