Try some new hobbies

Hobbies are a great thing to have, especially for children. Hobbies help kids express their personalities and also learn new skills that will benefit them for the rest of their lives. We are all naturally gifted in certain areas and discovering those abilities and passions at a young age is empowering as well as fun.

Having a hobby also helps build confidence, make friends, and can improve mental health, and teach your child teambuilding, organizational, and problemsolving skills.

Remote Control Vehicles

Learn more and get started: Jackwagon R/C, 2102 9th Street, Greeley www.jackwagonrc.com

Getting into remote control vehicles is a hobby kids can enjoy throughout their lives with increasing complexity. Learning the dexterity, upgrading and replacing parts, and becoming involved in building contests and races are all things R/C enthusiasts relish. While the hobby tends to be more expensive the more advanced your child becomes, there are many tangible benefits including being outside, teaching care and responsibility, fostering creativity, and it gets them curious about how things work.

Cross Stitch

Learn more and get started: Colorado Cross Stitcher, 4856 Innovation Dr., Ste A, Fort Collins www.coloradocrossstitcher.com/

Cross stitch is a perfect introduction to sewing for kids. The stitches are relatively easy and while younger children will need more help, older ones can get on with more independence. Most kids have the dexterity to start learning this skill around the time they start school. Cross stitch is a “flow” activity and has been proven to improve cognitive, emotional, and social wellbeing. Research carried out by the Royal United Hospital Bath concluded that cross stitch has a neurochemical effect on the brain by decreasing stress hormones and increasing feel-good serotonin and dopamine.

Gardening

Learn more and get started: Gulley Greenhouse & Garden Center, 6029 S. Shields, Fort Collins www.gulleygreenhouse.com/

Gardening is a great physical development activity for any age. Young children can practice locomotor skills, body management skills and object control skills while they move from one place to the other carrying tools, soil and water. Working together on your garden with your children is togetherness time. You build bonds with children and create memories from your experiences in the garden. While your children are learning a lifelong love of growing things, you are learning more about your children—how they think, what they like and dislike, and how capable they really are.