Kids and Collections
We’ve all been there. You and your child are tidying up her room, and you find a pile of seashells hidden under her bed. You are frustrated and ready to toss this clutter out the window, right? How about trying a different approach? If your child has shown a passion for a particular object, category or theme, encouraging a proper collection for her may be a beneficial idea.
Starting and maintaining a collection, whether it is seashells or rocks or coins or dolls, will teach your child about having pride and a sense of ownership. This collection will be special to her, and she will enjoy keeping it safe and protected. She can put her collection on proper display and show it off to her friends and family. She will learn how to properly manage, clean and display her items in order to preserve them, which is an important responsibility for kids to learn.
Growing a collection is also educational for kids. A collection such as Legos provides excellent cognitive development, as the child can categorize, compare and contrast and organize his Lego creations in a variety of ways. A Lego collector is using his imagination and is problem solving while building. Once a creation is complete, he then can teach others about its characteristics, such as what this moving part does or why this section is larger than that. He also can set them up according to various categories. One day he may put all of the machines together, and another day categorize them by size, color or another attribute.
Finally, having your child develop a collection provides endless gift and reward opportunities! Grandma and Grandpa always know they can contribute to your son’s baseball card collection by adding a pack of cards. And if your daughter who collects gemstones helps around the house and earns an allowance, she can save up her money to purchase a new special stone. Often children who are passionate about their collections will have their eye on a specific item and may be motivated to work extra hard to earn it.
Creating a collection is a beneficial and educational hobby for your child. Let her show off her stamps or rocks or rare coins proudly! She will learn a great deal from the experience and build her self-esteem. Your job is just to foster her passion.
Olathe mom Karen Johnson has three children, ages 6, 4 and 2. She writes at The21stCenturySAHM.com.
Quick Quiz
Test your collection IQ!
1. At what age are children old enough to begin a collection?
A. 1
B. 3
C. 5
D. any age
2. What types of items are appropriate for a child’s collection?
A. Rare items like antique coins
B. Items that are age-appropriate like stuffed animals
C. Both A & B
D. Neither A nor B
3. Which of the following is NOT an advantage to developing a collection?
A. Having an excuse to accumulate clutter
B. Cognitive development
C. Instilling a sense of pride in your child
D. Teaching your child responsibility
4. How should your child add to her collection?
A. Use her allowance money to purchase an item
B. Ask for items as gifts for birthdays and holidays
C. Receive an item as a reward
D. All of the above
Answers: 1 (D), 2 (C), 3 (A), 4 (D)