Is your child spending too much time couped up in the house? Are they playing on their phones and other digital devices rather than exploring different hobbies and developing their skills? This probably sounds familiar to a lot of parents, which is a shame because there are so many unique extra-curricular activities out there that your child could benefit from. I have teamed up with a prep school in Cheshire to share some examples.
1. Collecting
If your child has a particular interest in something, like stamps, shells, or coins, perhaps they could consider starting a collection. This is great for their cognitive skills because it allows them to classify groups and spot differences/similarities.
2. Animal Care
Lots of children absolutely adore animals and this is something they can turn into a hobby. For instance, they could volunteer at an animal shelter or build bird feeders to hang in the garden. They could even offer to help a friend or neighbour walk their dog. Caring for animals is a great way to teach your child compassion and helpfulness.
3. Photography
Children love a good gadget, so why not turn this into something productive? Encourage them to take up photography as a hobby, because this will encourage them to look at the world differently and seek out beauty in the simplest of things.
4. Science
There are lots of science related hobbies, from tending to a garden to studying our solar system. By encouraging your child to explore science as a hobby, you may help them discover a real passion that they could even consider pursuing as a career.
5. Magic
Learning magic tricks is lots of fun for youngsters. It can help them develop various key skills like problem solving and public speaking. These are skills they can transfer over to other areas of life, which will help them thrive.
These are just a few ideas to inspire you; there are countless other hobbies out there that your child could explore depending on their interests. Just make sure its something that they actually want to pursue rather than something you’d like them to do, otherwise they won’t enjoy it.