18 Ways Your Child Can Benefit From Hobbies

We teach our children many of the skills and experiences to prepare them for adulthood. Homeschooling and some form of formal or academic education, along with a wide range of social experiences, help our children grow in many ways.

But what can we do to equip children with the unique skills and experiences that will enrich their lives in other ways?

Learning a hobby is my number one choice for a child’s enrichment, and here are 18 reasons why:

HOBBY…

1. It has great entertainment value – Hobbies are a wonderful opportunity for your child’s extracurricular development, providing additional learning perspectives while the child is entertained.
2. Makes good use of free time Instead of lazing around, watching too much TV, or hanging around the parks and streets, hobbies can be a great way to keep your child engaged in relevant activities they enjoy.
3. Prevent your child from getting bored From time to time, all children complain of being bored. Having a hobby to engage in is invaluable in alleviating that problem.
4. Encourages the use of external sources of information. – Having a hobby can help your child learn independently from an adult, for example, a child can learn to fold paper and make origami objects from a book; you can learn and make a delicious recipe from the internet; you can learn and try hairstyles with an instructional CD.
5. Teaches different skills – For example, crafts and cooking are practical activities, sports exercise the whole body, puzzles challenge the mind, performing arts and debates develop verbal skills.
6. Improves motor skills – Crafting teaches fine finger movements; cooking and sports like badminton and tennis teach hand-eye coordination; ball games, e.g. soccer, basketball, etc. improve accuracy while skateboarding improves balance skills.
7. Increase listening skills – In addition to developing musical skills, learning to play a musical instrument can result in your child learning all of the above (as stated in reason 6). It doesn’t have to be music, but listening to the opinions of others or the instructions of a martial arts teacher can also increase your child’s ability to listen carefully.
8. Develops fitness, strength and endurance – All sports, including cycling, swimming, and martial arts, will help improve your child’s physical abilities and overall health.
9. Improve social skills – Playing board games and team sports builds trust in others and honesty. Participating in a choir or a garden club requires the child to be less self-centered and more considerate, teaching him to act as part of a whole.
10. Increases self confidence – As a child improves in a particular skill, the child’s sense of self-esteem also increases.
11. Develop strategic thinking. – Your child’s mind will expand beyond their daily thinking abilities when they pursue hobbies like the classics: Chess and Checkers, Board Games like Ludo, some Video Games, Mancala, Chinese Checkers, Rubik’s Cube, Code Breaking Games, etc.
12. Improves deduction skills. – Some activities will help your child to improve his ability to “think outside the box”, that is, to use the available information and use it in an unusual way. For example, some exploration activities may require the development of deductive skills and innovative thinking under limited conditions.
13. Develop the power of words and the power of numbers. – Any hobby that involves extensive use of the written word or number skills will ultimately increase your child’s proficiency in these crucial areas of communication. This can be as simple as reading and following an instruction manual to put a model together.
14. Improve management skills. – In order to make time for your chosen hobby or hobbies, your child will soon learn how to manage their homework and assignments. She will also get better at managing time for other social arrangements, like spending time with family and friends.
15. Lose and win – Competitive sports and activities teach children to be good athletes, whether they win or lose. You can help your child deal with anything but success gracefully, learning that winning isn’t always as important as participating.
16. Accelerates reflex responses – Some electronic games can be helpful in sharpening children’s minds and processing and responding to multiple stimuli. There are many fun and educational electronic game systems that a child can participate in and benefit from. However, it is recommended that parents check and review video games to determine if they are age appropriate for their child. Also, it is better to discuss and agree with the child on the length of play time per day.
17. Develop a child’s sense of achievement – WWhen a child successfully reaches a milestone in their chosen hobby or follows a project to completion, they are rewarded with a feeling of accomplishment and pride in their work.
18. Can lead to tangible rewards – A completed puzzle or art project, a successful sporting event that resulted in a medal, a completed Rubik’s Cube in your hands, or a well-attended choir recital – all of these offer real, tangible recognition of your child’s sustained efforts. and serve as encouragement for continued progress in your chosen hobby.

If your child doesn’t already have a hobby that they enjoy in their spare time, offer them the opportunity to try some of the hobbies mentioned in this article (or any other hobby you think is right for your child). If your child has a favorite hobby, encourage her to take it to the next level and support her activities by providing resources, time and opportunities that will help her develop in up to 18 different ways.