In this Article
Today’s technology-driven kids tend to be glued to their gadgets all day long. Therefore, it becomes all the more necessary to encourage them to pick up a hobby which may give them an exposure to outdoor activities, bring them closer to nature, and provide a suitable outlet to spike their creativity and interests.
Importance of Hobbies for Children
A hobby can shape the personality of a kid positively by helping them become confident, self-reliant, and independent. Having a hobby also enhances the thinking skills of kids. A hobby not only instils qualities like team spirit, compassion, and patience in them but also teaches various life skills that may mould them into healthy adults.
Helping Your Child to Choose a Hobby
Children tend to imitate their elders. So, you can generate his interest by setting a personal example. You can arouse his curiosity by indulging him in a hobby of your own. When he will watch you do something fun and creative he is more likely to join in. And what may start as a fun and light activity can eventually become his hobby.
Another way to help your child choose a hobby can be to take him to explore interesting places like museums, collector’s studios, art galleries, plays, and concerts. He will not only learn new things which will help broaden his horizon and awareness levels but will also guide him to discover his area of interest.
Arts and Crafts Hobbies
Arts and crafts hobbies can be a wonderful way of fuelling a child’s imagination and giving a healthy channel to his creativity through fun activities. Some of the arts and crafts hobbies include:
1. Origami
Origami is an ancient art of folding paper to create interesting figures and shapes. Your child can start with simple shapes of animals or other things. There are many online classes for beginners which explain step by step procedure of origami, You can also find easy to understand guidebooks to help your child learn this art.
2. Handprint Crafts
Kids can have fun with handprint or footprint art by letting their imagination run wild to produce interesting designs, homemade cards, and paintings. They can also create a picture book or gallery of their work.
3. Crochet
Crochet can keep your child busy for long. Kids can start with easy crochet patterns, wearable items like scarfs, hats, bags, blankets, and cute animals. They can also use these handmade creations for gifting purposes.
4. Woodwork
Kids can have fun using actual tools and blocks of wood to fashion incredible things by woodworking like wooden trays, toys, photo frames. It’s a great way to build child’s motor skills, dexterity, and creative skills. But, do keep an eye on your child otherwise he might injure himself.
5. Felting
Felting uses fibres, like wool, cashmere, and yarn to make different things. Your kid can choose from the different types of felting, such as cobweb felting, needle felting, or carved felting. Plenty of online tutorials are there to help beginners learn this craft.
6. Paint
There are several DIY paint kits available for kids of different age groups. Kids can have fun with different colours such as acrylic, oil, or watercolours while learning how to paint. Kids may also get an opportunity to learn about famous artists and their masterpieces.
7. Tapestry
Kids can express their creativity by making wall hangings, banners, mats, and other delightful things by learning tapestry. They can use these creations to decorate their bedrooms and even their homes. It is an exciting way to have fun with colours and interesting patterns.
8. Quilting and Knitting
Knitting is a popular craft among kids. Beginners can take the help of online journals and blogs to learn knitting. If your kid is fond of sewing, he may like to take up quilting as a hobby. Quilting is a brilliant way to creatively use the extra bits of fabric to design quilts, blankets, pot holders, and small pillows.
9. Pencil Sketching and Drawing
Kids can learn simple drawing and sketching techniques to draw whatever their minds fancy. Initially, beginners can learn drawing simple patterns by tracing and progress eventually.
10. Comic Book Art
Kids can utilize their creative ideas and fantasy and convert them into a comic book. It involves a lot of brainstorming as the kid gets to create storylines, plots, and characters. A hobby like this can improve a child’s thinking skills. Kids can also make a profession out of this hobby and become cartoonists or animators.
Collecting Items
Collecting items may help kids build their cognitive skills of classifying and grouping things and ability to spot differences. Some of the collectable items can be:
1. Stamps
Stamp collection is a hobby that is perceived by kids as well as adults. Kids can collect stamps according to a particular theme like sports, presidents, or different countries. Later they can also learn about things like watermarking on the stamps. If your child is interested in collecting stamps, you can encourage him to join stamp collectors club to get him started.
2. Coins
Collecting coins of different countries is a popular hobby among kids of all ages. You can also ask your friends or relatives to lend you some coins from their trips abroad. This way your kid can initiate his coin collection hobby. You can also build up your kid’s general knowledge by asking him to find out about the culture of different country and history of coins he collects.
3. Rocks
If your kid takes a keen interest in stones or rocks, he can start a collection of his own by accumulating different kinds of rocks, semi-precious stones, and crystals. You never know it may motivate him to become a geologist when he grows up!
4. Comic Books
Kids can be encouraged to start collecting their favourite comic books or even books by his favourite author.
5. Movies Memorabilia
Movies can never go out of fashion. If your child is fond of watching movies, he can start collecting things like posters, cards, or any memento related to his favourite movie or actor.
6. Dolls/Toys
Kids can start a unique collection of their favourite action figures or favourite characters from the cartoons they follow or from comic books they like to read. They can also collect stuffed animals and LEGO toys.
7. Video games/CDs
Collecting popular videos games and top-selling music CDs and albums can be an attractive hobby. You can encourage your child to collect rare and more difficult to obtain records or classics. He can flaunt it among his friends.
