s/o How expensive are your kids' extracurriculars: cost-effective hobbies

[EmilyGF]

That thread got me thinking about our philosophy of hobbies and extracurriculars. I was raised in a upper middle class home, DH in a lower middle class home with constant financial insecurity. We have a very different view of extracurriculars.

 

What sports/hobbies/extracurriculars have you found to be cost effective?

 

(Please don't list things that are cost effective because you have access to a free co-op led by a volunteer; please list things that generally tend to be inexpensive or cost effective.)

 

My son does bird watching (we've spent $50 so far and join in with free bird walks) and yoyo-ing (comes to about $100/year with the cost of strings and high end yoyos). He also plays baseball ($200/season including uniform). My daughters currently don't have any hobbies we pay for, mainly because of their age and personalities. 

 

Emily

[happypamama]

Rocksmith program plus electric guitars. $60 for the program, plus under $200 for a good guitar that is a starter but not junky, plus another something for an amp if they want to play separate from the program. Another $30 if they want a second cord, plus the cost of a second guitar, which lets two people play at their own pace but together. (Hard to explain, but the program adapts to each person's skill level, even while they play together.). But I have my 13, 10, and 6yo all learning, as well as my DH, and the only thing they really need after the initial outlay are the occasional extra song packs. Very cost effective for what they're getting fro it.

 

We have found mixed age martial arts classes to be reasonable compared to other sports because of sibling discounts. But there isn't a lot of special equipment either, just a uniform to start, and maybe some inexpensive kick pads.

 

Hiking has been good for us too. :)

[Arcadia]

Running

Hiking

Knitting

Bird watching

Cycling

Guitar (self learning)

Programming (self learning)

Gardening

Cooking (my kids experimenting in the kitchen)

[Wabi Sabi]

Little League 
Hiking 
Birdwatching 
Chess club 
Book club 

[Zinnia]

Cross country.  My kids are on a homeschool team in the fall that changes $15/semester.  There is also a homeschool track team for $10/semester, and our local university has an all-comers track meet for free for a 6 week season in the spring.  Costs increase as interest increases, of course, but to start with, it's a very cost effective sport.

 

Hiking.

 

Cooking.  This one is more for me than my kids (so far), but my parents encouraged my love early on.  Everyone has to eat, you know?  I have taken classes here and there, as able, and those are fun.  I hunt down the $30 style ones.  Libraries are full of books to teach yourself new cuisines and styles all the time.

[raptor_dad]

Running

Hiking

Knitting

Bird watching

Cycling

Guitar (self learning)

Programming (self learning)

Gardening

Cooking (my kids experimenting in the kitchen)

 

For programming you might not even solely need to self learn. CoderDojo[1]  is a great group running free coding clubs worldwide. Our local club runs 2hr meet-ups roughly twice a month at the local U.

 

[1] Our local group is http://www.coderdojotc.org/and that gives a pretty good idea about what the movement is up to. Other groups can be found through https://coderdojo.com/

 

[tammyw]

In our area, there are homeschool PE classes - one hour per week, a new sport each month. The cost is $24/person/month. I think that's a pretty good deal!

[FarmingMomma]

4-H.  If you do non-animal projects, or small animal projects like showing a dog or cat, the cost is negligible.  Market animals cost a lot more (cattle, sheep, pigs, etc.), but they sell the animal at fair for a lot of money.  

 

[arliemaria]

I second 4-H.  My parents met in 4-H as teenagers and I was a 4-Her through college.  We are now in MO and my son could do cloverbuds, but since we did not have that in WV when I was a kid I was not familiar enough to start a group.  We will probably try to be more involved this year, however.  I never had large animals.  Eventually I got a pair of rabbits.  I showed these at our county fair each summer and had free admission to the fair all week.  I would work in our food stand and eat free lunch during the day and the money we raised at the stand went to pay for our camp fees.

 

We are also going to try to join a cub scout troop this year for our upcoming first grader.

 

Hiking is great.  We visit different parks frequently and record our hike in our family nature journal.  

