I could never understand why people collected stamps when I was younger, however, I did like collecting other things; keyrings were my favourite and I’ve kept them to this day. I used to pick one out on every holiday or day trip and I have lots from theatre shows and concerts too.
No doubt lots of you still have collections from when you were younger, or you may have even inherited items from relatives. So why not suggest your kids follow in your footsteps and start their own collections? Here are some ideas for their new hobby.
Gotta Catch 'Em All!
You’ll probably curse me for even suggesting it, but Pokemon collections are certainly one of the most popular. While the packs of cards may seem like "money down the drain" to you, kids value them like nothing else! And there is some logic to their argument; rare cards in mint condition can fetch as much as $300,000 dollars! Half the fun is trading them with their friends so it’s a social activity too.
She Sells Seashells By The Seashore
Collections don’t need to cost the earth, in fact they don’t need to cost a penny! Seashells are in abundant supply at beaches up and down the country and going on a hunt for them makes a trip to the coast even more exciting. Once the kids are happy with their collection it’s time to figure out how to display them. Put them in gorgeous glass jars, use them to make Christmas ornaments or pretty up plant pots - the options are endless!
On Your Marks
Reading is a great hobby for kids and while it can be fun for children to collect all the books in their favourite series, sometimes it’s just as good to borrow books from the library and then return them, or pass on their favourite stories to their friends to read. So, while children may not hold onto books forever, bookmarks are something that are fun and quirky to collect and also inexpensive. Of course, by using them, their books won’t be left dog-eared and they’ll never lose their page either.
Happiness Is… Super Cute Stationary
Us mums love our stationary, from planners to new pens, but kids can appreciate it too. Back to school is normally the one time each year that children are enthusiastic about filling their pencil cases, but give them a nudge and they’ll see how fun it can be to collect imaginative erasers, colourful notebooks or novelty pencils. Anything that gets them excited about writing and drawing is a good thing in my book!