8. Marbles
Kids may love collecting marbles as they come in pretty colours and lively designs. Marbles are easily available in stores and kids can use the marbles to play games as well. You can also encourage them to try other interesting games as well.
9. Cards
Various cards like baseball cards, WWE cards, or Pokémon cards are easy to find and don’t cost much. Kids can also be encouraged to collect exclusive and interesting cards. Some kids may like collecting greeting cards as they mark important events like graduation or birthdays and create lovely memories.
10. Sea Shells
Kids may treasure seashells collected from different beaches they visited on holidays as memorable souvenirs. So, if your child and you are a person who enjoy visiting beaches, it won’t be hard finding seashells. And your child will soon start enjoying this seashell collection task with you.
Nature-Related Hobbies
Nature related hobbies can be an excellent means of educating kids by means of entertainment. Some nature-related hobbies are as follow:
1. Animal Care
Kids can be encouraged to do volunteer work at animal shelters. They can also build birdhouses and birdfeeders with water for birds and animals, especially during summers. Caring for animals and making them aware of animal rights can positively influence the kids.
2. Gardening
Kids may enjoy taking up gardening as a hobby. Not only do they get a chance to dirty their hands while dealing with mud but planting a seed and watching it sprout can be an absolute magic!
3. Organic Farming
Organic farming involves growing crops without using synthetic fertilisers and pesticides. Nowadays, more and more people are using organic produce these days. It would be an enriching hobby for your child. You can coax your child to grow vegetable and fruits in your backyard and enjoy the fruit of your efforts.
4. Recycling Paper
Kids can learn the art of making recycled paper and thus make a significant contribution towards the environment.
Science-Related Hobbies
If your child reveres Einstein, Stephen Hawking or Tesla, he is likely to take up science-related hobbies. Moreover, science is an integral part of the daily functioning of our lives. Therefore, a basic understanding of science is very important. Below are some science-related hobbies:
1. Astronomy
Getting your child to pick up astronomy as a hobby can give him a lifelong of happiness and of course a potential career in future. Watching the stars, constellations, studying about the planets, our solar system, the phases of the moon can be fascinating for kids of all age groups.
2. Meteorology
Meteorology is the study of weather. It can be a rewarding hobby for kids and can also make an interesting career choice. You can get your kids illustrated books related to climate and weather conditions or he can browse online as well. He may also try to learn facts from TV weather bulletins.
Performance-Based Hobbies
If you think your kid is a performer, encourage him to pick up a performance-based hobby. Some performance-based hobbies are listed below:
1. Dancing
Kids can learn various styles of dance forms like ballet, jazz, salsa, street dance, Indian dances, and so on.
2. Singing
If you think your child has a melodious voice and has basic knowledge of musical notes. Encourage him to learn classical music. You can even ask him to join a choir or even practice solo singing.
3. Drama
You can make your kid join a drama club or sign him up for theatre classes that run during summer vacations. Persuade your child to read plays written by known dramatists or ask him to write plays.
4. Playing a Musical Instrument
Your kid can learn to play instruments like the keyboard, to begin with, and slowly graduate to learn musical instruments like the guitar or the drums.
5. Puppet Shows
Children can make or collect puppets of their choice and build a puppet theatre at home.
Hobbies Based on General Interest
Your kid may already have a liking or general interest for something which can be developed into a serious hobby. Child hobbies list can include the following:
1. Photography
Kids of this generation are gadget-friendly. So, photography and videography can be a great hobby for kids.
2. Software Skills
Kids can learn to design a website or an app, start their blog, or build a computer programme.
3. Cooking
Learning how to cook is the latest fad these days. Celebrities chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Vikas Khanna have glamourized this art. You can start by allowing your kid to cook or bake simple things.
4. Scientific Experiments
Kids may be promoted to conduct easy and safe science experiments by using things lying around the house. It can be interesting, exciting and educative of course.
5. Magic
Fun hobbies for kids can include learning magic tricks. You can ask them to put on a magic show for friends and family.
6. Reading
Inculcating good habits at the right age can prove beneficial for kids in the long run. And the habit of reading in kids can be very useful. It helps in improving their vocabulary and language skills. You can get your kid a library membership or get him interested in reading books online.
7. Flower Pressing
Pressed flower skill involves drying of leaves or flower petals by flattening them between the pages of a heavy book or two water absorbent sheets to eliminate all the moisture. Kids can fashion beautiful art by using these pressed flowers.
8. Learning Survival Skills
It may be practical for kids to learn basic survival skills. Teaching skills like building a fire, outdoor camping, or water purification can be made interesting and educational with the help of fun games.
9. Sports
Outdoor activities are essential for a child’s overall development. Outdoor hobbies for kids include playing games, like football, tennis, badminton, basketball, skating, swimming and much more.
Having a hobby is important for the development of a child. Hobbies promote various social, moral, creative, and academic skills in kids. That is why children who take up positive hobbies are known to do well in life both personally as well as professionally. It gives them the confidence to make decisions on their own and promotes the creative energy inside them. Moreover, hobbies can be a great way to learn, create something new, and have fun at the same time. Grab our monthly subscription box which contains various creative activities to help your child on his journey to becoming smart! The box will not only enhance the creativity in your child but will also help them discover their strengths.
