Are Most Kids in Extracurriculars? A Look at How Many American Kids Do After-School Activities

If it feels like every kid you know is hustling from school to tennis to robotics to violin, you’re not imagining it. American kids are busy. But how many are actually in after-school activities, and what are they doing?

Let’s walk through what the data says and translate it into real-life parent terms!

How Many Kids Are in After-School Programs?

First, let’s separate two things that often get lumped together:

Formal after-school programs (3–6 p.m. care at school, YMCAs, community centers, etc.)
Any extracurricular activities (sports, clubs, music lessons, Scouts, church groups, etc.)

1. Formal after-school programs: huge demand, limited access

The latest America After 3PM data from the Afterschool Alliance (2025) paints a pretty stark picture:

Parents of 29.6 million children say they want an after-school program for their child.
Of those, 22.6 million kids still don’t have access to one.
That means more than 3 in 4 kids whose parents want afterschool are missing out.

Flip that around: only about one-quarter of the kids whose parents would enroll them in an after-school program actually have a spot.

So even though we talk a lot about overscheduling, at the national level, there’s actually a massive “lost opportunity.” Tons of kids who could benefit from safe, structured after-school time simply can’t get it.

2. Any extracurriculars: most older kids do something

If we zoom out from formal programs to any structured activity outside the regular school day, participation looks a lot higher.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has found that among middle and high school students:

Roughly two-thirds participate in at least one extracurricular activity (sports, clubs, arts, etc.).
Around 40–45% play on a school or community sports team.
About 30% join some kind of club (robotics, student government, debate, etc.).
Roughly 20–30% participate in performing arts (band, choir, theater).

These categories overlap a ton—plenty of kids do more than one—but the general pattern is clear. Most older kids do at least one structured activity, even if they’re not in a formal “after-school program.”

What Are They Actually Doing After School?

Short answer: sports still dominate, but they’re far from the only game in town.

Sports: Still the biggest slice

The Aspen Institute’s Project Play, which tracks youth sports participation, consistently finds that:

About half of U.S. kids (roughly ages 6–17) play on at least one organized sports team in a given year.
Regular, “core” participation (playing a sport more than just a few times) tends to land in the 30–40% range, depending on age.

Arts & Music: The quiet backbone

School-based surveys and national reports compiled by the Arts Education Partnership tell us:

We still don’t have a full national picture. Tons of different systems collect arts-ed data (state longitudinal systems, AEDP, ArtLook, NCES, etc.), but they’re fragmented—so we still can’t reliably answer, “Does every child in every state have access to high-quality arts education?”, even in 2024.
We measure access/enrollment much better than learning, staffing, or funding. Most existing data tells us where arts classes exist and who’s enrolled; very little tells us what students actually learn, how arts teachers are distributed, how much time kids spend in the arts, or how much money truly flows to arts education.
The gaps make equity and accountability hard to track. Because we lack consistent data on learning outcomes, staffing, and funding, it’s difficult to see where the biggest inequities are—or to prove that new investments in arts education are working—which is why the report calls for more aligned, comprehensive data systems.

Academic, STEM & Interest Clubs: Growing

Academic and interest-based activities have been quietly growing:

Robotics and coding clubs
Math team & Science Olympiad
Debate, Model UN, mock trial
Language, culture, and service clubs

These are often hosted right after school and can be a great fit for kids who aren’t into team sports but still want a “thing.”

Faith-based & Community Groups

Plenty of kids also spend afternoons or evenings at:

Scouts (Girl Scouts/Boy Scouts)
Church youth groups
Community volunteering and service groups

These might not show up in “afterschool program” counts, but absolutely count as structured activities that shape kids’ lives.

Big Pattern: It’s not equal for every family

One of the most important, and often frustrating, things the data shows is inequity.

The Afterschool Alliance and Aspen Institute have both highlighted that:

Kids from higher-income families are much more likely to be enrolled in multiple activities and formal after-school programs.
Kids from lower-income families are more likely to:
- Be “latchkey” (home alone after school),
- Have fewer organized options nearby,
- Or be blocked by cost and lack of transportation.

Surveys from the Afterschool Alliance have shown that cost is the #1 barrier cited by parents who want after-school programs but can’t access them. Transportation (no safe way to get there) is another major factor.

So when we ask, “How many American kids are doing after-school activities?” we’re also quietly asking, “Whose kids get access—and whose don’t?”

What This Means for You as a Parent

All of this data is interesting—but you still have to decide what’s right for your kid, your schedule, and your budget.

A few takeaways that can help:

1. You don’t need to “keep up with the average”

Yes, most older kids do something. But “something” might be:

One rec soccer season a year
Weekly piano lessons
A library coding club that meets twice a month

Your child does not need an activity every day to be okay, or to be “on track.” There’s no trophy for having the busiest after-school calendar.

2. Look at how your kid handles activities

Statistics describe trends, not your child’s nervous system. Ask:

Do they seem energized and happy, or exhausted and overwhelmed?
Are schoolwork and sleep still healthy?
Do they still have genuine downtime to play, read, or stare at the ceiling?

3. If access is the issue, you’re not alone (and it’s not your fault)

If you’ve ever wanted to sign your child up for a program but couldn’t swing the cost, transportation, or registration timing, you are literally in the majority—more than 3 out of 4 kids whose parents want afterschool care can’t get it right now.

It helps to:

Start with school-based clubs and programs (often free or lower cost)
Check your city’s parks & rec department for camps and classes
Look at library programs (STEM clubs, story times, teen nights)
Ask about scholarships or sliding-scale spots; many camps quietly offer a few, and MomBrains denotes it in our own resources!

Quick Recap

Formal after-school programs: Parents of 29.6 million kids want them; 22.6 million kids can’t get in, meaning over 3 in 4 kids whose parents want afterschool don’t have access yet.
Any extracurriculars: Most middle and high schoolers do something, sports, clubs, arts, church groups, etc., even if they’re not in formal 3–6 p.m. care.
Sports lead the pack, but arts, music, academic clubs, and community groups are a big part of the picture.
Access is unequal: income, transportation, and availability shape who gets opportunities.

And the part the data can’t decide for you: your kid’s schedule can look however you both want. The goal isn’t to match a national average; it’s to find a mix of school, activities, and downtime that lets your child grow, rest, and enjoy being a kid.

If your family’s calendar feels like too much, it probably is.

If you wish you had more options, you’re not alone, and that’s exactly the kind of gap we’re trying to help close at MomBrains!