Activities for 3 Year Olds? - Commerce Township,MI

What is too much seems to be a personal thing in families, with their schedules and how their kids seem to handle it. Some kids thrive with tons of activities and some really do best with just 1 or 2. My DD is in preschool for 2 days a week (2.5 hours a day) and does a gymnastics class at Stars and Stripes in Clarkston once a week (45 minutes). I am also thinking about a weekly swim class at Goldfish Swim School (they have locations in Birmingham and Farmington Hills) that would be 30 minutes. So none of these are that long and none of them are on the same day. My daughter is very active and very sociable so this sort of stuff is perfect for her - she loves to get out every day. I've been adding one thing at a time and so far so good. I don't feel a need to sign her up for everything and schedule every moment of the day. You did not mention how many days a week or how many hours the preschool was but adding the ice skating probably would be fine if it's only 1 or 2 days a week.

My daughter is an ice skater, she started out one day a week, and it tired her out pretty good. Now she is 15 and skating 4 days a week, and readying for her fall competition. Once the skate season is over she will go donw to 2 days a week, just to keep practiced up... so the level of skating has alot to do with how often they skate. If they end up in hockey and figure skating... the amount of time involved will increase, so starting them with beginner lessons now is enough... it will leave room for the other on ice activities the coaches like them to do in the future.

Good luck!

I think it's fine to have them in one activity at a time. My personal view is that one is plenty for pretty much all little kids. My goal is to keep my kids from being over-scheduled. I worry that kids who are over-scheduled don't learn how to fill up any free time so they are always "bored" when they have a spare moment. But just my personal opinion... My daughter is 4 and she takes one dance class per week (she's also in preschool/daycare full time as my husband and I work full time). She's actually asked to add a swimming class but I'm hesitant to schedule any further activities... Her first organized class was swimming when she had just turned 3. She's also taken soccer lessons through school (they take the kids out of the classroom for a half hour each week and teach them basic skills - it wasn't an organized team). I say start small - it will help them to figure out what activities they prefer before they get to the age where they start joining organized teams or classes...

I have a daughter who is almost 4 and my nephew is just one month younger. I have not signed her up for anything yet (will but not yet). My sister has had my nephew in soccer for two seasons now. Even though there are activities for this age group it does not mean they are not ready for organized teams or classes.

In our area, there is a tots skating class but you don't have to "sign up". You can pay as you go. We have done that a time or two but know that the attention span is just not there yet and it is a waste to attempt it on a regular basis.

After seeing my nephew at a soccer practice (he loves to play soccer at home and says he wants to be there but really he just wants to run around and play when we're there), I know I have made the right decision to wait a bit before signing my girl up.

Why not just do some backyard and/or family time activities rather than signing them up for anything that is organized? They really are too young.

My older son (now 19 years) was always active and did a different sport every season but really would have loved to just wrestle year round. We did limit him to one sport per season (if they over lapped by a week or two it was ok) and then he did scouting year round. If a short term activity arose, he did that too (like JR. Rangers in the summer).

I think preschool and one activity is appropriate. Young kids need unstructured play time. They learn so much while free-playing. My kids are 5 and 4. My 5yo is in kindergarten and ballet for 30 minutes a week, and my 4yo is in preschool 2.5 hours 3 days a week and a 30-minute ballet class as well. This seems just right. We get evenings at home to play the rest of the week. Next session, the kids can choose whether they wish to continue with ballet or would like to try something else. Have fun!

Hey there,

I have friends who had their kids doing something every day they weren't in school (at the pre-k age). They did that in order to prevent the kids from going stir crazy on their days off.

I think that any program you will have a 3 year old in will generally be short and won't take up much time so you can do more than on activity. As long as they are happy to participate and their schedule is one they can handle with out a melt down I would say it's all up to how many activities YOU can handle =0)

My girls are in school full time now so I only like them to do one extra activity at a time. They don't get home until almost 4:30 so the day is pretty much gone already. I also try to sign them up for things on a Friday evening or on a Saturday. That way I don't have to worry about them being too tired for school the next day. Also, this allows us to get our homework done during the week.

Good luck and have fun!

My kids weren't in anything when they were 3, not even preschool. At age 4, my son did soccer, that was once per week and he never went to preschool. I home schooled him for preschool and then he went to half day K. My daughter went to preK when she was 4 for 3days per week and then all day K when she was 5. Anyway, they started training in martial arts when they were 4 and 6. Classes are twice per week and they have been going for 2 yrs now.