Some of these Articles and Projects I presented or wrote for parents and patrons of the libraries I worked for.
Interests/Passions/Hobbies/Collections/Motivating Through Interests
For Children of all Ages including YOU!
What:
May I suggest that children find out about/study something they are interested/ passionate about, collect, or have as a hobby? They can use the Internet, books, and/or speak/write to people who also have that interest, hobby clubs, etc. For example, I had a neighbor of mine correspond with a student about shells, and another student wrote to a relative of mine who was good at sign language. (Thus finding a connection) Many of you are probably already doing this.
How:
Think about something that makes your child happy and he/she likes that they may be interested in learning more about.
Some of “50 Ways to Bring Out Your Child’s Best:”
https://www.institute4learning.com/resources/articles/50-ways-to-bring-out-your-childs-best/
Let your child discover his/her own interests. Pay attention to the activities he/she chooses
Expose your child to a broad spectrum of experiences
Give your child permission to make mistakes
Encourage questions
Plan special family projects
Don’t pressure your child to learn
Share your work life and/or interests (or grandparents’)
www.institute4learning.com › resources › articles › 50-ways-to-bring-.
Perhaps Use this Sample Questionnaire to share with your child to get some idea about their Interests/Passions/Hobbies/Collections:.
When you have free time what do you do and where do you go?
Do you prefer being with others or being alone?
What are your favorite academic subjects?
Do you like/enjoy: nature, plants, animals, music, singing, listening or playing an instrument, doing or watching dance, art, acting, crafts, using different media (paint, clay, others), woodworking, playing outside, etc.?
Do you like/enjoy reading: fiction, nonfiction, plays, poetry, graphic novels, newspapers, comic strips, magazines, etc.?
What are some of your favorite books?
Do you like/enjoy cooking? What type of food (s)?
Do you like/enjoy taking things apart and putting them back together (like puzzles, clocks, telephones, etc.) and building? Please check this website out:
https://sites.google.com/site/kidsbuildingthings/products/taking-things-apart
Do you like/enjoy sports: watching, participating, both?
Are you curious about different cultures? Which ones?
What are you interested in learning more about?
What do you feel strongly about and want to help–? (Possible Causes: ex. homelessness, special needs people, Peace, animals, the earth, etc.)
What are you interested in/passionate about/”that calls to you/excites you? (from “Simple Abundance” By Breathnach)
Do you have any collections or hobbies? (or would you like to have)
What are some of your questions or things you are curious about? (Keep a list on your refrigerators of your child’s questions)
Fill in: I love to ______
People I look up to__________
Is there anything else you would like to tell/share about yourself?
From My Book:, “Many Pebbles to Make a Difference: Inspiring Ways You Can Improve Children’s Lives by Making Connections: Education in Different Environments,” pages 116-117
References: Dewey (1913) suggested “some time ago that trying to find out what is of interest to students is an important part of schooling.”
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00461520.1991.9653136
“Hobbies keep one occupied and are always great for learning social skills. Your child is not alone in whatever he does and the deeper he gets into the hobby, the more social skills he will develop. (Via in person, phone or the Internet) Many hobbies require one to work in groups or find someone with similar interests. (Member of Clubs) So your child will not just be working alongside with people with similar interests, but also with people from different backgrounds and cultures.”
Using Interests in my Work Life:
As a Motivational Teacher I wanted to work with students through their interests/passions/hobbies and help to strengthen them and their self-esteem, giving them something positive to hold onto and be interested in.
In teaching elementary school, previous classes I had taught would come to my now class and present their interests in Interest Groups. While teaching at an Alternative high school, students would share their interests with me.
I initiated Hobby Fairs in two library systems settings, where children and adults shared their hobbies as patrons wandered around asking questions. See my Book “Many Pebbles to Make a Difference: Inspiring Ways You Can Improve Children’s Lives by Making Connections: Education in Different Environments pages 212-218
I recommended that parents and teachers encourage their children’s interests/passions such as in the Fine Arts as music, drama, playing an instrument, art, or Sports, Science, etc.) .
I am also the author of four books: “Many Pebbles to Make a Difference: Inspiring Ways You Can Improve Children’s Lives by Making Connections: For Families, Parents, Grandparents; Education in Different Environments; Reading And Books; and “Multiculturalism And Peace.” These books have more information on Interests and children.
The Key:
Finding the person’s interest.
Presentations: Share with your family what you have learned about your interest/passion, hobby/collection.
Some Ideas/Activities for Your Child (Via Subject)
For the following below, you can think about it, tell someone, or write about it.
Reading:
- Have a READ-A THON in your family, either reading to yourself or reading to someone (parent or younger sibling, etc.).
- “Drop Everything and Read” or “Sustained Silent Reading” (SSR): Everyone in your home drops everything and Reads at a certain time.
