Best recreational level extracurricular opportunities

[maize]

What activities have you found for your kids and/or yourself at a non-competitive/non-selective level? 

 

It seems that there are lots of great options for kids who want and/or are able to compete at an intensive or elite level in all kinds of activities, from sports to music. I'm wondering what you have found that works for kids who are not super athletic or talented or devoted but who want and need activities to enjoy.

[LucyStoner]

My son's play piano and are not serious about it.  It's just for fun.  They don't usually do the recitals, and they aren't aiming for any competitions or elite level of playing. 

 

Sometimes I think parents are only willing to invest if they see "a purpose."  For us, the purpose is just playing piano for fun and because it's good to practice something regularly.  They enjoy it, but it's not either of their raison d'etre. 

 

My younger son has a lot of fun with soccer, but he plays down one age level due to his ASD, and I don't think he will be trying out for the select teams or anything. He plays for fun, exercise and the social side of things.

 

My older son's only "competitive" things are spelling and robotics.  He ages out of spelling this year (and we don't pay for that, lol!)  Robotics will be getting a lot more intense as he will be attending a school with several levels of robotics teams who travel to compete.  He's done one summer robotics program in the past and is doing another one this summer.

[FaithManor]

The boys hike, kayak, ski, play music, bike recreationally.

[Tap]

We live in a medium size city.  There are many community ed programs, and each has a bunch of sports and classes for kids.  So, pretty much any mainstream sport is available in a non-competitive,  everyone plays, format.

 

My kids have done:

 

crew

sailing

volleyball

swimming

soccer

dance

gymnastics

Hapkido

 

and...I am sure there are more.

Edited March 14, 2017 by Tap

[Arcadia]

For sports (including martial,arts), both YMCA and any nearby city's Park and Recreations dept programs has been great for my kids. For gym, my kids went from Gymboree as toddlers to Little Gym when they outgrow Gymboree, then to a gymnastics center that has boys recreational classes.

 

Music is the only thing we have problems finding recreational lessons for because my kids don't like guitar or drums which are the ones that have group lessons beyond beginners. For one to one lessons, we haven't found a teacher that is willing to let them go at a leisure pace as my kids are obviously underperforming in music.

[Farrar]

I think so much of this depends on what's available in your community. For example, there are plenty of opportunities for kids around here to do soccer at a low competitive level or at a high one at least through high school. But I think that's not the case in a lot of places.

 

Obviously anything kids can do individually or just with friends like riding bikes, hiking, skateboarding, etc. won't be competitive. While there are ways to make it more selective, it seems like visual arts, individual music lessons, martial arts, and theater are all activities that involve classes or groups that aren't very competitive.

[Guest]

Horseback riding. There are so many different types of riding/skill sets. It's as competitive as you want to be from zero competition pleasure or trail rider (or not even riding but hanging out with horses) to world competition level, English or western.

[Rachel]

My kids did swim team through park and rec last summer. $35 for the season! They have also done cross country (led by a homeschool dad), and a church league basketball team.

 

I agree that a lot of this is based on what is available near you. The club sports are the ones that are really visible around here, but there are rec leagues if you look.

 

If your kids aren't particularly interested in sports, look for a PE class where they can try out several things.

Edited March 14, 2017 by Rach

[gingersmom]

Ice skating

[HollyDay]

piano lessons

ice skating (dd went through both levels of freestyle but didn't compete)

horse riding and barrel racing (again didn't compete, just took lessons)

Upward Sports and CSports

Park and Rec usually has some recreational activity

 

For adults:

Fun tennis "leagues" exist for folks who just want someone to play against

Volleyball and Basketball pick up/open gym night

[rebcoola]

Every town will be different but I have never found a shortage of lower level fun stuff.  Church leagues, and city teams are the most common.  We have done soccer, track, summer swim all as very low level cost/commitment.     All Star Cheer is great if you want competitive experience but aren't the greatest athlete, they let everyone join and than sort them by age & skill level into different teams.