PE is great and you can also complete the Presidential Youth Fitness Program.  http://pyfp.org/

 

Something else along PE and Hiking are 5Ks.  My dad got me into these as a young teen.  He was a race walker and I was a runner.  These are usually under $20 to enter and most include a free shirt.  Some are in very beautiful parks like cross country courses.  Some even include a 1 mile fun run for younger kids.

 

DIY.org is something I'm investigating tonight.  We are going to a free fishing day sponsored by our Department of Conservation tomorrow and I might have my son complete the angler badge tomorrow.  Badges are 4.00 to purchase if you want them after completing a skill.

 

We also do the National Junior Park Ranger program at national sites around the country if we are travelling anywhere we look to see if there are sites nearby.  There are also programs you can complete without visiting the park at all like the Jr. National Paleontologist and the Jr. Cave Scientist.  http://nature.nps.gov/geology/paleontology/Junior_Paleontologist_Reprint_2011_view.pdf and http://nature.nps.gov/geology/caves/jrcavesci.cfm

 

Archery.  We are fortunate to live near a ranger that has $5 evenings that include range fee, rental, and instructor for 1 hour.  Great value for $5!

[8filltheheart]

For my younger 4--Sewing, cooking, cross stitch, crocheting, knitting, calligraphy....all things I have worked with them on learning or they taught themselves with online videos and books.

 

My older 4 grew up more rurally. They built things all the time like tree houses, intricate pulley systems, potato launchers, etc. My oldest is a tinkerer and he was the initiator of most of the projects and his younger siblings were his workforce. ;)

 

I can't forget soccer. We lived on the soccer field for 14 yrs....from the time our oldest was 4 until he graduated from high school. I stuck it out one more yr after that, but the I turned in my soccer mom duties. My younger crew are out of luck. Btdt and I am so not going back there. ;)

[Farrar]

Team sports in general. I'm sure that if you have great talent and play on travel teams, etc. that the cost rises a lot, but most areas seem to have inexpensive youth leagues. We only pay $50 a season for soccer per kid.

 

Coding. If you have a computer and a connection, there are so many good learning websites and systems now.

 

Electronics can be expensive, but it can also be cheap. I feel like kids can go a long way these days on about $100 a year and a good manual or two.

 

Destination Imagination and Odyssey of the Mind are not very pricey overall if you split between a 5-7 kid team. Of course, this assumes that you don't win too many times (sorry, our DI team is going to Globals and the cost has turned out to be really high... but we could have taken the win at States and turned down the trip).

 

Hiking.

 

Art. I know the cost of art classes can vary hugely, but I see a lot of offerings at rec centers and so forth for very little overall. Good materials can get expensive, but we invested in some quality stuff early on and haven't needed to replace colored pencils, Prismacolor markers, charcoals, watercolors, pastels, etc. in several years now. We buy new drawing pens every year. And new paper. That's it.

[Momling]

 

In our area, as long as your children are not too advanced, it's easy to enjoy the cheaper, publicly supported classes (like through parks and rec). But once they reach a level of skill, you end up committing to expensive daily lessons to see progress. My advice would be to try lots of activities and sports but not to progress too far in them.

[Entropymama]

Rec center or city league. We've lived in multiple cities and I always find good stuff in the Rec Center catalog. Right now my kids are in track. It cost $60 for the season, which included a shirt. They get to do shot put, discus, hurdles, high jump, etc. All stuff I can't do at home. There have been 5 meets at different schools in the area and they get tons of ribbons. It's not for kids who are super talented, I suppose, but it's a great introduction. We've done the same with dance, gymnastics, soccer, baseball, lacrosse and tennis. This way we can see what they really like and are good at before committing to an expensive program. 

 

The library has an entire section of books on hobbies. 

 

Orienteering (geocaching). 

 

Volunteering! If your kids are into animals or the outdoors, more than likely you can find a volunteer opportunity for them. Older teens might even get paid. 

 

Memberships to museums are good. We got a science museum membership for the family for $40 because of a homeschooler discount, but we've paid up to $125 for a year at the zoo, history center, etc. That can be a hobby if your kid is into it. 

 

Lego club?

 

The best extracurriculars we've had are just from learning what the people we know are into. DH has a friend who used to be a carpenter and one who loves to fish and hunt (using guns and bows and arrows). When we asked them they were happy to come teach some things to the kids since they love doing it. 