- Who is your favorite Book character?
- Who is a Character from a book you would like to invite over to play, dine, etc. What would you talk about?
- Set up a Book Discussion within your family or with friends. You decide how you want to run it.
- Read a book and write a Book Review (title, author, why recommended, and a draw a picture) or write a Teaser like a movie preview about the book.
- Keep a List of the titles and authors of books you have read.
- Read “Frindle” By Andrew Clements. Make up your own word with its own meaning.
- Choose a book you like that has many books written on the same theme. Compare the books. ex. “The Turnip.”
- Read several books written by the same author. What was similar or what was different in the books? (Precludes, sequels)
- Read some Children’s Classics which are Books that have a special something in the writing style, plot, character, and inner message that shines through to children. Do you agree they should be considered Classics?
- Read a Book or Tell a Story to a younger child.
- Share your favorite books with your parents. Ask them what were their favorites?
- What do you think about Books VS the Movie of the Book?
- Look for books with art worthy Illustrations. (not cartoon like) Do they enhance the book?
- Read about an Author of your favorite book? Try reading a biography about them.
- Some ways to encourage “Pleasurable Reading” or ”Reading for the Fun of It”
- Have your child see you reading. It lets your children know you regard reading as a valued activity in your home and that you can relax with books, as well as, learn from them. Children model after you. Let them see you reading all types of materials.
- Take a book wherever you go and encourage your child to also.
- Make a regular (weekly) visit to the library to get books of interests and for pleasure reading. Encourage children to pick out their own books. Encourage them to browse. Find out what your child’s interests are. Encourage that. Keep a list on the refrigerator of a child’s questions and topics they seem interested in that you can take on your library’s visits.
- Continue to read aloud to children even when they are reading by themselves. From My Book: “Many Pebbles to Make a Difference: Inspiring Ways You can Improve Children’s Lives by Making Connections: For Families, Parents, Grandparents page 81.”
Creative Writing:
- Creative Writing is writing that expresses ideas, feelings, emotions, and thoughts in an imaginative way. You can write a Diary/Journal), (Ex. Write a “Grateful Journal”) write with prompts, (ex. “How would I like the world to be?” or “What is a friend?”), write a poem or music or a song, or an Adventure Story. (Choose a character: person, animal, imaginary and a location. Describe the character in the first chapter. Each week write another chapter on such topics as your home, friends, favorite activities, hobbies, music, games, books, sports, etc.)
To help you write stories creatively here are some possibilities
- Beginnings: Ex. “As I turned the corner I saw—” and “All of a sudden my pillow began to talk to me—-”.
- Endings: Ex. “I never thought it could happen to me a second time, but it did” and “And that is how the best day of my life ended.”
- Titles: Ex. “I will never understand” and “Let me share with you how I was born old and aged younger.”
Your History:
- Family Stories are stories about your family to pass on. What is a something about you, you would like to have your grandchildren remember about you? (Your Legacy is something that is left behind after a person has passed sharing what you have learned and bequeathing your values.)
- Think about yourself as a younger child. Now think about yourself as an adult with a job. What kind of job are you interested in now?
- Write a letter to your Future You as an adult. What would you want your adult self to know?
- Look at an Everyday Object. Describe it to someone from the past or the future.
- Dear Grandchild Letter: Write a pretend letter to your future grandchild telling about your life now. You might share about a typical day including information on school, chores, family life, entertainment, friends, music, favorite books, sports, hobbies, etc.
- Interview your Grandparents or Older Adults. (Record or write them down) Ex. of some questions. “When was the best time of your life?” “What scared you as a child?,” and “What advice would you like to give me?”
Your Interests:
- Think about or write down your strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, what you are interested in learning more about, what are you passionate about, what are your interests.
- Start collecting articles about your Interests. Talk to someone else who may share your Interests.
- Begin a Collection or a Hobby. Talk to someone else who may share your Collection or Hobby
- Multicultural: Learn about a country, culture, religion, etc. different than yours. Talk to someone who is from this country, culture, religion, etc.
The Arts
Music
- What type of music do you enjoy listening to?
- Do you want to play an instrument? (if you don’t already play one)
- Do you like to sing? What?
- Listen to classical music like: John Sousa’s Marches, or “In the Hall of the Mountain King” By Grieg or the Finale of the “William Tell Overture” By Rossini and pretend you are the conductor.
Art:
- What type of art do you like?
- Use the book, “Come Look With Me: Enjoying Art with Children” By Blizzard to look at children in art.
- “Old Masters” with children in their work: Homer, Renoir, Monet, Cassatt
- Do you like to draw, paint, using watercolors, chalk, colored pencils, charcoals, etc.?
