We at Primavera English believe it is essential for kids and adolescents to have hobbies, or creative activities that they can enjoy in their free time. Not only do hobbies help kids learn problem solving and life skills, but they can also be great educational opportunities. For example, a child who collects rocks will learn about geology and science. A child who enjoys writing stories or plays will learn about sentence structure and creative writing. And the best thing is, hobbies are driven by the child. This is learning that they find enjoyable, even relaxing, and therefore the knowledge they gain is more likely to be retained. As a teenager, I was always happier when my hands were busy. I still use many of the skills I learned from childhood hobbies, including sewing, drawing, and crocheting.
Studies suggest that children and teens are more likely to spend time working on their hobbies if their parents have hobbies as well! Here are some of the hobbies of Primavera English staff members:
- Cooking or baking
- Drawing and art
- Crocheting
- Making model airplanes
Do you or your child have a hobby? What learning opportunities have you discovered?
Photograph by Alex Green.