Overbusy kids: the pressure to excel
Children may show irritability or sleep or eating disorders if there is an overload of activities.
Barcelona"Biel, who is ten years old, does extracurricular English classes three days a week; kung fu, two days; parkour, one day, and music, three days. As part of his music activities, he plays piano, trumpet, musical theory, and two combos," explains Anna Aparicio, his mother. Biel dedicates between 11 and 12 hours to extracurricular activities per week. He is one of the 83% of children in Catalonia between the ages of 6 and 15 who participate in them. the study The pros and cons of extracurricular participation, published in 2023 by Aliança Educació 360. On the contrary, only 17% of children do not participate in any activity, 140,000 children in Catalonia. "These activities outside of school improve self-esteem, children can discover things they are good at and that make them feel better, they improve their social skills and have a better self-image," says Sylvie Pérez, a professor in the psychology and educational sciences department at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC).
In Biel's case, in order to be able to do all these activities throughout the week, there are afternoons when several extracurricular activities overlap: "On Mondays, she only does one activity; on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, she does two; and on Saturdays, one. But if we go out and she doesn't go, it's no problem," she explains. According to the Aliança Educació 360 study, Catalan children spend an average of five hours a week on these complementary activities during the school year, between evenings and weekends, and the average annual cost is €567 per child. "He would do more; he does a lot of it because he likes it, he really enjoys meeting children from other backgrounds outside of school, and it's the opportunity he has to discover other activities that aren't included in the school curriculum or aren't covered in as much detail," Anna adds.
Little "professionals" of extracurricular activities
"There's a situation of polarization: some children are very busy with extracurricular activities, while others have no activities at all," warns Maria Truñó, director of Aliança Educació 360. The study shows that only 66% of children from low-income families participate in any extracurricular activities, while 92% of boys participate. "The trend suggests that this overscheduling is occurring in households with high or medium purchasing power. We always talk about a minimum number of activities, and we should probably start talking about a maximum," adds Truñó.
Although Biel enjoys her activities, many children don't enjoy the same balance. In this context, in 2023, A survey of 5,000 children between the ages of 8 and 11, conducted by the Barcelona Institute for Childhood and Adolescence has sounded a warning: the overuse of free time activities is causing discomfort in some children. The results show that children from families with more economic and cultural resources are the most dissatisfied with their free time, precisely because of the overload of activities that fill their evenings and weekends. "We are passing on to children an adult obsession: this pressure and aversion to wasting time is a social evil, precisely at stages when they need free time to develop healthily," Truñó believes.
Pérez warns how this structural overuse of free time can have negative consequences: "If children's free time disappears and there are an excess of extracurricular activities, we are putting pressure on them and hindering their development. It's good that they have activities that complement their learning and that they enjoy. Social, emotional, and cognitive development," the psychologist explains.
Free time: an often forgotten right
In Biel's case, since he has little free time in the afternoons, Anna takes him home for lunch. This midday break is where he can dedicate himself to working, resting, watching cartoons, reading, or doing whatever he wants. Truñó emphasizes that "free time is a recognized right; it's the right to rest and play. It can be understood as organized leisure time, but it shouldn't be the only meaning; it means having time for free play, participating in recreational activities, but not overscheduling."
If this situation of overcrowding becomes excessive, the child may show this discomfort with irritability or sleep or eating disorders. "They may be more sensitive or upset, sometimes clearly expressing what they don't want or don't like, crying, or making excuses not to go," says the psychologist. For Biel's mother, if he loses interest or it causes him stress, anxiety, or he doesn't want to go, they don't force him to continue with the extracurricular activity.
When to start and how to decide
"Since he was little, when he started preschool at three years old, he studied music and English. From then on, all we've been doing is adding to the mix. He keeps asking for activities; he'd like to do more, but we can't afford them logistically or financially," explains Anna. Regarding the starting ages for activities, the psychologist recommends that extracurricular activities aren't necessary in preschool (ages 3 to 5), and advises continuing them until first or second grade. "We must prioritize free play and spontaneous exploration, at least until the age of 6 or 7, because when everything is highly directed with such young children, we leave little room for exploration, and that limits learning," warns Pérez.
Pérez emphasizes the importance of involving children in decision-making about their activities: "We must observe their abilities and weaknesses, combine what they like with what might be useful, and maintain them for at least six months to adjust expectations and allow for a period of adaptation."
The most popular extracurricular activities
The most popular extracurricular activities in Catalonia are sports (58%), language (33%), and the arts (25%). These are followed by reinforcement or socio-educational activities (15%), which include academies, reinforcement classrooms, and socio-educational support activities; leisure activities (7%), i.e., burrows and esplais; and technology activities, with 5% participation. Sports extracurricular activities tend to be more structured: at least two days a week plus a game or competition on the weekend, with a more federative vision of the activity. This is confirmed by thestudy by the OmbudsmanUniversalization of educational leisure in Catalonia. The activities that are growing are sports, and within these, federated activities. "In many extracurricular sports activities, techniques are taught to learn how to play, but it's not a game; it's immediately instructive and educational at increasingly younger ages," says Truñó.
