Developmental Benefits of Children's Hobbies

Children's hobbies are very stimulating activities that all little ones should have the chance to enjoy. Why? Read the following article to find out.

Written and verified by the psychologist Ana Couñago.

Last update: 27 December, 2022

Who didn’t have one of those typical puzzle books or magazines when they were little? However, for some time now, these types of mental games on paper have become somewhat obsolete and it’s no longer so common to see children entertain themselves doing these types of activities. Well, this has to be changed! We must accustom new generations to leave aside the television, video games, or cell phone, even for a moment, and encourage them to do children’s hobbies. These offer multiple benefits for development, both cognitively, physically, and emotionally.

So, do you want to know what these benefits are? In the following article, we’ll show you a list of some of the most significant ones.

Children’s hobbies

When we talk about children’s hobbies, we’re referring to those mental challenges that allow children to pass the time in a fun and educational way. In this sense, some of the most well-known pastimes are the following:

• Crossword puzzles
• Word search puzzles
• Riddles
• Exercises to find the differences between two similar images
• Mazes
• Sudoku
• Jigsaw puzzles
• Hieroglyphics
• Tongue twisters

All of them are beneficial for children’s development.

The developmental benefits of children’s hobbies

1. Hobbies promote attention and concentration

One of the great benefits of children’s hobbies is that they help children improve and enhance their attentional capacity. This type of exercise usually involves a challenge that can only be solved with effort, perseverance, and a lot of concentration.

2. They allow children to work fine psychomotor skills

Many pastimes, in order to be completed successfully, require the mastery of fine motor skills. This is the case, for example, with mazes, connect-the-dots games, etc. These are especially recommended for small children who are still in the process of developing motor skills.

3. They help develop linguistic competence

According to philologist Manuel José Aguilar Ruiz, pastimes can be used as a very useful recreational resource for learning and developing linguistic competence. For example, they can be used to expand vocabulary, review already acquired vocabulary, improve spelling, among others.

4. They favor problem-solving

Another benefit of doing hobbies in childhood is that they allow children to practice problem-solving. This way, without realizing it, they learn to use logical thinking and to be creative. What’s more, they learn to make decisions in order to seek and find the right solutions to the challenges they may face.

5. They facilitate relaxation and improve mood

By performing these types of activities, children can spend long periods of time quietly, sitting in one place and thinking only about how to solve the puzzles. This a perfect way to allow them to relax and disconnect. In addition, little ones will feel very satisfied with themselves when they manage to find the correct answer to the exercises they face.

Learning in a fun way thanks to children’s hobbies

As you’ve been able to observe, children’s hobbies are ideal activities for little ones to learn and develop many of their abilities and skills. And all while playing and having fun at the same time. Therefore, as parents or teachers, it’s a good idea to provide children with opportunities for these types of mental challenges.

Fortunately, nowadays it’s no longer necessary to spend money on books, magazines, or newspapers containing these activities. That’s because there are many blogs and websites that offer countless models of puzzles that you can print or do online, completely free of charge. There are even programs that allow you to customize and adapt the exercises to the levels and educational needs of children.

Also, remember that doing hobbies means playing and, as the American poet Diane Ackerman would say:

So, now that you know the different benefits of these activities, what are you waiting for to discover the world of hobbies for your child? They’ll surely stay entertained for many hours while reinforcing and strengthening their learning!