There are around 74 million children in the United States. If you’re reading this article, we’re willing to bet that you care deeply about some of the people that make up that number.
When we have children, we have in front of us a blank slate. That slate can either be filled with positive things that give them a great chance of living a full life or negative things that hinder a child’s path into adulthood.
Here’s what a lot of people don’t tell you though… There’s only so much that you can give a child directly that can help to improve the quality of their life.
Some inspiration, information, and passion need to be fostered/found within themselves.
To help your child along that discovery process, our recommendation is that you turn him/her onto any one of these outstanding hobbies for kids!
1. Sports
Sports are a go-to hobby for kids. The reason why sports are such a hit is that parents love watching them and kids can learn a tremendous amount from participating on a team.
Playing the right sport, your child will learn communication, strategy, perseverance and more. They’ll also learn sportsmanship/fairness which can set your kid up to be a compassionate person.
What’s great about sports is that there are virtually unlimited options to choose from. That means there’s a great chance that the perfect sport for your kid is out there even if they don’t immediately acclimate to the first couple of sports that you stick them in.
2. Painting/Drawing
Art is an incredibly expressive hobby that can help children explore their perception and imagination.
For whatever reason, kids tend to gravitate towards painting when it comes to art. Likely because of the vibrant colors and the subjectively fun mess.
If you’re not loving the idea of needing to wash paint off of floors and walls, get your child a sketchbook and some colored pencils. That way, they can practice drawing whatever comes to mind without creating a headache for your Sunday cleaning routine.
3. Music
Music isn’t for everyone as it takes a lot of discipline and an ear for melody. If your child possesses those gifts, enroll them in their school’s band.
Whether it’s playing percussion in the back of an orchestra or playing a solo on a flute by the conductor, music is wonderfully freeing and will be downright beautiful to listen to as soon as your child masters their instrument.
4. Writing
Do you find your child playing make-believe a lot? Do they always come up with vivid stories that make you wonder how they came to possess such a wonderful imagination?
If so, writing is the hobbies for kids pick that you’ll want to look into.
Writing allows your child a medium where they can pull their thoughts out of their head and put them on paper. Once your child gets good at this, they can set themselves up for a career in movies, television, novels, marketing and more!
Writing and reading are two hobbies that are very closely related so if you’re finding that your child likes to write, buy them some age-appropriate books to read that’ll help them hone their writing abilities faster.
5. Aquariums
Fish are great because they give your child the opportunity to care for living things without causing too much of a disturbance to your household.
Just buy your child an aquarium, take them to the store to pick out some fish and make your child responsible for the fish’s care going forward.
To make things more interesting, have your child read about fish so that they can have a better appreciation of what’s in front of them.
Your child can read about zoanthid care, gills, the ocean and more which can spur a future interest in marine biology!
6. Dog Care
Dogs make wonderful companions for children. Taking care of a dog can also give your child something to do in their spare time pretty much always.
Whether it’s teaching their dog new tricks, walking the dog or playing with them in the yard, if your child could use a friend, know that there’s a dog out there that could use the same thing.
As with all pets (dogs, fish, etc.), while you should push your child to take an involved role in their care, you as the parent should be prepared to oversee and step in to ensure that animals in your house are being taken care of in an appropriate fashion.
7. Coding
Computers are where the world is headed as far as the future is concerned. Those that can interact and build applications, software, and hardware successfully will be the high-paid influencers of tomorrow.
So then, why not give your kid a leg up on the computer-driven economy by making coding their hobby?
Of course, having your kid write complex programs in C+ might be a little out of their range now. Instead, get them started learning the concept of coding by purchasing them books and computer programs on the subject.
Then, work them up to basic web coding languages and from there, object-based programming languages that are used to build more sophisticated creations.
Our Final Thoughts on Hobbies for Kids
Hobbies for kids are a great solution to ensure that your children are never idle for unhealthy amounts of time.
It’s important to remember that your child should have a fair amount of say in what their hobby is. If you try to force something on them, chances are, they won’t stay involved in it for very long.
Our motto on Kids Ain’t Cheap is that while kids can be a handful from a monetary and mental perspective, they’re worth the extra effort.
To learn more about how to get the most out of your role as a caregiver or parent, check out more of our kid-centric content today!
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