[Desert Strawberry]

Anything through parks and rec or the library is cheap or free. Sports, dance, arts and crafts, drama, tumbling, swimming, Lego, book, chess, anime, gaming, Key clubs. 

Art class through galleries and museums-really high quality classes.

Bowling league/free summer bowling.

Roller and ice skating. Both r inks have low priced daytime sessions. All homeschooled kids know how to skate. All of them.

State parks offer guided hikes, kayaking, canoeing, and nature classes for children and adults.

[Pen]

That thread got me thinking about our philosophy of hobbies and extracurriculars. I was raised in a upper middle class home, DH in a lower middle class home with constant financial insecurity. We have a very different view of extracurriculars.

 

What sports/hobbies/extracurriculars have you found to be cost effective?

 

(Please don't list things that are cost effective because you have access to a free co-op led by a volunteer; please list things that generally tend to be inexpensive or cost effective.)

 

My son does bird watching (we've spent $50 so far and join in with free bird walks) and yoyo-ing (comes to about $100/year with the cost of strings and high end yoyos). He also plays baseball ($200/season including uniform). My daughters currently don't have any hobbies we pay for, mainly because of their age and personalities. 

 

Emily

 

 

One thing that strikes me is that "hobbies" is a different idea than what seems to be the competitive level of various activities that are creating so much expense as reported on the other thread.

 

And "hobbies" (beyond cooking which we all need to do and nearly all have the space for, even if it is a minimal space in a camper) do depend a lot on where one is located and what is available there.

 

 

For example, my son alas did not want to learn fiddling, but where we are that is something that people can do as a hobby: joining a fiddlers group with a minimal yearly membership, learning from old timers who know how and want to pass on their knowledge to others, and participating in free sessions.  Someone else on the other thread had a child playing fiddle in a situation where it is apparently not part of the area's heritage music and at a competitive level with extensive travel and was thus reported paying thousands for something that has traditionally been something done by people with friends and family as evening hobby type entertainment.  

 

Fiddle lessons- $50 per hour every other week. These lessons are 3 hours away so gas, tolls, and sometimes food if I don't plan ahead well add another $50 or so. I have no idea how much we have spent for travel to gigs…sometimes these expenses are paid by whoever has invited them and other times not. For the past six years we have spent about $3000+ per year to travel to Ireland for competition. Camps for her are about $2000 per year…at one she volunteers at camp to "pay" her own tuition now so only pay room and board which is minimal.

 

So it looks like a difference between around $7000-$7500 (if I added that up right) per year compared to about $25-100 (maybe a bit more keeping in mind gas and so on) per year plus the cost of a used fiddle for essentially the same activity depending on whether it is still a local traditional hobby being engaged in or a special activity at a competitive level requiring a good bit of travel and other expenses.

 

Maybe part of the key would be getting ones child to choose that which is readily available instead of the child who has fiddle readily available like my son, not wanting it, and instead wanting to do something else that is more expensive here.  I guess that the world of media, computers and movies is more likely to lead children to be aware of what else there is to do in the world rather than gravitating to what is being done locally.  Instead, my son wants to do ice skating which where we are is much more expensive, even though I see that for some others who posted that is a cheap thing with low cost rink admission times that fit for home school. I imagine in some places during winter it would just entail walking to a frozen over pond. We do not have that though.  Maybe it is a Tom Sawyer and whitewashing the fence phenomenon.

 

 

Some aspects of what has made something cost effective for us has also had to do with teacher flexibility.  For example, my son was able to take guitar with a teacher who did not require a lesson every week. He could take longer between lessons to work on his own, which was a big help. Horseback riding has been the same, where someone at a stable not far away is willing to give a lesson as she is able and as ds wishes, rather than it having to be a weekly commitment (though this also means a lot gets forgotten between times).  This is another thing that will make his ice skating more expensive is that it does not have that flexibility.

 

We are in the country, and country things tend to be best as hobbies. Gardening, nature study including bird watching, raising orchard bees (that one is getting a bit expensive--except that we have enough we can probably sell back cocoons in place of supplies this next year), hiking...

