Rising cost of Shropshire's after-school clubs
Parents of young children across the county will be counting the cost of the new school term after new research revealed the rising price of after school activities.
The research, which was carried out by OnePoll for Petits Filous, revealed that more than a fifth of parents in Shropshire are paying out £6 on average for their children's after school activities.
More than one in three parents questioned said they would like their kids to do more after school activities, but nearly three quarters admitted they couldn't afford it.
These results were the second highest in the UK, with other reasons Shropshire parents gave including a lack of after school activities and lack of facilities.
Most people surveyed said that they paid between £3 and £4 for after school clubs and activities, but eight per cent said they were being charged more than £7 per session.
The survey also asked parents of children aged five to 11 what activities their children enjoyed – and what they would like to do if they had the opportunity.
Swimming emerged as the favourite activity, with 41 per cent of parents saying their kids hit the pool after school.
Other activities included mainstream sports such as football, rugby, netball and tennis, with athletics and gymnastics also proving popular.
And a growing number of youngsters take part in arts and crafts clubs, music, drama, dance and martial arts groups.
Some parents also said they pay for their children to take extra lessons in academic subjects such as maths or English.
Sue Palmer, child development and education expert, said: "Taking part in sports, craft activities and creative play is much better for a child's physical, mental, emotional and social development than spending hour upon hour in front of the TV or on computer games."
The survey was carried out on behalf of children's yoghurt maker Petits Filous.