Dance: (Movement)
- What type of dance do you like? (Ex. folk dancing)
- Listen and dance to some music sharing how you feel. (Interpretative dance is depicting a story or a definite emotion)
Drama:
- Paper Bag Dramatics: Put several related and unrelated items in a large paper bag (ex. child compass, gloves, paper plates, large plastic tablecloth, maps, garden supplies, etc.) Create a play or skit or a short story using these items (props) by yourself or with others.
- Use a Dress up Box of Things to put on skirts, pants, gloves, jewelry, shirts, etc. to put on a play.
Peace:
- Kindness: How can you be kind to someone who isn’t kind to you? (This is a tough question)
- Giving: What could you give away that is most meaningful to you? (Read “The Littlest Angel” By Charles Tazewell)
- Get a pen pal and begin writing to them. One example to try is https://www.globalpenfriends.com/
“My Home Museum” or “My Life Story” or “Instead of De-Cluttering, Keep Your Precious Things Organized into Exhibits” or “Scrap Booking My Home”
Why:
I have always enjoyed going to museums. I have worked in several museums as the Fort Lauderdale Historical Museum and the Miami Youth Museum. My husband and I began a children’s museum, The Long Island Explorium, A Hands-On Children’s Museum which unfortunately did not come to fruition. I have also taken some museum courses.
Quotes:
“My house is not just dirty. I just have everything on display like in a museum”
“It is not hoarding, it’s collecting”
“I’m a Keep-holic”
My Goal:
To share about “My Home Museum.”
To encourage the reader to share their gifts (items) by using some of these ideas as a stepping off point for them
To show that everyone is unique as is everyone else and what they will exhibit will be what is important to them. (Specific Interests, hobbies, collections, etc.)
To disseminate what is important to someone in their home from the past, the present and the future including artifacts, (an object made by a human being) photographs, jewelry, pictures, etc.
When possible add labeling and an explanation from references. For example, information from a book or the Internet about an old school desk.
Who:
Anyone who is interested
Where:
In your home: Set up centers or exhibits or sections with similar items placed together
When:
Ongoing, evolving
How/What:
Is there anything you have in your home or office that may be in a closet or drawer that you would like to show (exhibit)?
Organize similar items together
Share artifacts, jewelry, photographs, pictures, etc. that one treasures
Have available typed labels of artifacts and/or photographs showing people using the artifact
Notebooks/Albums of Interests of a person (photos and letters) like drama, (placed on a director’s chair holding drama photos and drama artifacts), from cruises, famous people’s letters, pen pals’ letters, quotations, about one’s work life, parties, compliments/ references from jobs, important people’s holiday cards, etc.
Articles and/or books about the artifacts like chocolate, Braille, (awl) service dogs, sign language, shells, smiles
One can always add books on the topic for reference in the exhibit
Can also be exhibited in a drawer.
See Below for Possible Examples:
Some Exhibits would be artifacts/Objects, possible photos, and some articles.
Some may have a combination of both
Religious artifacts on a table
Old tools that may have belonged to an older relative
Dance items (ballet/ tap shoes, dance outfits, etc.) next to picture of dancers and people who live in the home who dance
Shadow boxes of certificates of organizations joined as a child like Girl Scouts, swimming certificates, youth group, Candy Striper
Photos of Babies/Adults hands and feet found in magazines
Blue Herons
Sunsets/Sunrises
Bridges/Fences
Lighthouses
Peace/Kindness/Diversity/Multiculturalism
Postcards from different countries
Money from different countries
Flags from different countries
Musical instruments from different countries
Pocket mirrors from different places visited
Magnets from different places visited
U.S. Map with yellow small stickers on places visited
World Map with yellow small stickers on places visited and green stickers for places people one knows live
State map of place living in with yellow small stickers on places visited
Puzzles of maps
Timeline laminated posters of World History and U.S. History and games on this topic
Stamps
Cameras: Polaroid, dental camera
Phones: historic types of phones: rotary, princess
Radio, transistor radio
The Historical progression of an item showing artifacts. For example: Victrola, record player, Reel to reel tape recorder, Cassette player, CD player (regular and portable)
Video player, DVD player
Different type of Speakers
Film projector and slides
Old computers, monitors
Clothes and photos of wearing the clothes with the clothes right there
Maternity Clothes
Clothes from Different Countries: Israel, India, Japan
Clothes and photos of the 1960’s
Puppets:
Pop up, Finger, Hand, Regular, Marionettes
Old toys and board games for children including puzzles and old trains
Old glasses’ frames
Pens with different companies named on it.
Cats
Quilts
Gifts made by friends that were sewed stored in a basket together
Baskets
Collection of dolls and children’s books
Older bikes
Sports outfits including cheerleading and baton twirling items
Disneyworld
1950’s Sled
Unicycle
Ice skates
Old typewriter
Rocking horses
Hobby Horses
Twins with photos of people who are twins
Left handedness with lefty’s signatures
Coco Cola
Possible Family Photos Ideas: (some next to each other/side by side)
Photos of Mother and daughter of the same age next to each other like High School/College/MA graduation, prom, Sweet Sixteen, being pregnant, holding their baby.
