Hobbies are great for occupying the mind and teaching kids valuable skills, abilities and knowledge they can use in other areas of life and into adulthood. Recent research* indicates that one out of every four children have at least five regular hobbies, and just under half will stick with a hobby for more than two years. Their hobbies cost parents around £795m every year!
Help your child understand our relationship with nature by getting involved with the world around him and he will be picking up valuable science, geology, geography, history and mathematical skills, and barely know it.
1. Make your own bird feeder – not reserved just for people in anoraks, welcome wildlife into your back garden with your own bird feeder. Make a note of the different species and see if the same creatures come back for second helpings! Visit rspb.or.uk or birdwatchersdigest.com for helpful tips and advice.
2. Weather stations – set up a weather station in the back garden or on a window ledge. Make your own rain gauge, barometer, and wind vane, and use a thermometer to monitor the weather each day then produce a mini-weather report. Visit bbc.co.uk/wear/weather/barometer for some great ideas on how to make your own instruments.
3. Conservation activities – from removing litter from rivers to learning about the local wildlife, vegetation, and the history of the area, many local conservation clubs will also teach children basic survival skills and how to live in harmony with nature.
4. Flower arranging and floral design – the art form is growing in popularity with children of all ages trying their hand at exploring the creative and diverse nature of floral art. The National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies (NAFAS) runs classes, competitions and exhibitions for children and adults nationwide. Visit nafas.org.uk to find a club near you.
5. Gardening – a good way to introduce gardening to your child is to give them ownership over a little patch. You could then take them down to a nursery where they can select flowers and plants of their choice. Watching their selection of flowers bloom will bring them a sense of achievement and pride.
6. Fishing – a great way to get some valuable and quality bonding time with the kids! Its popularity has seen many clubs opening across the country, as well as fishing kits especially designed for children. Fishing is not all about the catch; it encourages children to take in scenery and wildlife that surrounds them.
7. Astronomy – one of the world’s oldest sciences, astronomy concentrates on the study of celestial objects in space (stars to us mortals). It’s a wonderful pastime for kids who are fascinated by what outer space might hold. Have fun working out your plough from your orion’s belt and attempting to discover if there’s life on Jupiter.
8. Cubs and Scouts – taking in all those aged between six and 25, the Scout Association provides the perfect scene for personal growth for boys or girls who enjoy camping out and all the activities that accompany it. You could be doing archery one week, circus skills the next.
9. Girl Guides – members of Girl Guides can take part in a wide range of activities from abseiling to party planning and from circus skills to survival skills. This is the largest youth organisation for girls in the UK today with half a million young members aged four to 25 (and more than ten million members worldwide).
They come in all sorts of guises and are great for rainy days indoors. Dexterity, problem solving and creative skills all come into play whether you choose a specialist kit or make items out of resources found around the house.
10. Origami – this is the art of folding paper to create whatever the mind can conceive… dog, flower, house.
11. Scrapbooking – all you need is a large album, scissors, glue, coloured paper, pens, pictures and imagination. Once you’ve decided on a theme you’re ready to get sticking. Scrapbooking is also a great way to recycle.
12. Design your own clothes – don’t throw out your old clothes – give them to your little ones to revamp into new items. They can go as wacky as they want and the finished product is guaranteed to be unique. Start simple, like hat, bag or tee-shirt!
13. Sculpting and pottery – these two ancient hobbies have remained popular for centuries and allow children to create something unique and timeless. There are many pottery and sculpture classes available.
14. Model building – whether it’s building an aeroplane, dolls house or building your own medieval castle, modelling has endless possibilities each as rewarding as the next. Materials are varied – from paper to wood to clay.
15. Knitting – the act of linking loops has been around for thousands of years and is simple to learn.
16. Needlecraft – know your cross stitch from your blanket stitch and develop a hobby that could evolve into making brooches, soft toys or jazzing up items with embroidery.
17. Patchworking – cutting different bits of fabric into shapes and joining them together can produce some fantastic patterns and useful stuff, such as quilts, cushion covers and soft toys. It’s great for recycling too.
18. Painting – did you know there are reportedly around 14 different ways to paint and over 50 styles of painting? Evidently, there is no limit to what your child can do with a pot of paint and a piece of paper! Painting can be a very therapeutic too.
19. Baking or cooking – give your child an appreciation for raw ingredients, healthy food and different types of foods. Cooking also teaches about kitchen safety and food hygiene.
Stamina, posture, coordination, flexibility, strength and basically staying fit – these are skills and abilities essential to wellbeing, so have fun staying healthy.
20. Ice-skating – whether your child wants to skate for fun or as a serious sport, one thing is for sure, it’s a great aerobic workout. There are a number of different types of skating styles, such as figure skating, hockey, speed skating and pair skating… or skating just for fun.
21. Dance – it’s fun, creative and burns up excess energy. And there are so many different forms – from ballet to tap, from jazz to hip hop – so finding one that appeals to your child’s preference is not that difficult.
22. Go–karting – many go-karting centres offer practice days and kids party days where children can race against their friends, winning medals and certificates.
23. Diving – diving is a very technical and competitive event – you’re now more likely to see somersaults, pikes and twists, and that’s just at your local swimming pool. Don’t let this put you off though as there are now junior diving clubs all over the UK, where you can learn all the basic skills before mastering the art in time for the 2012 Olympics!
24. Swimming – included because it’s the only sport that can save your life (drowning in this country is the third highest cause of accidental death in children). When looking for somewhere to learn check that they have the Aquamark or deliver the National Plan for Teaching Swimming.
25. Surfing – the perfect hobby for kids who love to be close to the beach. Choose a surf school especially tailored for children.
26. Trekking/walking – for a real family adventure head down to the Ashdown Forest, south of the M25, into a wilderness of woods and open heath, where A A Milne wrote the Winnie-the-Pooh stories. Walk through the real Hundred Acre Woods and play Poohsticks at the stream. This is just one of many adventure walks for families in and around London in a book of the same name.
Think of an idea or concept and then express it in a way others can appreciate – it’s the art of communication and there are a number of ways to help your child develop the skill.
27. Music – learn to play an instrument. There is something to suit all tastes and personalities, from guitars, drums and trumpets, to xylophones, keyboards and violins.
28. Creative writing – writing stories as a hobby is a great way for children to enhance their literacy skills and use their imagination.
29. Storytelling – the oldest art form in the world is to tell stories orally, and it lies at the heart of the way we think and make sense of our world. Stories could include real and fiction events.
30. Debating – this will give your child the ability to present an argument persuasively, to understand that there are two sides to most arguments and the confidence to speak in front of a room full of people, to name but a few skills.
