What Kids Learn from Collections

My kids love to collect everything from rocks to stickers. These treasures bring my kids joy, but they also take up space and collect dust. While they often seem like trash to me, collections provide a great opportunity for kids to learn about things that interest them. In the spirit of science activities that typically take place in San Diego this month (SD Festival of Science details TBA), here are benefits of children starting (or maintaining) a collection.

Responsibility

Kids who collect items need to be responsible for them. They sort, take care of and find creative ways to display the items they are interested in. It’s important to make sure collections are well cared for and stored correctly so they don’t get lost or broken. This helps kids learn responsibility and organization.

Lessons Learned

Kids who collect are more likely to spend time reading about, sorting and discussing their collections. As they research and learn about their chosen item(s), they learn about the world around them. For instance, a baseball card collection teaches kids about sports, but also math as they compare statistics. Here are other lessons learned:

• Science and nature: rocks, shells, leaves, pinecones, bugs (For items you don’t want in the house, encourage kids to take photos and provide a spot to display them.)

• History: coins, stamps, fossils, arrowheads, artifacts

• Creativity: There is a host of items that foster creativity, whether it’s art supplies, buttons, playing cards—or simply the different ways a child chooses to display their collection.

Connection

Collectors bond with others who share similar interests, which can help start friendships. There may be conventions kids and parents can attend to explore, purchase and meet others who are interested in the same collector’s items. These experiences help build social skills and new relationships.

Storytelling

As kids look through their collection, they recall where they acquired certain items—at a family trip to the zoo or on a hike with a friend—and they learn to tell stories about the experiences to family members, friends and visitors.

Budgeting

For items that need to be purchased, kids have the opportunity to learn budgeting skills. They need to research prices, find a way to earn money, and save until they have enough to make a purchase. If items are traded, they can practice negotiation skills as they bargain with friends.

Joy

While a child’s collection may be nothing but a dust collector to parents, it likely brings your child happiness. I have an abundance of items that bring me joy: a stack of books, my grandmother’s china and enough gadgets to fill two kitchens. A child’s collection brings similar joy and it is important for parents to remember this, foster their interests and encourage what is important to them.

Many valuable lessons can be learned from maintaining collections. Support kids by providing a shelf to display items or a special box for storage. v

Sarah Lyons is a freelance writer.

March 2022 • SanDiegofamily.com • 27