A to Z: Developing Hobbies

People often need a constructive distraction from the pressures of daily life. Deadline-free in nature, hobbies are a great solution because they allow participants to engage in the activity at their own pace. Encouraging your child to pursue a hobby is a great way to build upon skills and reinforce concepts learned in the classroom and at home. For example, collection hobbies require patience and observance. Craft hobbies, such as modeling or sewing, require fine motor skills and an element of creativity. Even if your child has yet to master fine motor skills or has trouble with being patient, hobbies are a great opportunity for children to engage in an interest with no outside pressure, while subconsciously honing specific skills.

Introducing your child to a new pastime also creates the potential for bonding. Does your child show an interest in a hobby of yours, or simply a desire to be near you? If so, take the opportunity to include your child in your favorite pastime. Doing this not only allows you and your child to spend more time together, but also allows you to pass down specific knowledge.

Another great benefit of hobbies is that many are relatively cheap. Collection hobbies, such as stamp or coin collecting, simply require that the participant be watchful and learn to look for the items in the spare change jar or pile of discarded envelopes. Even if you are not experienced in a hobby that your child takes an interest in, resources such as YouTube, Pinterest, and books from your local library can quickly educate you and your child about a particular activity. Here are a few basic hobby ideas:

Birdwatching

Natural Collecting (rocks, leaves, etc.)

Meteorology

Astronomy

Gardening

Stamp Collecting

Coin Collecting

Model Building

Cooking

Photography or Filmmaking

Crafting (knitting, crochet, sewing, cross stitch, etc.)

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

Image by All Womens Talk