Table of Contents
From a very young age, kids develop their intelligence and personalities according to the environmental stimulus around them. So, naturally, during a time when every five-year-old seems to own an iPad for themselves, it is no surprise that children are fast losing touch with some fundamental growth factors. The lack of interaction with nature, little to no outdoor activity, and no interaction with mind-stimulating hobbies- are all robbing kids of their opportunities to develop into well-balanced individuals.
While smartphones or electronic gadgets don’t necessarily have to be banned from their lives, kids also need activities that can balance out their screen time and its adverse effects. Admittedly, it is hard to find something interesting that can keep your kid engaged but also bring value. But there are some activities, escape rooms, for example, that can entertain and educate your kids effortlessly.
Brands such as wild goose escapes develop mind-boggling escape games that are not only suitable for every age group but are also potent enough to teach kids valuable soft skills and help them get out of the addictive on-the-grid lifestyle.
Here are 12 more hobbies that you can introduce your kid to and help them build a better quality of life:
Origami
Does your child incline towards art and craft? So, why don’t you harbor their already rising interest in the arts and nurture their imagination faculties by letting them do a bit of origami? Origami, as you know, is an ancient Japanese craft that utilizes simple paper to make interesting objects or figures simply by folding them accurately.
Let your child start his or her journey in the line of art and crafts as they learn to create interesting new shapes and figures by the folding technique! Show them first how to make simple animals or figures or any other thing and ask them to follow your example. You can even utilize the several online tutorials of origami for beginners, which you can easily come across on the web these days.
Gardening
For people who have a small and cozy backyard or some space on their balcony to shelter a few potted plants, this can be a great hobby for your kid! By indulging in gardening together with your kid, you can also get the added advantage of spending some quality time with them. Alongside being an appealing hobby for your child to pick up this year, gardening gives room for your kid to get their hands dirty (which, of course, your kid would enjoy)!
Painting a few pots all by themselves, followed by planting seedlings in them and taking care of the plants every day, would get your kid engrossed in it. Gardening can be a great way to inculcate the notion of mindfulness and also provide them with a little bit of physical work. Parents who don’t have enough space for gardening can also have their kids indulge in gardening at a community garden too!
Handprint crafts
Handprint crafts can be yet another indulgent hobby for your artistic kid. Harboring such a hobby will efficiently allow your child’s imagination to run wild as they are allowed to have fun crafting their handprint or footprint in any way.
You can show them how easily they can fruitfully utilize these handprints or footprints to make unique greeting cards, décor items, or beautiful paintings! You can even let your kid create a colorful handbook of their own to showcase all their interesting handprint crafts!
Stamp Collection
Collecting things can be an inquisitive hobby not just for kids but for adults too. While there can be many things that your kids can start collecting as a way of their hobby, collecting stamps is probably the most interesting. There are various themes of stamps that your kid can come across in the markets these days, like sports, presidents, or countries.
Allow them to choose one or all of the available categories of stamps and start collecting them accordingly. With each stamp that they collect, you can also tell them to research a bit of the history behind that stamp. In this way, not only does your child inculcate a new hobby away from mobile phones, but they can also learn new things every day!
Playing chess
Chess is a classic indoor game that not only calls for you to remain mindful but also boosts your brain-working abilities. It is a game where strategic planning and remaining conscious at all times are highly vital. Letting your child learn to play chess can help you enhance their mental development judiciously.
Once your child has learned the game properly, you can even start letting them join chess clubs in your locality or have them take part in tournaments too!
Yoga
Widely acclaimed all over the world, yoga has started to gain recognition as being a healthy practice for people of all age groups. It is fruitful physical activity, endowed with the power of not only strengthening your muscles but also calming your mind and soul. Nowadays, given the wide popularity of yoga, you can also join up for yoga classes online!
For kids who seem to remain energetic almost always, indulging in yoga sessions can be a healthy practice. It will also allow your child to indulge in a kind of physical activity and thus remain healthy and fit!
Astronomy
Astronomy, or the study of the universe, can be an inquisitive new hobby for your child to pick up today! Looking up at the countless stars, planets, and constellations in the night sky and learning about them can be pretty interesting for your kid.
You can have your kid engage in trying to connect the many stars by drawing imaginary lines and thus find the constellations in the night sky. Studying the different phases of the moon every night, too, can be something exciting for your kid to do!
Dancing
Dancing, of course, can be a great new hobby for your child to pick up this year. There are various forms and styles of dances that your kid can choose to learn and indulge themselves in. From learning ballet or salsa to classical Indian dance forms, there is a wide range of choices for your kid to choose from!
To add to the round of fun, you can even turn on the music on your music system during the weekends and dance along with your kid leading the way! In this way, not only does your kid stay away from gadgets by nurturing an intriguing new hobby, but you also can spend some quality time with your kid.
Singing
Just like dancing, singing too can be a great new hobby for your kid to inculcate this year. Pay close attention to find out whether your child has a melodious voice and the basic knowledge of musical notes. Following this, you can enhance and sharpen their skill set by having them learn to sing professionally.
There is also a wide range of musical styles that your child can choose from to learn. Your child can learn eastern or western music as per their choice, but no matter what they choose, make sure that they practice regularly. You can also, at times, make your kid participate in singing competitions or maybe have them sing in the choir to further give their abilities a strong push!
Birdwatching
By having your child indulge in as immersive a hobby as birdwatching, you can be sure to have your child leave the mobile phone and be one with nature. In this world of science and the diminishing worth of nature, what can be better than having your child stare at the wonders of nature?
Let your child take a break from their regular curriculum work and spend some qualitative time studying the nature around them. Birdwatching is a hobby that requires one to be patient and quiet. By thus having your child grow the hobby of birdwatching, they can learn so much about birds every other day in an exciting way!
Cooking
There might have often been times when you noticed how your child moved around with you in the kitchen, remaining so engrossed in noticing what you were doing. As long as your child is tall enough to reach the kitchen counter, cooking can be an interesting and engaging hobby for your child to indulge in!
Cooking, however, does require adult supervision, especially during the initial phase. So, while you try to inculcate the idea of cooking as a new hobby for your child, you can also spend some quality time with them. Cooking thus undeniably calls for a great bonding opportunity for parents who hardly have enough time to spare during the rest of the week.
Playing a musical instrument.
Learning a suitable musical instrument has the power to make your kid turn smarter than before in no time! It is especially because studies reveal how learning a musical instrument is proven to make your child more confident and boost their memory skills.
Playing any musical instrument calls for dedication, discipline, and focus, thus making your child feel proud once they master it. Not only does learning to play a musical instrument work as a character-building exercise, but it also helps in boosting your child’s brain-working abilities.
The great thing about these hobbies is that there is something for each child’s niche interest. You just need to allow them to explore what they really enjoy doing. And remember, your kids don’t have to excel at their hobbies. Once you remove the pressure of performing well, they will be much more willingly participative in the activities.
Author Bio: Charlotte Lin is a content creator at escaperoom.com. She’s a passionate young woman, mother to an amazing nine-year-old, and an avid reader. Over the years, writing has helped her explore and understand the world as well as her own self. She loves to travel, meet new people, and spend quality time with her daughter. You can find her on LinkedIn.