Mother as a child and grandchild doing the same thing like loss of first front tooth, trying on Mom or Dad’s boots, in front of their garden, eating messily in a high chair, reading as young children, riding a bike, holding a favorite stuffed animal or doll, playing chess with Uncle and grandfather, riding a Carousel, etc.
Mother, child and grandparents through the years
Separate photos of sitting on a chair each year to show growth for child
Wedding photos of grandparents, parents and daughter side by side
Photos of whom a child is named after
Birth announcement, baby picture, religious ceremony in one frame
Hand Prints of child and grandchild with photos of the child the year they made the prints
Dad made sculptures (or other artwork) of family members. Photos of the person in artwork placed next to the sculptures
Photos of being pinned, getting engaged, wedding shower, and wedding. Also have music of wedding song and plays seen on honeymoon. (Itinerary of trip gone for the honeymoon)
Photo of nursing baby chair and then sitting in it as a tween. Another photo of chair cleaned up and grandmother using it now
Photos of parties at home including invitations
Porch photos of all homes lived in that had porches
Grandfather feeding by bottle his child and then grandchild.
Photos of homes have lived in with addresses. Magnets of states have lived in
School pictures for comparisons
Photos of a child at the beginning of a school year and the end of a school year
Photos of Grandparents, adults and children as a collage
Photos of Grandparents as babies and as an adults
Sports equipment next to photos of child doing the sport
Photos of Science Fair projects of adults and child
Photos of Siblings
Photos of cousins of child
Photos of cousins of adult
At Big Family Occasions family photos with different relatives doing the same thing (like cutting the challah)
Photos of all relatives at Family Occasions put side by side together to compare
Photos of Grandparents progressing with grandchild from childhood to being taller than the grandparents
Trip photos
Diplomas with graduation gowns and hats of grandparents, children, and grandchildren
Child at different ages playing an instrument
Child at different ages in different suits for different occasions.
Child at different ages and grandfather in a baseball hat sideways
Child at different ages wearing a tie
Photos and paintings on walls of home put together in different themes.
One’s Work Life
After each job, paid or volunteer, I collected professional cards, references, brochures, photos, etc. and put them in a notebook by job. Recently I took out the highlights of these jobs and put them on a Science board, oak tag and large picture frame. (There were so many) I also made a smaller notebook with the highlights that didn’t fit on the board, oak tag and picture. I arranged them by job category (teaching, libraries, museum, Outreach, volunteer, etc.) and not chronologically. I also listed my education in notebooks.
Other Things Around My Home and Things that Are Important to Me/I Love
I have hung up collage posters (from magazines) of “Children,” “Parenting,” and “Reading for Pleasure” to share.
Things I had once but no longer have due to moving, giving away, downsizing, etc. A list and photos of artifacts I no longer have.
After people have seen your “Home Museum” ask them to sign your Comment Book (like they have at Museums)
Photos of My Exhibits
Taken by husband and also a friend (professionally done) and then arranged them with explanations in albums so there is a physical memory of “My Home Museum.”
Projects
My Mentors
Photographs of people who have been my Mentors by Peace, Librarians, Parenting, Children, Entertainers
Copies from the Front Pages of Newspapers’ Headlines of News Both Positive and Negative
(Including personal information when event happened)
I have found copies of front pages of newspapers with newsworthy events and arranged them in categories which are: Nature’s Catastrophes; Man’s Disasters; Man’s Inhumanity to Others (Black, Jews, Japanese, Native Americans); Women; Space; Impeached Presidents; Eisenhower’s and Nelson Mandela deaths; U.S. Horrors; U. S. involved in Wars; Assassinations of: Gandhi, JFK, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (plus March on Washington and “I have a Dream” speech), Robert Kennedy, John Lennon, 9 Israelis at Olympic Games killed, Prime Minister Rabin (Israel); Positive Political News; 150 Years of “The Atlanta Constitution” (information about headlines); Medical: kidney transplant, heart transplant, penicillin, polio vaccine, January 6 COVID 19 in US, COVID 19 vaccine; Misc. Info some found not in newspapers (7) and some in newspapers.
Family Tree
Family Tree with Photos and a Number Legend:
Using a Science board each person’s photo also has a number that corresponds with a legend
Another paper has the Family Tree with words saying who married whom, children, date of birth and death, marriage dates
Photos with many of the family from family gatherings are in a separate panel again labeled with a number
Put together photos of grandparents, family members, etc. at different ages,
Notebooks of photos and written information about family of origin and nuclear family with childhood memories. Included are my Dad letters when he wrote to my Mom during World War II from the Philippines in 1945 and my written comments under different topics.