Spending time practicing hobbies with your children is a great way to bond with them, find out more about who they are as a person and what they like and dislike, and a good way to encourage them to try new things and become a more rounded person. However, I’d be lying if I said it was easy to find pastimes that engage both adults and children at the same time…difficult but not impossible. Below you will find a handful of hobbies that will be as fun for the kids as they are stimulation for you…
Learning a language
You may think that learning a language is something that should be kept inside the classroom because it’s not exactly easy, and it can be more than a little intimidating, but it’s actually a really great hobby to share with kids, not least because they, with their naturally elastic brains, may actually be better at it than you! Download an app like Duolingo or invest in a few foreign language books and comics and start learning together, and not only will you have a lot of fun and all learn a new skill together, but you’ll help your kids to master the art of languages much faster than if they were to only learn at school.
Virtual stock trading
This may not seem like the most exciting option for a family hobby, but it’s important that you teach your kids about money and how to handle it, and actually, playing the virtual stock market can be pretty rewarding, especially if you make it into a competition to see who can do the best. Start by signing up to a virtual stock market app then head over to the Candleopedia website to start learning about more complex ideas as the kids get older and start to learn more. By doing this, you’ll give them a better grounding of the issue, and probably learn a useful thing or two yourself.
Set up a board game league
If you’re spending a lot more time at home because of the pandemic, or maybe just because the weather is bad, there’s nothing more fun than setting up your own board game league. The kids will love competing with you as you all vie for board gaming supremacy across a wide range of games from Monopoly to Carcassone, and because it’s so easy to pick up and put down board games, you can fit a new match in any time you’re at a loose end. More importantly, you’ll be spending lots of fun quality time together and using your brain a bit more than if you were sat in front of Netflix night after night, which let’s face it, is a pretty tempting option right now.
Create your own quizzes
In a similar vein, why not get each member of the family to compile their own quiz questions based on topics they love and know a lot about. Then, they can test the rest of the family on their specialist subjects. Not only is this a lot of fun, but it will help you to learn more about your children and the things they find important, and they about you. Just make sure you have a neat prize ready and waiting for the winner.
Gardening
Gardening is such a simple activity, but such a healthy and rewarding one too. Encouraging your kids to get outdoors digging, planting, and watching the birds and bees go about their business will do wonders for their physical and mental health. You’ll also be able to teach them about the ways of nature, and the fresh air away from their screens will do them the world of good too. It’ll blow your own cobwebs away too, of course.
Cooking
Teaching the kids to cook is not only fun, but it is also a vital life skill that they will thank you for when they head out into the world on their own. When they’re young, they’ll love helping you bake by stirring the batter or pouring in the raisins, and as they get older you can teach them how to cook their favorite meals while chatting to them about their day, ensuring quality time and a good meal is had by all.
Hiking
Hiking is an excellent family hobby because it gets you all out of the house and away from the concerns of daily life like running your business or worrying about grades. It’s also a sure-fire way to boost your family’s health and wellbeing., If you don’t have any good hiking trails nearby, just hit up the local park or take a stroll around the block. Make sure you talk the whole time and it’ll be a brilliant bonding experience for you all.
Doing stuff together makes your family stronger, so what are you waiting for?