[regentrude]

music lessons, children's choir, community theater, horseback riding, TKD, judo, BJJ

hiking, rock climbing, choir, art classes, pottery classes

Edited March 14, 2017 by regentrude

[eternalsummer]

swim team has a summer and winter option (so 6 weeks summer, 6 weeks winter) that is pretty low key

 

gymnastics has a less-competitive rec level these days called xcel

 

I haven't yet found an art class that was serious *enough*

 

If you are religious and nearish a decent sized metro, there always seems to be a religious-only option for sports or music or whatever that is, to be honest, less competitive than the alternative.  So homeschool Christian band, homeschool Christian football, homeschool Christian baseball, etc.  We have not had the opportunity to try these orgs. out as we are not religious.

[Alice]

Swim team in the summer is low-key and fun. It's not non-competitive in that there are meets but anyone can participate (as long as you can swim enough to be safe) and it's mostly fun. 

 

We do piano but not in a competitive way, it's for enjoyment and exposure to music. 

 

Our town has options for almost every sport that are house league so everyone can sign up theoretically. There are homeschool leagues that are less competitive and more low-key. Upward Sports is a Christian organization that offers sports that is less competitive than others. 

 

There are plenty of opportunities here. We have found that the issue is more that the coaches and teachers start pushing for kids to do more, more, more and that the older the kids get the harder it is to join anything that is a team sport because everyone else is already doing it at a higher level. So theoretically I could sign up my 10 year old for soccer in the house league. But I know that most of those kids have been playing for 5 or 6 years and he would likely feel "behind". 

[theelfqueen]

My kids are in Scouting.

The younger one is in Karate, Tumbling/Trampoline (We have friends whose kids do a parkour class -- he'd like to try that), and the church youth group. He'll compete in karate eventually probably but not seriously. He used to be in archery (JOAD) and wrestling -- both competitive.

The middle one is in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu/MMA. He volunteers once a week with the children's program at our church. He plays Magic the Gathering A LOT.

 

And we hike.

 

Edited March 14, 2017 by theelfqueen

[wintermom]

There are so many options. A lot depends on availability and interest, along with money and transportation.

 

Physical activities:

 

- horseback riding

- paddling, rowing and sailing

- hiking

- orienteering

- rock climbing

- running

- cross-country skiing 

- downhill skiing/snowboarding

- cycling/mountain biking

- skating

- snowshoeing

- marksmanship

- biathlon

- swimming/diving/water polo/synchonized swimming

- SCUBA/snorkling

- dance (hip hop, tap, ballroom, jazz, etc.)

- trampoline

- paintball/laser tag

 

Music:

 

- choir

- ukulele groups

- fiddle groups

- musical theatre 

- drumming groups 

- guitar groups

 

 

[Bluegoat]

In my city, much of the city rec department offerings, and independant community center offerings, are recreational.  THat being said, it can take a bit of time to discover which ones are best.  Anything where people need to level up regularly in a class is not the greatest, because they tend to offer only a few levels.  But some are groups that meet and people and kids can stay in them for years.  Pottery, regular pick up games of floor hockey and basketball, and yoga all are like that.  Individuals improve of course, but that doesn't mean they need to do something different.

 

Open gyms, as well, are part of this.

 

Another activity here is martial arts - there are more serious groups, but also quite a few co-op models where they use a community center, and the leaders are not being paid.  Everyone is there for the enjoyment and the cost is just really for the facility.

 

There are youth groups my daughter has enjoyed.  One is a church group, but the other is just the teen drop in at the community center, and there are similar ones at the libraries.

 

Chess club and young naturalists club.

 

There are a number of sport groups that have rec divisions in season.  Soccer is probably the biggest.  One issue seems to be they don't carry on for teens.  The other, that I've noticed with hockey, is it's just so small.  And in others, like skating, parents can be pressured to become competitive.

 

 

Edited March 14, 2017 by Bluegoat

[SKL]

I agree with horseback riding.  (Expensive choice though.)

