How Having a Hobby Helps in a Child’s Development!

Some of you might have something that you absolutely love to do—a hobby that brings you joy, pleasure, and excitement whenever you are engaged in it. It can be a certain sport, a favourite genre of books, a dish that you are always looking forward to cooking, a musical instrument that you like to play, or anything else entirely. A hobby makes us forget, at least temporarily, things that would otherwise keep us indulgent, such as work or a chore.

However, the consciousness that you love doing something comes much later in life. Before that, you have that epiphany when you realise that this is something that you enjoy beyond anything.

And then you engage yourself in it without a single worry in mind and without counting every hour like you do now.

Of course! The stage of life being remembered here is your childhood. And the reason we take you through this memory walk is to remind you the importance of hobbies.

It is wonderful if you still engage in your favourite hobbies now and then, but if for some reason you have left them behind, then we think this blog is both for you and your kids!

If you had such experiences, it is possible that you wish that your kids go through the same, or, if possible, even some better ones. Good hobbies are not leisure activities that kids do when they have nothing else; we need to understand ‘why are hobbies important for kids?” To understand how having a hobby helps in a child’s development, let us remember how it helped you.

Do you agree that while playing the sport you like, you developed skills such as collaboration, coordination, and patience? Did it not help you channel your negative feelings positively towards the cause of winning? And did it not give you a sense of belonging among your peers?

These are just some of the advantages of having sports as a hobby; there are innumerable activities that one can indulge in, and they all come with their own special perks.

Here are some other ways having a hobby helps in a child’s development:

• Nurtures Creativity

Being able to express oneself artistically is a priceless feeling. If your kid rejoices in any form of creative expression, rest assured that they will have a unique and distinctive viewpoint on things. These hobbies can be, writing, painting, drawing and colouring, crafts, and performing arts such as acting, dancing, and singing.

These are very fulfilling hobbies to have and will help your kids build their own perception of everything in life.

• Nurtures Cognitive Ability 

When you are engaged in something you truly love and enjoy, you do not mind trying hard to understand its complexities. If your kids’ hobby is building model rockets, they will happily go through the scientific principles and laws one would require to build a small working model. This naturally helps in developing their cognitive abilities.

• Helps in Developing Confidence

One of the many benefits of hobbies is that when you successfully complete what you set out to do, you feel positive and accomplished. It happens because you love what you are doing. Sooner than later, it becomes your habit to see a task through to its perfect completion. All this builds a character that has confidence in itself, is aware of its capabilities, and can face challenges head-on.

• Teach Time management

What do you do when you don’t have time to do your favourite activity? You shift other things here and there and eventually make enough time. You prioritise things based on their importance and manage them. This is what kids learn when they also have to juggle school, tuition, and their hobbies all in one day. Skills like these cannot be taught; kids can only learn them through experience.

• Learn Problem Solving

When you are determined to do something, you find ways to overcome any challenge that comes across the way. You use your creativity and innovation to make your way through the problems. When a kid who plays cricket cannot play spin bowling, he tries different approaches, such as advancing down the pitch or observing the bowler’s hands, to pick up variations. Either way, the kid would try to solve this issue, as playing is something very important to him. It’s only natural that he will soon be applying this in real life.

• Make Future Career Choices
  

Realising what you like to do is great; what is even greater is to turn that into your career. Another important benefit of having a hobby is that your kids will not struggle to find a suitable career for them if they are able to do what they like and make a living out of it. Fields like sports, performing arts, photography, writing, etc., are all great career options and provide well professionally if one is dedicated and determined enough.

• Improve Mental Health and Well Being

Studies show that if we engage in things we love, it is good for our mental health and well-being. Although we are sure that you do not require scientific research to tell you that, you already know how much positivity your favourite hobby fills you with.

With all the curricular and extracurricular things kids are engaged in these days, it is important that they find something that fills them with colour and emotions, refreshes and reenergizes them, calms them down, and provides them a break from their monotonous schedule.

Conclusion

To encourage your children to pursue a hobby, it’s important to discover their strengths and interests. This will help you identify any unique skills or talents they may possess. With kids being so engaged in the digital ecosystem that comprises both their education and entertainment, the importance of hobbies increases even more. It is crucial for their overall development that they enjoy something that does not come in 1080p resolution.

What do you think about this blog? What are your favourite hobbies? How did they help you learn important life skills? Do let us know in the comments. Team Narayana would love to hear from you.