Reinforcement activities are also gaining importance. According to the study Shadow education in Spain (ESADE, 2023), 47% of students in the Spanish state receive private tutoring. This figure is higher among children in charter and private schools, and especially in high-income households, reaching 60%, compared to 30% in lower-income families. "Families' financial capabilities and the messages from the schools themselves, especially charter schools, are driving more tutoring activities. All of this is creating a kind of shadow education due to the large amount of private funding it commands," explains Truñó.
The majority of family spending is focused on languages (46%), followed by tutoring in curricular subjects (35%), such as math or language, and artistic activities (16%). According to data from Kumon, a private tutoring system of Japanese origin with an international presence, new enrollments have grown by 31% in just five years (between May 2020 and May 2025). "This growth reflects the increasing number of parents seeking activities that contribute to their children's development, autonomy, and long-term preparation," says Maribel Martín, Development Director for Kumon Spain, Portugal, and Italy. Kumon currently has more than 20,000 students across Spain.
Where school doesn't reach... does extracurricular activities reach?
According to a study by EsadeTwo out of every three euros spent on private tutoring are intended to expand and perfect knowledge, and one out of every three euros spent on reinforcing or recovering knowledge. Researchers confirm that Spain is in line with the global trend of increasing spending on this aspect. "There is an obsession with covering up what many families believe school is failing to achieve in terms of learning, and on this point all the red flags are raised; the idea is that private tutoring can complement what happens at school, but not cover up what isn't happening," says Truñó.
Martín affirms that "more and more parents are seeking to discover and develop their children's potential, not just to ensure they comply with the school curriculum. We see more concern for excellence in some families, although we are still far from the intensity with which it is experienced in other countries." In countries such as South Korea, Japan, and China, this type of shadow education is widespread and normalized. In Europe, Greece, Spain, Italy, and Portugal share similar patterns, with extracurricular activities that aim to expand and strengthen the school curriculum and language skills. "They are becoming more and more school-based, becoming more academic in format and purpose, to complement academics, and there is less and less guarantee that quality must be achieved, so they are more recreational, with different formats, much more focused on play, making friends, which is the true essence of extracurricular activities."
"Overscheduling is a risk that only affects a portion of children, those with the greatest opportunities, because, on the other hand, there is one in three children who do not participate in any activity," explains Truñó. This warning from the director of the study "The Good and the Bad of Extracurricular Participation" (Aliança Educació 360, 2023) reflects the deep economic gap that limits access to extracurricular activities in Catalonia. Although the majority of children participate in some activity, more than 140,000 children are left out, mainly due to economic limitations. The report shows that children from lower-income families have fewer opportunities to access complementary activities, while children from well-off families can participate in diverse and more specialized ones, which increases educational inequality and limits the opportunity for socialization and learning that complementary activities offer. Truñó, director of Aliança 360, the study's promoters, emphasizes that "what must be guaranteed are the conditions so that all children and adolescents who want to participate in extracurricular activities can do so; this cannot depend solely on families' pockets," and insists on the need for public policies that guarantee equity. She also points out that "the great challenge is equity and ensuring these activities are carried out, but at the same time, it is also a challenge to have the opportunity for play, play time, and family time." She emphasizes that extracurricular activities should complement, not replace, free time and personal experiences that contribute to children's holistic development.
When playing becomes a luxury
"For me it's like an investment in the future; at least I'm giving him tools and opportunities and then he'll decide which ones he takes and which ones he doesn't. Who knows what he'll decide, but at least I can give him the opportunities. My priority as a mother right now is to be able to give him the opportunities to choose and learn, discover and enjoy." According to theChildren's Agenda 2024, which combines surveys and workshops with more than five thousand children, children demand more time for rest and leisure time and more freedom to choose extracurricular activities they like, spaces to meet up with their friends, stay at home, play outside, and help to organize this time so that school activities and homework take up less space.
Truñó emphasizes the need to limit this overscheduling: "Extracurricular activities should not replicate adult life. It is necessary to balance children's interests with the need for conciliation and social pressure to make the most of one's time." In this context, a committee has recently been opened in England's Parliament to expand the outdoor playing (outdoor play), as a response to the reduction in children's outdoor play time. This situation is due, in part, to urban space problems and the overcrowding of extracurricular activities.
For the psychologist, it is necessary to find a balance between what parents want and the child's development and interests: "If we believe that some activities can promote the child's success, they can be done, but respecting their pace and development. They should complement self-esteem, knowledge, and interests without forcing them. The well-being of the child or family must be taken into account: the well-being of the child or family. and selective, incorporating activities in a gradual and balanced way, and also leaving room simply for enjoyment," she concludes.