Getting a group of parents of children and teenagers together, and soon the conversation becomes a busy time for them to travel between multiple children in multiple activities, clubs and sports.
It's good to be part of a team, theater group, or volunteer organization, and many young people thrive on the connections they build there.
But having a hobby is also very valuable, and research shows that adolescence is a productive period of passion development. Hobbies —
Creative passion for themselves
It can be a way to balance a culture that requires over-work and over-achievement, or an antidote to technology and news --
Anxiety. Dr. Ronald E.
Dale, director of the University of California-Berkeley Center for Youth Development, said research on neurodevelopment and behavior shows that starting from adolescence, teenagers become more "looking for feelings ", attracted by novel experiences, excitement and rewards.
At this age, children are also more sensitive to how others see them.
This creates "the potential for children to develop a strong passion, and the potential to integrate their identity into the activity," Dr. Dahl said.
"What happens often is that people don't like to ride bicycles and play the violin.
You're a motorcyclist. you're a violinist.
Psychologists and Lisa Damo, author of "unlocking: guiding teenage girls into the seven transitions of adulthood", said hobbies can give teenagers a space to learn and improve, failure outside the stressful environment of school or team activities.
"If you're on your own schedule and no one is looking at your shoulders, you might risk more than you do in the classroom or on the sports ground.
"Teen parents seem to spend their free time browsing Instagram or watching cartoons, and they may feel the need to push them to a meaningful passion.
Lawrence Steinberg, professor of psychology at Temple University, wrote a book about the brain of teenagers, the age of opportunity, saying it is good for parents to encourage their children to find hobbies, but it must be something that the child is really interested in, and even if it doesn't meet the ideal of the parent, it's not suitable to develop useful skills.
"Seeing yourself getting better at something is more important than the actual skills you get in the process," Dr. Steinberg said.
"Teenagers rarely choose what they are asked to pay attention to," said the doctor. Damour said.
"It would be great if they could have time to indulge in fascinating things, in effortless places, where they were attracted to something.
"What should you do if your child asks for a $400 camera to try photography, a new set of power tools to learn carpentry, or a new computer to practice coding? Dr.
Damour suggested to try a new hobby before joining;
For example, find online tutorials or free courses to learn some basics by renting instruments or equipment.
Asking teens to contribute to the cost of this hobby is a way to get them to "add some skins to the game,
Steinberg suggested that it may also increase the likelihood that they will stick to the event.
I am the editor of The New York Times Company Wirecutter, which reviews the product, where writers spend hundreds of hours testing beginners with experts
Friendly equipment and supplies for pursuing hobbies.
There are many hobbies. here we are concerned about
Level and budget-
Friendly equipment in some popular categories: learn to play musical instruments, arts and crafts, technology and patching.
The acoustic guitar is one of the easiest and most economical ways to learn to play because it can start playing without any accessories. For a brand-
Brent Butterworth, a writer at Wirecutter, says new players, $100 worth of Carlo robelley g440 is a "great way to test the waters" without spending
It's about half the price of a guitar, but still offers excellent sound and playability, and its thinner structure allows it to hold comfortably.
More equipment is needed to learn electric guitar (
If you want the amp and cable to make a real sound, you need it)
But some experts say they may be easier for beginners than acoustic guitars.
Paul phone Les Paul Express is a cheap electric guitar that sounds good and plays well;
It is portable because it weighs just over 5 pounds (
Have jam with friends
Small hands are also very comfortable. [
Read more: Ron Lieber's advice on how to decide the cost of a child's guitar]
If you don't have a traditional piano, consider starting with a digital piano or keyboard, which is much smaller, much portable and doesn't require regular maintenance and adjustment. (
You can also control the volume of the digital piano, or play with headphones, which can help the new player to keep the home calm. )
Casio Privia PX-160 (about $400)
Sound and feel more like an acoustic piano than any other cheap keyboard that can hide in a corner or bedroom.
Janome Mod-learn simple items like sewing pillows and curtains or start sewing quilts or making clothes
19 is an affordable, easy-to-
Use a machine that can grow when a new learner gains confidence and skills.
Wirecutter recommends visiting a local sewing machine dealer before purchasing the machine.
Dealers often teach you how to use and maintain machines and sometimes offer classes for free.
To start calligraphy and art fonts, all you need is nibs and stands, ink and paper.
The calligraphy kit recommended by Wirecutter for beginners is about $50 and has all of this, along with an introductory textbook.
There are also many online guides and tutorials to learn beautiful fonts, such as these suggestions.
The drawing tablet lets you create digital illustrations, animations, and retouching photos on your computer.
The drawing tablet recommended by Wirecutter for beginners is one of the most accurate and customizable tablets you can buy for less than $100, including graphic design and photo retouching software.
For a budding photographer, he wants to do more than just a smartphone or a point-and-
The shooting camera allows the DSLR camera, which has more settings, larger image sensors, and a lens swap, to be the entry point.
The Nikon D3400 is designed to enable novices to work out of the box and to try manual control when gaining more skills.
The electronics kit is an affordable entry point to learn board basics and how to build an electronics project.
SmartLab smart circuit and Elenco Snap circuitSC-
100 Easy both functionsto-
Using components and instructions for many projects can help beginners understand more complex patching.
$35 Raspberry skin, one single
The board Linux computer, about the size of a secondary card, can be used as the basis for unlimited inventions and project arrays (
Like a retro game console).
For curious beginners, Wirecutter recommends a $80 starter kit with basic peripherals like cables and micro SD cards so users can start right away.
Courtney Schley is the editor of Wirecutter, a product recommendation website owned by the New York Times.