A hobby is a fine thing to introduce children to as it can teach them about an entirely different aspect of the world they may not have ever considered before. Another perk about hobbies is they are great for keeping a busy child occupied. Lastly, a hobby is a potential way for shy or introverted kids to make new friends. To give parents a better idea of potential options, we have provided a quintet of hobby types for youths to get involved with.
Modeling
The sort of modeling we are discussing is the kind that involves either snap-on pieces or crafting glue. There are all sorts of model kits on the market, from vehicles to anatomy to even mech suits from Japanese anime. Modeling is a great way to teach patience and structure while also giving your kid that wonderful sense of accomplishment when they look at the final product and realize that they made this thing. Most modeling kit companies produce material at multiple skill levels, with some more challenging kits making it feasible to break out supplemental equipment like smoking chemicals for model trains or markers to draw on details with “Gundam” kits.
Surfing
While this hobby is somewhat limited by geography, any family that lives near a coastline might want to consider teaching the kids how to surf. While your kids might be acquainted with bodyboards, a proper youth surfing experience calls for soft-top kids surfboards. Beyond just giving your kids the skills and knowledge to navigate amazing waves and offering a truly amazing sense of euphoria when they do it right, surfing can do wonders for a person’s muscle tone, flexibility, and physical fitness.
Rock Collecting
If your child seems to have a keen interest in earth science, they might enjoy starting a rock collection. Though to be honest, such a kid probably already has a small cache somewhere in their room, filled with various stones that they thought looked neat. Rock collecting is a fine hobby because you know that your child will be regularly getting exercise and some fresh air in the outdoors. The main pieces of equipment that your child will need for their rock collecting hobby are the following.
- Books on geology and rock identification.
- Storage containers for organizing identified rocks. This element will likely grow with the collection.
- A rock tumbler for observing qualities of certain rocks.
- Some gloves so the kid does not get their hands dirty or exposed to something nasty while reaching out for a new sort of rock.
Archery
Archery is a fine hobby to take up for several reasons. Not only does it encourage being outdoors, or at least having access to a large indoor space dedicated to the hobby, it can also be a great way to instill focus, patience, and hand-eye coordination in your child. Archery is one of the few hobbies on this list that also has the chance of paying off with an Olympic medal. Consider starting with a regular bow and fiberglass arrows. If the child shows an affinity for the sport, you can upgrade their gear to keep up with their age, skill level, and arm strength. Archery also involves a decent amount of repurchasing; arrows get lost or shatter, targets eventually need replacing and bows need to be upgraded to shoot competently.
Baking
This one hobby doubles as a life skill. While cooking affords a certain degree of creative freedom, baking is a science that pays off in delicious treats to keep oneself fed or to give to others as presents. Give your child a bit more to work with than a light bulb by showing them how to work a proper oven, while supervised, of course. Time spent baking in the kitchen can also pay off in more opportunities to bond with your child as they grow older.
Wrapping Things Up
There are plenty of hobbies that your child may adopt and drop but we think these have some lasting appeal. Whether your child likes to play in the dirt, catch some waves, pretend to be Robin Hood, build things, or likes to be in the kitchen, there is a hobby just waiting for them to direct that energy toward.
