A crucial aspect of learning for your child comes from hands-on activity and social interaction. That’s why it’s so important for parents of homeschooled children to make sure their child devotes time to their hobbies, interests in sports, or other extracurriculars.
A great hands-on activity for your middle and high school children is handiwork: building, painting, and construction. With the proper tool safety, there are lifelong benefits to performing handiwork. Not only are they learning a skill, but they’re learning the patience and commitment it takes to perform well and hone a craft.
Here are just a few of the skills handiwork teaches us that can benefit your homeschool student in and out of the classroom:
Creativity
Once your child learns the proper tool safety and you trust them to start their own project, building can become a great creative outlet. Choosing what to build, which materials to use, picking colors and paints, and adding little details to make it special will spark your child’s creativity and get them excited about their new hobby.
Leadership
Your child is taking the lead on their new project, making so many decisions throughout every step of the process. Handiwork can require a great deal of leadership to get a project completed, even if your child is working on the craft alone. If your child attends a handiwork class and works with other students, being able to share their ideas with their peers to bring their project to life will give them leadership skills that can benefit them for the rest of their lives.
Attention to Detail
Planning a handiwork project requires meticulous planning and detail, relying on exact measurements to ensure the product is finished correctly. Attention to detail is crucial not only to the outcome of the project but to the safety of your child. Make sure your child knows exactly how to use each tool they have, and make sure they don’t have access to dangerous tools when they’re younger or haven’t used them before.
Teamwork
Handiwork as a hobby is often considered more of a solitary activity, but depending on the age of your child it may be wise to chaperone and help out as needed. Handiwork teaches your child that it’s okay to ask for help, and that sometimes you have to rely on a team to get projects done.
Accountability
A great skill any hobby can teach your homeschool child is accountability. It’s up to them to have the motivation to work on their craft and to complete a project. If they want to learn the skill and master their craft, they’ll learn that they have to consistently work at it. The same skills can be applied to their studies and throughout their lives.
For parents and children seeking guidance through the homeschool process, the South Carolina Association for Independent Home Schools has been offering expert advice and academic planning for homeschool families for the last 30 years. Reach out to one of our trained counselors today to find the path that’s right for you.