should children under 5 be in any extra curricular activities?

As a general rule, I would say it's okay for under-fives to be involved in an activity - so long as they're not being PUSHED into it and ENJOY what they are doing. My daughter first started cheerleading at the age of four. She continued on with that right up until she entered high-school where she realized the politics of cheerleading had forced her out of the squad. She became jaded and has never returned - choosing instead to excel in her studies. She was just inducted into the National Honor Society as a junior last week. 😏👍🏻