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July 26, 2018

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Hobbies for kids are a great way to help them learn about the world and themselves, here are some awesome ideas to get them started.

Hobbies are born from a spark of passion and can grow into a lifelong interest. It may even be the starting point for a child’s adult career. The young child who collects rocks and spends countless hours categorising and labelling them may grow up to be a geologist. Or the yougn child who enjoys mapping the stars in their notebook night after night may grow up to be an astronomer.

The educational benefits of having a hobby are invaluable. Self-directed learning builds an intrinsic confidence and sense of achievement within the child, and they learn essential skills such as how to make decisions and set achievable goals. Intellectual benefits aside, when your child finds a hobby that grabs their interest they will be having fun, which is what drives us to be lifelong learners and achieve mastery in the first place.

Top hobbies for kids – helping your kids choose a hobby

If you find something which interests you, there is no better time to start than now! When your kids see you doing something they will tend to replicate it, so by creating your own hobby your children are more likely to start their own. Fun hobbies for kids may start as a passing interest in your hobby and become their own!

A great way to help your child find an area of interest is to get out there and start discovering! Visit museums and art galleries; walk through old op-shops and collectors studios to marvel at the collections and inventions of the previous century. They will likely relish the opportunity to talk to you, and in the process discover what really interests them.

List of hobbies for kids – Outdoor hobbies

Hobbies that require critical thinking and problem solving

Astronomy: get a picnic blanket and find a grassy knoll where you can lay back together and do some stargazing. If they are keen to know more you may want to invest in a telescope or sign them up with a kids stargazing group. This will enable them to learn more about recording the stars positions, physics and the universe. Cool hobbies for kids have never been more fun!

Hobbies that require orderly and sequential thinking

Watching and collecting live specimens: set up a tank in the garage with a natural habitat so your child can start collecting and observing bug species. If they enjoy doing this supply them with a journal to record basic information such as the name, life stages, size, weight, appearance, native habitat and diet of each creature. Even scientists draw their own pictures when recording information so encourage your kids to do this too.

Hobbies that require physical and mental dexterity

Sports: there is no hobby more popular than outdoor sports. Whether it’s a team sport such as soccer or football, or a singular activity like skateboarding or swimming it is worth encouraging. Get them some basic equipment to practice at home and if they’re keen sign them up for some lessons- it’s also a great way to help your child to make friends.

Hobbies that require an attuned mind and fine motor skills

Gardening: Dig up a line of dirt or buy some pots and a packet of seeds. Most children love to get their hands dirty and will thoroughly enjoy growing their own garden. They will learn about the processes of living things and gain a deeper understanding of how food is grown. Gardening will help your child to learn the skills of nurturing, patience and to build an appreciation for the beauty of nature.

Drone Flying: If you are thinking about getting a drone for your child as a hobby this could be a great idea. They improve manual dexterity and could be a great way to get them outside and away from screens! If a few friends are into drone flying, you could find that they are spending more time outside and practicing their flying skills! If you are looking for one we recommend the range at the Australian Geographic Shop.

List of hobbies for kids – Indoor hobbies

Hobbies that require critical thinking and problem solving

Technology: Whether you choose to provide your child with a Lego robotics kit or they would prefer to invent something from scratch, building technological devices from start to finish can be a great hobby for children who like to get involved in complex concepts and problems. If your child wants to learn more, QUT often hosts Lego Leagues for kids. Here they can learn more about STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and do so in a fun and supportive atmosphere.

Hobbies that require orderly and sequential thinking

Collections: the idea of collecting objects is making a comeback and the great thing about collecting is that it can be based on anything that takes one’s fancy. I have known people to collect stamps, dolls, rocks- even statues of owls! The list of collectors’ ideas is endless, and every piece has its own story which is why it can be so appealing.

Hobbies that require physical and mental dexterity

Cooking: Most parents cook at least one meal every day, but with the increasing amount of cooking shows on T.V. it is becoming a popular past time even amongst kids! Learning about flavour combinations, cooking time, temperature and measurements they will also being learning skills needed as adults in day to day life, so it is worth providing them a little space to make some mess to learn an important skill in the process.

Hobbies that require an attuned mind and fine motor skills

Art: This is the sort of hobby that can travel with your child wherever they go. All they need is a set of pencils for shading, a sharpener, eraser, and a blank paper pad. When they’re at home, pull out some paints and they can practice working with colour. Visit an art gallery together, look up some artists websites, or enrol them in a children’s art class.

Music is another great hobby to get kids involved in as well!

This post originally appeared on Families Magazine website and has been shared with full permission.

Do your children have any hobbies?

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  • I was never a sporty kid. I enjoyed running about and playing with my friends and riding my bike and going for walks but as far as playing sports…no thanks. I enjoyed solitary things like reading, embriodery and listening to music.

    Reply

  • There are so many great activities for kids to do that are not only exciting and interesting, but also helping them gain life skills. I love cooking, and already my 21 month old son is in there helping me and wanting to do things to help me. I am also creative and he loves to make things with me so I am always thinking up new things to try with him.

    Reply

  • Hobbies are a great way to bond also. My girl and I do beading together and the other day we got a sew it yourself xmas finger puppet set. It came with the holes pre made and a big plastic needle. We have some good conversations about all sorts of things when crafting together. And a good night time projector is a fantastic way to introduce little ones to the stars, if they are too young to stay up and look at the night sky. My miss 5 has fallen asleep looking at the constellations every night.

    Reply

  • I hope parents are sensible in supervising children playing with drones. There is laws in regards to when and how close to people / places you fly drones. There has been reports to the Police about drones hovering in the same area for more than a couple of minutes then moving only a very short distance again. People don’t know if they are just a toy or have camera/s in them. Police have tracked some and found they had operating cameras in them. Some people feel vulnerable even if they have no reason (having done nothing wrong.)

    Reply

  • My children play lots of sports but they both love entering colouring competitions and my 9 year old likes to knit :)

    Reply

  • It’s important to get kids involved with things around the house and develop some life skills and ensure they have some creative outlets too.

    Reply

  • It was always football and music and continues to this day. He is now a budding DJ, so all those years of music has literally paid off.

    Reply

  • Great list of hobbies and quite a few in my family of 4 school age children.

    Reply

  • Great list of hobbies – if you can inspire a passion by showing how to do it and doing it yourself, then you will create a passion for life.

    Reply

  • My daughter loves reading, writing and drawing. She makes music and plays the clarinet. Together we enjoy baking and decorating!

    Reply

  • We have lots of hobbies and cooking and gardening are some of our favourite hobbies.


    • Enjoying hobbies together is fun family time.

    Reply

  • My 14 year old is really into art, drawing, painting and digital art. My 12 year old loves baking and my 8yr old loves music and sports. My youngest has Down syndrome, but I’ll still have to work on discovering and developing a hobby with her too.

    Reply

  • Some great ideas! My 3.5 years old isn’t already saying things are boring!

    Reply

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