 

In the city it might be that playing chess or pick up basketball would be easier to manage...and also perhaps there might be options via a museum for art or other types of studies.

[umsami]

Right now, my kids are doing golf through a program called The First Tee.  Seven weeks of 1-1/2 hour golf lessons are $70 with our local chapter.

http://thefirsttee.org

 

The boys do archery at the YMCA which is $40/each.

 

DD and the eldest two boys are involved in Scouts.  So far, DD's cookie selling has funded everything, including a sleep over at SeaWorld.  The boys raise most of their troop money through hot dog sales, although I had to pay extra for a week at Boy Scout Camp.

[MinivanMom]

In our area, as long as your children are not too advanced, it's easy to enjoy the cheaper, publicly supported classes (like through parks and rec). But once they reach a level of skill, you end up committing to expensive daily lessons to see progress. My advice would be to try lots of activities and sports but not to progress too far in them.

 

LOL! Or they just need to be amazingly, out-of-this-world advanced so that they have access to free opportunities or scholarships.

 

As a general rule, if you are worried about money, then you want to steer your child toward sports, Scouts, 4-H, and academic activities. If you have money to burn, then feel free to head into dance, music, or competitive travel sports. If your child has a passion for dance or music, but money is tight, then you will have to get creative and dig around for affordable opportunities.

 

Our local high school (and the middle schools feeding into it) has a very impressive dance program, but no orchestra. The neighboring high school (and the middle schools feeding into it) has a very impressive orchestra program, but no dance. Yes, parents have chosen homes based on this. It's a great way to access a particular program without having to pay more than what you would have already spent on housing.

[MistyMountain]

I will be following this one

 

Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts

Free archery lessons through Parks and Recreation

I am looking into either a Lego league or Destination Imagination type thing

Chess club when they had one

Online hiking groups with other parents

[wintermom]

I'm not sure at all what you mean by "cost effective." Do you mean an activity that isn't "too expensive," or an activity that is kind of expensive but has so many benefits in a vast range of areas that the cost is completely worth it? If it's the latter, then I'd say that good quality music lessons are "cost effective."  

 

ETA: I now see "hobbies" in the thread title, so I'm not sure if I should edit my response. I don't consider music lessons as a hobby. My playing piano as an adult, for enjoyment and a little accompaniment here and there is a hobby. My dc's music lessons are definitely part of their educational program.

[LibraryLover]

Believe it or not--high end dressage! Dd did hundreds and hundreds of hours of catch rides and mucking stalls. She went Top Ten in the Nation twice, on a borrowed horse, on a borrowed saddle, with clothes I had sewn. This is not uncommon in the sport. Yeah, there are the kids who never actually get on the horse until the trainer has it all warmed up, but there are actually a fair number of kids who did what dd did. Do not discount a sport because "it's for rich kids". 

 

Another spot: Boy Scouts. Our troop is very expensive--the boys have been to Emerald Bay 3 times and Philmont, twice. And ds has paid for every bit of it himself. 

 

Yes!  My dd paid for a decent portion of her (residential) Summer Intensive with babysitting money. She makes sure we only ever order ballet attire from a discount place, and she is on the ball about shipping codes/dales/discounts. She reuses ribbon and elastic. (A drop in the bucket, but a thoughtful and respectful gesture.)

 

I wasn't going to take the money for the SI, but dh noted how proud she was to offer it, and we should respect that.  She is very mature and aware of the cost of her passion, and I'll bet that children involved in an intense extra are very aware of that fact and there are many who contribute. A young person eager to contribute/wear clothing made by Mom rather than buy new just because etc is a better human being for it, imo.

 

[Holly]

We do piano lessons and that's our big expense. 

 

Some cheaper activities:

baseball/softball--$20 or 30, which includes a t-shirt.  Add in a $20 glove and they are set. 

swimming lessons--$25 or so for a few weeks in the summer.

coding--DS just got a Raspberry Pi...it's a computer for $35.  He's been using free online programs as well.

sketching--We found some inexpensive easels from Amazon and added a set of pencils.  They use free lessons from Drawspace.com.

clay sculpting (and other arts and crafts)--I pick up supplies on clearance or when they are on sale.  Hobby Lobby and Joanns always have 50% off of something.  They watch lots of youtube videos for instructions on sculpting.  Origami, painting, suncatchers, sewing felt, sewing pillowcases are some things they've done.

bicycling--We haven't been doing this since we moved.  There is nowhere safe for them to bike at the moment.  :(  When we lived in town they biked daily.

bowling--We probably do this once or twice a year.

