Hobbies are a great way for our children to develop skills and learn great life lessons. There are so many different hobbies though that it can be hard to pick which ones would be best or in some cases- inexpensive to do. Here are some tips for choosing hobbies and some great examples for boys and girls alike.
Choosing a hobby
1. Before coming home with a box of model cars or a book of stamps, find out what interests your child. Children are naturally curious about the world around them and usually have no issue telling you what they like or what interests them. Many times they will be interested in what you like to do too. This is especially true when they are young. Kids love doing new things or imitating their parents.
2. Make sure the hobby you and your child are considering is suitable. I’ve learned that age shouldn’t be the only determining factor. Consider your child’s strengths, their weaknesses, and their level of maturity. For example my five year old and my three year old love dice. While I encourage my five year old to play with them, I keep a careful eye on my younger daughter when she joins in.
Hobby ideas that help your child grow
Gardening
My five year old has the best green thumb I have ever seen. She started her gardening hobby about a year and a half ago when I obligingly bought some potted plants. Since then she has graduated from a few potted plants to a healthy plot of land in front of our house. Her original marigolds are a big healthy bush of yellow flowers now and she has several other flowers. This year she added a rose bush that has given us many beautiful blossoms and she was given a second rose bush that was on the verge of dying. I watched her nurse that bush from a single scraggly branch of yellow flowers. Now it has new growth and looks like it will bloom. She has also tried her hands at vegetables for the first time and harvested her first green onions. She was very proud to have her plant used in dinner. (Even though she doesn’t like eating them) Gardening has taught my daughter responsibility as well as nursing her inner desire to care for things.
Photography
Whether your child is young or old, taking pictures is fun and rewarding. With digital cameras becoming less expensive it’s easy obtain a new or used camera. Kids take pictures of all kinds of things and since you don’t have to pay to develop the photos they can keep on going. Not only do your kids get to learn how to use a common electronic device, they also get to nurture a passion that can become a career! All my kids love the camera. My 5 year old and my 8 year old are known for taking off with the family camera to capture some new interesting thing they have discovered. Another great thing about photography is that it can be used with other hobbies easily. Children love having pictures of their prized flower or their favorite model airplane!
Music
The wonderful thing about music is that it can be made with just about anything. You don’t need to spend major amounts of money on instruments or lessons. If you can handle having the house a little noisy every once in a while then let your kids experiment with different things. A drum can be anything that they can thump with their hands, such as a box or dresser top. Maracas can be made with washed soda bottles and dry beans. There are many different things children can use. If you have real instruments, that’s great. If you don’t, no need to sweat! Music encourages higher learning, creativity, pattern development, hand to eye coordination and a host of other skills that will benefit them later on in life.
Collections
A collection can be anything your child takes an interest to. Back in the day I collected trading cards and stones. These days, my children collect stones, dice, pony figurines and books. I have used their stone collections to teach them how stones are made. I have used rock and dice collections to introduce math. My kids especially love dice because I buy a bulk bag of them. This way get all different kinds, sizes, and colors. The ponies are used when we talk about horses. Books are always a winner because reading opens your child to so much and is a fundamental skill. Does your child like stamps? Collect stamps from different states and go over some facts of each state. Your child will pick up on some geography and history while they listen.
In the end, just about any hobby can be used in educating our youth and teaching them skills they will need later on in life. All it takes is a little creativity and time! Furthermore working on a hobby with your child is a great bonding experience. As my own Mother has said, “Enjoy them while they’re young.”
