Having a hobby can teach children many essential skills that will carry into adulthood. They can learn perseverance, thriftiness, creativity and a satisfaction that comes from meeting their goals. However, many hobbies have a pretty hefty price tag. Not all families can afford to buy expensive models or to send their children to specialized camps that help them improve their hobby skills. Luckily, there are also many cheap hobbies for kids.
Rock collecting can be a cheap hobby.
As a child, I used to spend a good deal of time staring at the ground while I wandered through fields, the woods, or any other place where I was likely to spot a nice rock. My brother got permission to explore a nearby cliff with several friends and an adult who was a rock hound. He was able to find fossils, mica and fools gold during his trips to the cliffs. Our hours of exploration cost us about $10. We bought a used rock identification guide and a used magnifying glass.
Kids who aren't sure if rocks are their thing might be interested in a component of rock collecting – polishing rocks and creating jewelry and key chains from the lovely polished rocks they created.
Making miniatures from found objects can be a fun and free hobby.
Dollhouses and dollhouse miniatures can cost quite a bit of money when you shop for them at your local hobby store. However, kids who are crafty can make their own dollhouses and miniatures for free. To encourage a child to think about found objects that can be used to construct dioramas, dollhouses and other miniature worlds, watch or read The Littles or The Borrowers, which are tales about tiny families that survived by borrowing and re-purposing objects that normal size humans used for a completely different purpose.
Fishing can be an inexpensive hobby for kids.
People can spend thousands on fishing gear, fly fishing training and other things before they start to fish. They can also grab a homemade pole and a hook and go fishing. In many areas, children don't need to have a license to fish. If they hunt for worms before they go fishing, they won't even need to pay for bait. Children who really develop an interest in fishing as a hobby may want to learn to make their own fly fishing lures and bamboo fly rods.
When you encourage your children to take up a cheap hobby, you may find that you've helped them develop a passion for something they'll still be enjoying when they are parents. You may be helping a future dog trainer, gardener, coin collector, or antique restoration expert find an exciting and rewarding career or just something he or she loves to do on the side. Even better, you may just find that you enjoy the same hobby and the two of you may just find yourself bonding over whittling talk, yo-yo trick demonstrations, or some other fun kid friendly activity.
Katelyn Thomas - If you can't find me in the spring, I'm out hiking through the wood with a few pounds of photography gear strapped to my back. In the ...
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