 

Libraries often have free programs, classes, or summer reading programs.  Are there any nature centers nearby?  They usually have free or inexpensive activities too.

 

[Bluegoat]

I agree with the post that said when you get into more serious and competitive levels, things really get expensive.

 

If we do things here through the city parks and rec program, they are usually very reasonable.  My girls are both doing a dragon boat camp for a week this summer, and it is $65 each.  If they wanted to go to more serious paddling, it would be far more money.  For younger kids programs, I would choose these kinds of things every time - you can pay $30 for creative movement rather than $160, and there is really little difference at three and four years old.

 

If kids want to go on more seriously, that is a different thing - we are now paying for guitar lessons after the $30 set.  But for things like fun basketball or floor hockey, its ideal and kids can go on indefinitely in those fun leagues.

 

Swimming lessons can be fairly cheap.  We've used free city skating and swimming lessons.  My elder daughter also is taking violin through a city program, the only real cost to us is the violin.

 

There are some martial arts programs here that are fairly inexpensive.  They are run as a kind of co-op but with qualified instructors, but from what I gather that is a common arrangement so may be available elsewhere.  they don't have their own school, they are run in community centers and public school gyms.  Here it is about $65 a term.  One of the other nice things is that the class is for ages 6 to 14 so they can all go together.  Some schools even have all beginner adults with beginner kids.  This doesn't really affect the cost much but it is a great way to cut down on running around if your real goal is some physical activity more than anything else.

[cintinative]

 

baseball/softball--$20 or 30, which includes a t-shirt.  Add in a $20 glove and they are set. 

swimming lessons--$25 or so for a few weeks in the summer.

 

 

Not picking on Holly, but I am so envious of those of you that have these types of price points for things. 

 

Here--a "cheap" week of lessons would be $60 per child (that is per week)

The YMCA rec league basketball is $85 for about six weeks; baseball would be about the same.  Local soccer is $70 per student.

 

Just to join the Y, assuming we want to go swimming during the winter, play inside, etc. is $85/mo plus an annual fee. 

I never thought it was that expensive to live here until I read your posts. I would love to find some of those offerings at low cost, but I have been unable to do so. I am inspired to keep looking because of your posts, though!

[EmilyGF]

Interesting replies. Thanks everyone (and you're welcome to keep them coming)...

 

E

[EmilyGF]

Umsami,

 

Wow, I'd never heard of First Tee. My daughter asked about learning to play golf recently (she told me, "I'd like to do ballet, swim, or play golf. But I think I'd prefer golf.") It turns out we have one really close to us! Whoohoo!

 

Emily

[umsami]

Umsami,

 

Wow, I'd never heard of First Tee. My daughter asked about learning to play golf recently (she told me, "I'd like to do ballet, swim, or play golf. But I think I'd prefer golf.") It turns out we have one really close to us! Whoohoo!

 

Emily

 

My friend's daughter does a similar program through the LPGA that is just for girls.  I like First Tee because I can bring both my sons and daughter. :)

[Ottakee]

For young teens and above Civil Air Patrol might fit the bill. My niece and nephew are both involved---he in search and rescue and pilot stuff at 15, her in communications and radios at 13.  They are both attending several camps in other states, traveling, getting all sorts of training, etc. and the cost is extremely reasonable.  I think my sister said $30 for a 2 weeks camp which includes her dd air fare from GA to IN.  They do have gas to weekly meetings uniforms.

[maize]

I expect dd12 to be able to help fund her own dance classes in a few years by working as an assistant teacher as several of the more advanced students currently do.

 

ETA developing skills when kids are young really can pay off. I know some 16-17 year olds from our dance studio who are able to charge $30 an hour giving private lessons to younger students. That's pretty good for a teenager!

