Denmark - After school activities

Schools in Denmark start at 8 am, are generally finished by 1pm and often do not offer "after school activities".
In the afternoon children, based on their age, go either to an afternoon SFOs (skolefritidsordning or fritids-klub  literally play-school), a youth club or youth school, or do some sporting activity. Leisure activities for children and teens include sports, scouting, politics, music, theatre and art.

Most Danish children take part in many different leisure activities and are members of sports clubs which they attend two or three times a week. The most popular ones are football and handball
Danish school life offers very little sport, but few children in Copenhagen area have to travel more than few minutes to reach their chosen after-school club.

After school arrangements available can be private or public and include day-care facilities for younger children, youths schools for older ones, activities in associations, clubs.

SFOs (skolefritidsordning)

After-school care for children aged 6 to 10, known locally as SFOs, are offered by public or private schools with a range of creative and social activities. The opening hours differ, but generally would be in the morning from 6:30 am to 8:00 am and in the afternoon from 12:00 to 5:00 pm. The staff are usually childcare professionals.

Enrolment: you can sign up either through their school or via the the local authority. Some local authorities guarantee places for the students of the school, while others may have waiting lists. The price varies from DKK 350 to DKK 1,000 per month.

For further information about SFOs and other offers for children and youths in your area, the best place to start is your local authority.

After-school clubs

The local authorities have an obligation to offer leisure activities to children over 10 yrs old. After-school clubs are for children aged 10-13 and run only in the afternoon. Each club offers activities such as music, films, IT, exercise and outdoors activities. The clubs prioritise social activities.

Kids are supervised by adults in the clubs, but in general they enjoy a greater freedom to come and go compared to younger children in the care of SFOs.

Youth clubs

Youth clubs are for kids aged 14-17. The activities are organized with the support of trained personnel. The choice of activities are shaped by the members requests. Youth clubs are usually open late afternoon and evening, generally until 10:00 pm.

Enrolment: The after-school clubs and youth clubs are either public organizations or privately owned. Your local authority can provide you information on children and youths programs, including price and enrolment information.

Youth schools

Youth schools are run by local authorities for kids between 14 and 18 yrs old, even though in some municipalities they might include children outside this age group. The local authority has a duty to offer a broad range of subjects to all youths in the municipality. Classes take place after school hours, in late afternoon or evening. 

Youth schools are free, but in some municipalities there can be a small fee for tuition or to cover materials used during the courses. Youth school subjects in every municipality must include:
- school subjects
- remedial instruction
- Danish language and Danish culture classes for young foreigners

Some school may also offer help with homework.

In some municipalities, subjects may include traffic knowledge and moped-riding as well as creative subjects, music, dancing and sports.

The Youth School Development Centre in your municipality can provide information in Danish and English about the different youth schools in Denmark.

Music schools

Music schools, there are more than 200 in Denamrk, are either owned by the local authorities or are self-governing institutions subsidised by the local authorities. 
Children and young people can practise singing, playing musical instruments, reading music and playing in groups or privately. Some schools lease out musical instruments.
The music schools usually teach children and young people up to the age of 25. Some music schools also offer classes for adults.

Classes usually take place in the afternoon and in the evening.
Annual tuition fees range from DKK 800 to DKK 3,000.

Sports clubs and associations

Denmark has the highest amount of sports facilities per capita in Europe and most large towns have public swimming baths, a stadium, bowling alleys and courts for handball, badminton, football and gymnastics.

Golf is less accessible and you should be aware of clubs having waiting list to become members, but you will not be disappointed, there are beautiful golf courses all over the country.

Denmark has some 12,000 sports clubs and associations. Most municipalities offer activities such as swimming, badminton, football and athletics. The prices range from DKK 300 to DKK 1,200 per season. The adult coaches are volunteers, but they would have completed coaching seminars before they are giving coaching responsibilities.

Organisations

There are many organisations and associations for children and youths. The organisations cover everything from exercise and music to environment, religion and politics (most political parties in Denmark have a youth wing with the purpose of making young people interested in politics), and are a good starting point for forming friendships with Danish children and youths.

The Danish Youth Council, an umbrella organisation of all the nation’s youth associations, has information about most Danish youth associations.

Addresses and phone numbers of local youth associations may be found in the local newspapers, on the Internet, at the library, at the local authority’s local leisure administration office and in the telephone book.

Scouting organisations

As boy scouts and girl guides, children and youths can meet through activities ranging from first aid, cooking over a bonfire and hiking to biblical studies and church activities. The organisations have different political and religious affiliations, and their ratio of indoor and outdoor activities varies.

Exchange organisations

Some organisations arrange youth exchanges and different types of stays abroad for young people. Additionally, some organisations arrange cultural activities in Denmark for young people from different countries. The organisations work for greater tolerance and understanding between cultures and thus for a more peaceful world. There are non-profit as well as for-profit organisations in this category.

Cultural Activities

Main cultural attractions are clustered around the big cities. Nevertheless, there are plenty of art museums, theatres and music venues in other areas. Many local libraries also host a variety of cultural events.

There are also cultural foreign institutions like The Goethe Institute, Institut Francais, The British Council.