If you a have a child who is also a collector, you may not have considered that this hobby is also very beneficial to your child as a learning experience. Tyler has been collecting baseball cards for just over a year now and I really hadn’t thought of it as a learning experience until I considered how collecting has sparked his interest in history. Collecting baseball cards has also introduced him to a few advanced mathematical concepts.
When he first decided he wanted to collect baseball cards we checked out a few kid-friendly collecting books from the library. We also read about a few famous players. I introduced him to the Negro League players and since we’re living in Mobile, we had to talk about our native son, Hank Aaron. Not only does he have a street named after him, but a baseball stadium. I took Tyler for a ride on Hank Aaron Loop and to a game at Hank Aaron Stadium. This was a classic case of history coming to life.
What was really exciting for Tyler was attending the baseball game this summer, courtesy of the summer reading program that was held at our library. I admit, baseball is one of my least favorite sports, but I have truly come to enjoy learning more about it because of Tyler’s collecting. Tyler also played baseball the summer before Katrina struck, so it has, over the years, become a part of our lives. And the professional game was an awesome experience. Tyler got a chance to meet some of the players and collect a few more cards, all autographed.
Most of the card we have are fairly new but he does have 5 old cards dating back to the early 1900s. I’m holding on to them in case they prove to be worth a few bucks some day. Otherwise, we continue to look for cards at the thrift shop and flea markets and he files them away in his little blue book.
If your child is a collector try to expand on whatever it is he’s collecting. If he collects those mini box cars, you can take him to a car show, for instance. He might run across a bigger versions of some of the models in his own collection.
Need help getting started? Here are a few collecting books for kids you may want to check out:
See also:
How To Align Hobbies And Curriculum