[luuknam]

I'm not sure at all what you mean by "cost effective." Do you mean an activity that isn't "too expensive," or an activity that is kind of expensive but has so many benefits in a vast range of areas that the cost is completely worth it? If it's the latter, then I'd say that good quality music lessons are "cost effective." 

 

That's what I was thinking. Cost-effective sounds more like high ROI than like "cheap". I'm not sure I'd think of yo-yoing as cost-effective at all. I guess it could teach perseverance, but there isn't a whole lot of usefulness to it.

 

[daijobu]

Competition math.  We meet at my house or the free community room at the library.  Only expense in printing hard copy exams.  Sometimes I just provide electronic links to homework and the parents print them out themselves.  

 

Usually there's a registration fee that can be split among all participants.  Other than that, we hardly buy anything except team t shirts which are optional.  

[phathui5]

Another vote for Scouts.

 

Also, jobs! Jobs take up the kids' time and are extremely cost effective. My oldest (14) works for our church for a couple hours a week doing setup and take down for Weight Watchers, dog sits, does yard work, and is working at a blueberry farm this summer.

[scoutingmom]

We do scouts. It isn't as cheap in Canada as in the US, but our group will assist kids that need it - we do fundraising. My oldest has earned his way to a US scout camp for a summer week long camp last year and this year through them.

 

Assistance through the YMCA is great for our family with 4 kids and that is how we do swim lessons

 

Canada has Air cadets, army cadets, and sea cadets available once you are 12 and that is totally free.

[birchbark]

For young teens and above Civil Air Patrol might fit the bill. My niece and nephew are both involved---he in search and rescue and pilot stuff at 15, her in communications and radios at 13.  They are both attending several camps in other states, traveling, getting all sorts of training, etc. and the cost is extremely reasonable.  I think my sister said $30 for a 2 weeks camp which includes her dd air fare from GA to IN.  They do have gas to weekly meetings uniforms.

 

:iagree:    I was going to mention CAP as well. Our son joined this past winter and we've been pretty pleased. They cover a lot of ground and DS really enjoys it.

[SKL]

Whatever I can teach or learn with them at home (piano, cooking, yoga, chess, etc.)

Free library programs

Whatever they can do at school

Free or included stuff at the museums

Whatever they can do at the local rec center

Scouts

[Carrie12345]

Little League, for sure.  I think our registration is around $60/yr and there are sibling discounts. Some years we spend a bunch on equipment, but most of it lasts several years, and the league usually provides a lot of things if we're just not up to buying 3 new bats or helmets in one year (and are willing to take the lice risk!)

 

We're in a great location for environmental education.  We pay $5/family/yr for meeting space for Junior Envirothon study (parent-led) and $3/child for monthly homeschool classes and weekly summer classes at our local environmental center.  My kids attend summer day camps for $70-150/wk, depending on age and camp.

 

I think our biggest expense for those two things is gas!

[Dmmetler]

Kids Bowl Free and Kids Skate Free during the summer. Especially if you can get a free or cheap pair of bowling shoes or skates.

 

Also, check churches. Some have very low cost outreach programs. One here has tennis, ballet and cake decorating this summer :)

 

 

As I mentioned in another thread, cheer can be expensive, but cheer gyms sometimes have cheap drop-in tumbling classes (where you buy a punchcard and then can go X number of times) or have unlimited classes for one fee. If we wanted, DD could do 20 hours/week of tumbling at a cheer gym for the cost of 2 at a gymnastics gym (the only reason I don't is that a) we wouldn't go more than twice a week anyway and b) DD doesn't do well with drop-in things where there might be 5 kids one week and 10 the next-she does much better in a more stable situation where she knows exactly what to expect).

[AngelaNYC]

My kids' extracurriculars have ranged in price from $35 to over $200 per month.  Once a week non-competition team dance or gymnastics was the least expensive for us, as were little league and basketball clinic (which were one low seasonal price).  Competition dance and martial arts cost us the most.  

 

Now ds has a gym membership which is $35/month and he goes several times a week.  This has been the most cost-effective activity any of my kids have ever done since it's unlimited, no contract, and open 24 hours.  

