Hobbies are great in so many ways—not just for our children but also for us adults. They remind us that creating space and time for ourselves is very much needed, and energizes us for the rest of the day or week. According to Pressman et al. (2009), leisure activities, such as hobbies, act as “breathers” and “restorers,” allowing us to take breaks and restore our energy.

According to Auhuber et al. (2019), health-conscious behavior in children, such as sufficient outdoor activity, physical play, and limited screen time, should be encouraged from an early age. The study states that if we incorporate hobbies into our children’s lives from a young age, we are setting them up for a healthy and successful adulthood in terms of socializing, play, and physical skills.

So, we know that healthy hobbies are great for our children’s mental and physical well-being, but what can we propose to entice them away from their favorite TV show or online game?

Four FUN Summer Hobbies for Kids: 

Internships

Okay, not a real internship if your child is still young, but you can ask them “What do you want to be?” and then help them research what it is like to become that person or work in that profession. For example, if your child says, “I want to be a singer,” you could work with your child to sign them up for singing classes over the summer. This could be an excellent opportunity to show them that a hobby can be a stepping stone to achieving their dreams. If your child is a bit older, they might consider an actual internship or they could explore volunteer positions where they get to try out an activity they’re interested in.

Cooking

If your child is a fussy eater (I can just hear the “YES!”), you can give them the power to choose what they want to eat and to help cook it. Learning how to cook is a hobby I really wish I’d had a chance to explore when I was young. If you provide your child with a list of meal options for the week, they could choose when they want to eat each dish, and then help you purchase the ingredients and prepare the food. They might even take over making some healthy snacks!

Gardening

Consider creating a corner in your backyard where your child can choose what flowers or vegetables they’d like to plant and take care of. If you don’t have space outdoors for a garden, perhaps they could choose a few potted plants for a porch, patio, or deck, or even indoors in a sunny spot. Or, explore the possibility of participating in a communal garden.

Mindfulness and Meditation

The summer break is the perfect time to help your children learn more about self-regulation and mindfulness. Whether it be through doing child-friendly yoga classes together to morning meditations and affirmations to start the day off right – the ease and plethora of time that summer breaks give provides space to learn more about our bodies and minds. The Moshi app is the perfect companion for this as it has tons of short SEL meditations, longer-form and active mediations (like tapping) and even a 7-day mindfulness program. All of which are designed specifically for children!

There are plenty of hobbies for kids that you can include in your child’s schedule this summer. I would always focus on their interests, what they enjoy and what they would like to do. This will increase their motivation to persevere. Remember to take photos and perhaps create a physical scrapbook of memories. Enjoy this time with your child, as you share with them the importance of healthy habits and hobbies.

Auhuber, L., Vogel, M., Grafe, N., Kiess, W., & Poulain, T. (2019). Leisure activities of healthy children and adolescents. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(12), 2078.

​​Pressman, S. D., Matthews, K. A., Cohen, S., Martire, L. M., Scheier, M., Baum, A., & Schulz, R. (2009). Association of enjoyable leisure activities with psychological and physical well-being. Psychosomatic Medicine, 71(7), 725–732.

Karla Pretorius

A registered counselor with a MA in Psychology. Co-founder: AIMS Global & Leadership at: Augmental