Hobbies give us joy and something to pass the time by doing. They can teach children vital life skills and shape the people that they become. There are many unique hobbies out there that you can give a try with your child as a prep school in London has shared with us below.

Bird Watching

Bird watching is a hobby that few have heard of and that even fewer do. It’s a unique hobby for sure that will serve as a good ice breaker when the opportunity arises. You may be thinking “what benefit is there in watching birds” or “why would anyone choose to watch them anyway”. Bird watching can be fun and help children to develop key skills like attention to detail as they observe closely and try to distinguish the difference between each. Whilst doing so, they can develop a greater appreciation for nature. There are also bird communities that are shrinking in popularity and going extinct like the Simeulue Hill Myna for example that went extinct in 2020. This creates a global urgency amongst bird watchers to keep an eye out and do what they can to preserve their biodiversity.

Aside from a pair of binoculars and a book on all the birds in existence, your child will just need space to make their observations like their bedroom or the garden.

Origami

Origami is the art of paper folding that stuns many as there’s such a high level of intricacy that can be achieved just by folding paper. Just like bird watching, it requires attention to detail, concentration, and a keen eye. If your child’s young, it can help them with their fine motor skills as they can practice pinching, gripping and more.

Photography

Photography is a hobby that anyone with a passion for capturing beautiful and unique moments can practice. It can be practised with even the most basic of lenses and give your child the opportunity to be creative and learn how to manipulate the elements around them. It’s almost an art as it involves creating an image and can help your child to become a better thinker in the process as they look for ways to do that better using what they have available. There are elements of science that come into play too such as light and how it disperses.

Cooking

Cooking is a great hobby to have and a valuable life skill. Good food makes for great memories and as your child improves, they may even find that it’s something that they want to pursue a career in. Again, this is a hobby that requires patience as some of the longest dishes to cook can take up to 15 hours! A far cry from some that we’re used to. It’s also a good way to reinforce what your child has learned at school as cooking involves both science and maths to follow recipes correctly and understand the process. Once they have a few recipes under their belt, your child will become that little more independent and be able to work out how to cook things for themselves.

Magic

The ability to perform magic before the eyes is impressive. It takes lots of patience, practice, and the ability to perform in front of others. This can help children to tackle their nerves and be more confident within themselves. Thinking skills are also needed to think on the spot and work out other magicians’ tricks in order to replicate them.