[Momto4inSoCal]

Our community has a lot of cool classes for really cheap but you have to search for them. We have a roller hockey team that is free, we are part if a free Christian competition dance team (we pay competition fees, entrance and buy costumes). There was a science program recently at our library that was free. I won't pay a lot for a class if my kids are just starting. I have always figured if they end up liking it and have already gained the basic skills we can look into the more expensive teams. We have done soccer, gymnastics, ballet, cheer and softball. All through parks and rec or cheaper community sports. I see no reason to spend a lot on something they might not even like.

[mathmarm]

Library story time--free

Museum--free tot time

Farm visits -- nominal fee only

Swimming lesson--pay by season

Tumble Tots -- pay by season

Indoor playground-- pay by season

 

This is our first time doing Tumble Tots and Jr loves it so this winter we will probably do it biweekly.

[Love My Life x4]

It adds up... Rylee is my most expensive and I feel bad that it's not *equal* between all 4.  However, I offer them all the same opportunities to do things that they are all interested in.  Rylee is on the competitive gymnastics and the competitive tumbling teams and those two activities are just pricey.  I really try to push cheaper activities though...

 

Alexis: Guitar, Swim (team) - she also Runs and Bikes and participates in youth triathlons (I run marathons, including Boston, and train for triathlons so I can train her for these events), Horseback riding (weekly lessons), Dance, non-competitive (ballet, tap, hip-hop, jazz), Youth Group, Circuit/Strength Training (@home, CrossFit style - scaled)

Austin: Drum Lessons, Football/Basketball/Baseball (through the YMCA, seasonal), Fishing Camp (twice/week June - August, free through the park district), Awana (September - May), Circuit/Strength Training (@home, CrossFit style - scaled), Martial Arts (through the Y, 8 weeks for $35)
 

Rylee: Competitive Gymnastics (+ weekly private lessons), Competitive Tumbling (+ weekly private lessons), Dance, non-competitive (hip-hop, jazz, tapp, ballet, pom-pon), CrossFit (weekly private lessons with two local coaches who are competing this weekend at the Central Regional CrossFit Games), Piano & Voice Lessons (@home with me)

 

McKenzee Grace: Dance, non-competitive (ballet, tap, hip-hop, jazz, pom-pon), Tumbling (pre-team), Awana (September - May), CrossFit Kids, Martial Arts (through the Y, 2 months for $35), Theater camp (a little pricey for the week but she LOVES to act)...

We also do lots of library trips/activities, our park district has "movie in the park" nights, we joined Kids Bowl Free for the summer...

[justasque]

Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts

Soccer (local league, local Parks&Rec league)
Dance (because I barter for lessons)

Dance and Theater performances meant for school programs - one venue is free, others are $5-$10.

Nature Science type lessons through a local state park - free!

Library programs

Summer free concerts - lots of ethnic music and dance - now is the time to check into these!

The gifted pull-out program in our local school district (free and excellent - a very hands-on, unit-studies type program)
 

One year a friend found all the free field trips she could - we visited all kinds of places - factories, small museums, nature centers, etc.

[Bluegoat]

I thought of a few other things that are inexpensive here.  There is a pipe and drum marching band which meets weekly, and it is about $10 a lesson.  There ight be some more costs associated with some traveling in the summer, but it isn't much.  If the child goes on to want his own bagpipes later, or even drums, that is a significant outlay.

 

Cadets are also a very inexpensive option here in Canada - pretty much free.  I don't know about other places. 

[phathui5]

The free summer bowling at our bowling alley includes the bowling and the shoes. It's pretty awesome.

[IsabelC]

I have never added up what we spend, but I'm pretty sure it's more than we can really afford. 

 

Music is relatively cheap for Mr. 11 and Ms. 9 because I am teaching them myself. But other than that, Girl Guides is probably the best value for money in our experience.

[Pegs]

I was really grateful for the music lessons my (very low income) family paid for in my childhood, because I have always been able to make a modest income by busking. I paid for lots of my own sheet music, instrument repairs, a new bow, etc., by playing on the street. This also led to networking opportunities and paid gigs at weddings and corporate events. I had a decent repertoire memorised, and so long as I could organise transport (not a problem in cities with PT), I had ample employment as a young teen, with a rate of pay which was quite high, relative to my age-peers.

[Jennifer132]

How about geo-caching?