5 Unique Hobbies for Children to Try

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Having a hobby or extracurricular activity has so many great benefits for any child. Not only does it expand their activities, but it is also a great way for them to meet new friends, learn new skills and often help with independence too. However sometimes children can find it hard to find a hobby they really enjoy or want to commit too. Sports or extracurricular activities might not be to their liking or maybe their friends aren’t into them either but there are so many different hobbies out there to explore. 

There are many reasons why you might want your child to pick up a new hobby that they’ll enjoy. So to help get you started here are 5 unique hobby ideas your child could pick up in their free time, from this boarding school in the South West. 

Origami 

This is a unique Japanese art where you fold pieces of paper to make shapes, animals, buildings and more. Many stationery shops have beginners' kits for children and are great for an afternoon with your child as you learn how to make many fun and quirky shapes. Once your child has mastered the basics, they can try their hand at all sorts including things like bookmarks or even have hanging origami characters to decorate their bedroom. 

Crochet 

A simple but fun activity to do with kids is through crochet. You can let your child learn about how to make funky creations like hats, balls, blankets, cute animals and much more. They’re also great for children to make as gifts for friends and family. It can be a little fiddly to begin with, but crochet is a skill that once learnt can be mastered pretty quickly. Not only can kids enjoy the actually crocheting but they will also love being able to make their own things too. 

Making jewellery 

You can find a lot of jewellery making kits and jewellery tools both in the high-street and in speciality stores these days that can allow you and your child to make something completely unique. Even more special is that this is a hobby that then produces something that could even be worn around the home or with friends. Homemade jewellery can also make a great gift idea whilst teaching children a lot about patience as well as developing an increased hand eye coordination for all the fiddly work involved! 

Collecting and cleaning rocks 

Heading to the beach or finding interesting rocks near the rivers and streams in your local area can be a fun collecting exercise for your children. If you have a rock tumbler you can find that cleaning the rock thoroughly will show you even more colours and shine than before, and your kids will love seeing the process. There is also the idea of painting rocks too, if your child finds any larger rocks, they could have a go at painting them and hiding them again for others to find. 

Astronomy 

Learning about space is one of a child’s biggest interests. Everyone would love to go into space and see how the Earth looks! Learning about space, aircraft and the rockets that are sent up can give your child a lot of inspiration and fun to take in. 

 

Consider buying them a telescope so that they can see the sights or visit a dark sky zone where they can see the stars (and perhaps the Milky Way) up close. 

There are a whole range of hobbies your child can pick up that can be easy to manage, or even a little bit more difficult at first, but as long as your child is having fun and is feeling positive then any activity, they pick up should be seen as a positive. A hobby should be something your child looks forward to and takes things away from, be that friendships, new skills or just a new love for something. But be prepared for a few false starts as it can take a while to find a hobby they truly love. 

What are your hobbies, and did you have any fun hobbies as a child that you still remember now? Let me know in the comments below. 

xXx


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