Feeling a little bored this winter season? Not sure what to do on the weekends with your kids? What better way to spend the day (or two days) than to learn a whole new skill! And better yet, something that you and your kids can learn!
How to Choose
Of course, if you choose to learn a new skill that your children can also learn alongside with you, there will be parameters. The first is going to center around the ages of your children and how appropriate the new skill can work with those age-ranges. If you have a three-year-old at home, for example, then you may not want to try learning archery! There is some stretching that can happen with some activities, however, depending on the maturity and intelligence of your children. But you will also not want to put them in harm’s way potentially!
If you have variously-aged children, too, this can also be tricky. Your teenager may want to learn archery but your younger children won’t be able to though. In these cases, it may be easier and more rewarding to learn a new skill with each of your children! This can help continue your one-on-one time with your kids without them feeling left out. And gives you the opportunity to learn many new skills!
Narrowing Your Choices
You’ll want to see what your kids are really interested in, and what opportunities are possible for each child’s wanted skill. There may not be a specific course or training available, depending on what you and your child want to learn. You may have to spend a Saturday watching YouTube tutorial videos or even reading a book to learn the new skill of your choice. But there are plenty of skills, such as dancing, painting, fencing, and more that can easily be taught in one or more classes you both can attend! Some kids, maybe teenagers, may roll their eyes at first and think this is just another excuse for more learning. But showing them how interesting and varying the skills can be, like glass-blowing, can better pique their interest and get them on board!
Learn On!
Learning a new skill with your kids is a great way to spend time with them on an individual level, while also gaining skills yourself! It’s also great for your kids to learn new skills and to see how easy (or hard!) it can be in learning different skills and applying themselves in more practical applications.
Katie Kyzivat