Hobby Classes for Children - Sports , Academics & Others

We all know that sports and academics are the two main distinctions in a child’s life. In the second part of the hobbies and activities blog, we will talk about hobbies that are related to Sports and Academics.

Hobby Classes for Children

Kids can start a little earlier here, where children of 3 or 4 have some structured play classes where they play with a ball or a hoop under the guidance of the instructor. The aim is to help them build various skills based on the age of the child, starting from motor skills for 3-4 year-olds to leadership skills for older children.

#1. Team Sports

Cricket, football, basketball are some of the popular team sports offered for training in various centers and clubs across the country.

1.1 Individual Sports: Tennis, table tennis, badminton are some of the sports which children might be interested to train, and go on to have a career in too. Swimming is one more avenue, which can be started as early as 3 and continued for long.

1.2 New forms of sports: Some schools and training centers offer gymnastics. A lesser-known sport which is picking up steam after the 2012 Olympics is Archery. Archery is taught from the age of 7 but for exceptional cases, the trainer might consider 5 or 6 years old kids too. Horse riding is also available in cities, so is Golf and skating.

1.3. Martial arts: Karate and other martial arts classes usually start at the age of 3 and are now available in most towns.

#2. Academic

You might want to take advantage of the holidays to help your child brush up his/her skill in an academic or related field. These may be taken up as a few months course or on a continuous basis depending on the interest of the child.

2.1. School-related:

Computers, robotics, creative writing, journalism, languages, Vedic math, science workshops are some of the courses on offer. Most of these courses start at the age of 5 and are modeled according to the age and capability of the child. These courses complement their academic routine and would help them do better in that subject. Alternately, for a subject they don’t enjoy, like Chemistry, a short course, which will give them hands-on experience with various experiments, might just be the thing they were looking for to develop an interest in the subject. Learning a language would also exercise the child’s brain and is very good for the development of the child apart from providing them with a life skill, as in today’s world, they could end up in any part of the world for studies or for work. Usually, foreign language courses start at the age of 7.

2.2. Non-school related:

Chess and abacus classes are not part of the school curriculum but perhaps are good for developing the aptitude of children from the age of 4-5.

#3. Part-time work 

Some newspapers look for trainee journalists at an age group of 13-16, especially during holiday seasons. It would be interesting to apply to local papers, or for the children’s section of the popular state or national newspapers. They are usually on the lookout for summer trainees. It would be great for the confidence of the child, no matter what career your child finally chooses.

Others Holiday or Hobby Classes:

Apart from these usual choices, there are other holiday courses on offer, which would actually help to develop hobbies. These hobby classes include cooking, angling or fishing, trekking, aero modeling, photography, yoga, rowing or sailing, theatre among others.

These would help the child develop a skill or interest and take it to the next level. Something like a drama or theatre class is great for building self-confidence, oratory skills, and quick thinking.

Yoga would also help them develop physically and keep fit. These start at 4 years of age. Cooking for younger children is done without fire, but as the child grows older one may learn to bake or to cook more complex dishes.

Be sure not to overburden a child with classes when, in truth, he or she should be out playing. Choose hobby classes with the active participation and willingness of your child.

Don’t force them into something they might not be comfortable with. The best way perhaps is to sit with your child, ask their likes and dislikes and then come to a decision together.