Everyone of us have a hobby and as a child we all have been in a way part of one of these things like collecting strange things like cigarette boxes, rocks, unusual wrappers and shiny stuff, apart from my more staid pastime, collecting stamps. The odds and ends hung around for some time till they got lost in transit, as the years rolled by. There have been pastimes that have been around for ages and it can really add personality to your child.

COLLECTING THINGS
Be it a harmless inexpensive pastime or an extravagant pursuit, collectors the world over are driven by the same passion. Collectibles can range from the seemingly ordinary to the quirky. An object that by it might seem mundane becomes a collector’s item and can even result in bloodshed on online and real auctions. Collectibles can also be embellished to create works of art. If your child has a fascination for rocks or pebbles, encourage her to start a collection of the same, ranging from the unusual to keepsakes from a vacation. Nurturing a collection can span decades and help keep your child surrounded with the thing he/she loves most. Share your child’s enthusiasm, enroll him in a club or just encourage him to read up or go on the net to know more about his specialty. This will not only bolster his sense of self-worth, but also create a focused line of thought which can extend to the other facets of his life too.

DRYING FLOWERS AND PRESSING THEM
We all have done it at some point of time in our lives in our journal or book and reminded of it years later as the preserved flower or leaf reminds us of the moment gone by. Pressed flowers capture the poignancy of the moment. If your child has a soft spot for flora, specifically, if he loves plucking any plant he sees bare, you could turn his seemingly destructive streak to a creative activity. Talk about drying and pressing his booty not just to preserve it, but also to create works of art from it. Just insert the leaf/flower between the pages of a book, or between sheets of paper within the book, and you could also keep some heavy weight on top for maximum effect. Your child can also play around with his dried and pressed flowers to create keepsakes or artwork with them. It is also important that you encourage him to learn more about the plant he has used. A scrapbook of dried and pressed flora with appropriate labels and fun facts can be created and it also generates a healthy respect for nature.

COLLAGE-MAKING
A simple yet highly creative personal expression that can point to an interest and, even, a career in visual arts is collage making. All your kid needs is a piece of cardboard or chart paper, scissors, old magazines or greeting cards or any used material that catches his fancy, some colors maybe, glue and an imagination to create a work of art. Encourage your child to work with used materials, instead of buying new supplies. Celebrate their skills and don’t rein their imagination in, no matter how outlandish it seems.

PAPER CRAFT
A simple and highly versatile craft, creating paper mache sculptures combines fun and creativity and appeals to kids across age-groups.

Such creative pastimes that are not just fun, but also teach children the importance of recycling and reusing and connecting with their immediate environment.