5 ways to get your kids excited about your hobbies

I design and plan adventures for dads and kids based around the kid’s interests. Why? Because if the kid is doing something they love, they’ll be happy, engaged, and thrilled to see you participate in their passion.

Some dads have asked me how they can start to involve their kids in their personal interests. Like a dad who loves basketball but whose daughter isn’t into it—yet.

In today’s newsletter, we’ll cover:

• How to introduce your kiddo to your interests

• Weekly connection through hobbies

Story time: The joy of collecting…crap?

I was a collector as a kid. I collected all kinds of things: stamps, stationery, stickers, and more. I especially loved to collect postcards when I traveled. Let’s ignore the part of the story when it was all thrown away when I went to college 😮. 

My oldest kiddo hasn’t yet had this inclination. I started to share some ideas of things she could collect, but nothing really stuck.

On the other hand, my son loves sports and heard about how his dad collected sports cards growing up. This piqued his interest immediately.

So we took him to a hobby store, where he saw various kinds of sports cards—basketball, football, even golf. He bought a few cards and spent the entire next few weeks looking through the cards and reading the stats.

Fast forward, he now asks to get cards probably too often and enjoys trading them with his cousin.

Lesson learned: I didn’t force my daughter into collecting but provided my son the exposure and resources he needed to get into it.

5 tips to introduce your kids to your interests

1. Model Your Hobbies: Kids learn by observing their parents. If you love basketball, your child will naturally pick up on your enthusiasm when they hear you talk about games, see you shooting hoops, or hear the excitement in your voice while watching a game.

Example: Share stories about why you love the sport and invite them to watch a game with you.

2. Involve your kids: Invite your kiddo to casually participate in your hobby. Hands-on experience is crucial for them to understand and appreciate the activity.

Example: If you have a meditation practice, ask if they’d like to sit next to you while you meditate for 1-5 minutes.

3. Share your childhood favorites: Revisit hobbies you enjoyed at their age and introduce these activities to your kids. This can create a special bond and provide them with new interests.

Example: If you loved making friendship bracelets as a pre-teen, buy some string and teach your child how to create different knots and patterns.

4. Don’t force it: Encouragement is key, but forcing a hobby can lead to resentment. Let your child discover their interests organically. Maybe you didn't become the tennis pro you dreamed of being, but don’t pressure your child into the sport. Instead, invite them to try it out and see if they enjoy it.

5. Recognize growth: Children’s interests evolve. Introduce them to various activities and see what sticks. Your role is to support and encourage their passions. Lean into what they love—it might not be what you love, and that’s a-okay!

Weekly connection moment: Happy hobbies

Ages 3-5 — Favorite childhood game: Share a game you loved as a child and play it together. It could be as simple as Freeze Tag or Simon Says.

Ages 6-8 — Sharing collections: Think of something you collected as a kid, like stamps or coins, and share your story with your child over dinner.

Ages 9-12 — Skill swap: Swap skills with your child by teaching them something you know and asking them to teach you something in return.

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