 

My eldest's favorite activity is gymnastics.  We have always done this at The Little Gym, which takes kids through age 12.  For young kids, TLG is a great choice as there are many different fun options and they are super laid back.  As the kids get older / more serious, the options dwindle.  There is a maximum family cost which meant that, when my kids were little, they did a total of 10 weekly classes for the less than the cost of 3.  Now they are doing a total of 3 classes, so the cost per class is higher.  And I need to start looking into what comes next after my eldest ages out.  Will she be able to join a class at the "competitive" gym which also has non-competitive classes?  Will she be able to develop into a competitor?  We'll see.

 

Swimming is also a good activity in that each individual works to his or her ability / interest level.  At least in our rec center's team, there is no external pressure on anyone to "win."  (Our team did win 1st place the year we competed, but that was more due to healthy motivation IMO.)

 

Our favorite was rec soccer, but this is competitive in the sense that you do play games that you win or lose.  It's not cutthroat though.  Everyone plays and is encouraged to do his/her best.

 

Our TKD program can be completely non-competitive, or you can compete if you want to.  Well, we do have to "spar," but nobody is scoring us or invested in the outcome unless we join "team."  Sparring is good-natured and people are very supportive of each other.  Rather than a lame "participation trophy," kids earn their belts by developing specific skills.

[SKL]

I should have added that scouts is a good one for the kids.  However, it's a lot more work for the parents.  :)

 

As for music lessons, that was another one that was harder on me (except when they were offered at school).  Since I know how to play a bit and have many books here, I decided to drop the piano lessons and have them learn at home.  I taught myself when I was about my kids' age, and now my kids are taking the initiative to take it to the next step.  I would love to see them progress faster, but we can only do so much.  Maybe next summer I will put them in a summer music [day] camp to jumpstart things ....

[SparklyUnicorn]

nothing

 

There is nothing like that here.  It is all competitive. 

 

One of my kids is in a hip hop dance class, but the school is also very heavy into competition.  Of course they'll take on students who aren't good dancers or not super serious because like most dance schools they need to make money to keep going, but I don't know how long he'll stay in dance and feel comfortable being there.  Meaning clearly he does not show some sort of amazing promise in the field of dance.  He is still (barely) young enough to get away with that fact.

 

 

[SKL]

I think theater might be another one, though the commitment is more than I could do.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Yes both of mine are into drama, but I thought we were talking mostly about athletics/games.

 

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

Although I should mention that this is true for us as homeschoolers.  If my kids were in school they'd have tons of different options.  They really do have a lot.  This might also explain why there is no community stuff.  The school already offers so much.

 

 

[HollyDay]

Horseriding is pricey.  We found it cheaper to do group lessons.  Dd does western, not english.  She also found a few places that offers "free" or reduced price lessons for volunteer work. 

 

Ice Skating can really be pricey.  But, again, she took group lessons, not private.  Several times, people didn't show up for classes, so she the coach all to herself.

 

Our piano classes are through a homeschool group.  It is not competitive, no recitals.  Just piano.  Dd is covering theory and has 3 different books she is working through.  However, since it is through the co-op, it is much cheaper than other places and music academies

 

Forgot to add the library.  Our library offers chess classes and clubs, craft classes, book clubs, Lego clubs, Lego Minestorm, etc.

[Critterfixer]

We just bought a couple of second-hand kayaks. The boys saved up and bought them. Before that, they had little boats that they made out of the ends of a defunct compost tumbler. They just like to paddle out on the rivers and lakes around here. In good weather, I load up the boats in the truck, put the school books in the cab, and we go do our school next to the river. Then the boys spend the rest of the afternoon messing around in the boats.

In the art arena, I have a friend from my writers' group who paints. She likes company one day a week, and some of her other artistic friends join her to draw, paint or knit. Once a week we take a morning, grab our art bags, and we go to town to visit and paint. Very low key, lots of fun, and we learn a lot, too.

[KarenNC]

My daughter has enjoyed aikido, art lessons from parks and rec, Girl Scouts, is beginning with Venture Crew (co-ed arm of Boy Scouts for ages 14 and up), and volunteering backstage with community theatre. Our church choir is accepting of teens participating, but it's not something in which she is interested.