Hobbies and Crafts

Hobbies and crafts are a pathway to a number of skills. Many are free or inexpensive.

For games and outdoor hobbies such as walking or canoeing, see What's Free or Cheap in NYC: Phys. Ed.

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Page Index

General Crafts Links

• Great Crafts Recipes.
• The Ukrainian Museum, 222 East 6th Street (bet. 2nd and 3rd Aves.) New York, (212) 228-0110, is open Wed. thru Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. They offer a number of crafts workshops.

Amateur "ham" Radio

Many a notable scientist got his or her first start from an interest in ham radio. Talk to people around the world, help with communication in crisis situations, gain an understanding of how electronic equipment works.

• The National Association for Amateur Radio has information on all topics, including "hamfests" for kids.
• Learn Morse code

Astronomy

Astronomy is the study of the stars. It's a fascinating hobby, and you (may!) get to stay up late. See our list of resources at Science: Space Sciences. Edmund Scientific has some great Astronomy Products.

Bird-Watching

Bird-watching can be fun for all the family. See What's Free or Cheap in NYC: Science and Math (including Economics) for some expedition suggestions.

• Birding in Central Park and Riverside Park, Manhattan
• All About Birds from Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
• Animal Diversity Web: Birds, an online database from the University of Michigan.
• The Audubon Society - everything about birds
• Birdwatching.com includes tips on bird-watching with kids.
• Brooklyn Bird Club. Lots of information about birding in Brooklyn.

Calligraphy

Practicing calligraphy (it means "Beautiful Writing") can improve anyone's handwriting skills.

• Calligraphy for Everyone offers a free lesson.

Coin Collecting (numismatics)

Like stamps, coins tell us a lot about other countries and our own. Collect a full set of coins from the year you were born, or the complete set of quarters for every state. Ask friends who travel abroad to give you the loose change they brought back.

• The American Numismatics Society has some great exhibits.
• Coin Collecting for Kids, by Steve Otfinoski, illustrated by Jack Graham, has great tips and trivia.

Cooking

Everyone should have some idea of how to cook, and it's never too early to start.

• kid.allrecipes.com has a bunch of kid-friendly recipes and links.
• VegSource. For vegetarians, recipes and more.

Interested in knowing how and what people in other countries eat? Check out The Global Gastronomer from Yale University.

Gardening

Nothing gives quite so much satisfaction as growing something, either to eat or for its beauty. And even in an apartment, you can grow bean sprouts.

• kidsgardening.com is the kids' website from the National Gardening Association.

Knitting, Embroidery, Crochet, etc.

And not just for girls! Traditionally, all the British fishermen's sweaters were knitted by the men, during the winter when they couldn't fish. All these crafts aid hand/eye coordination, design skills, and math (counting stiches).

• Knitting from About.com
• Crochet from About.com
• The New York Crochet Guild meets in the public space in the Atrium at the CitiGroup Building on 54th between Park and Lexington Avenues every Wednesday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. This is for any and all crocheters. Come when you can, stay as long (or short) as you like and bring friends, including non-Guild members. Their website also includes a list of yarn stores.
• School Products, 1201 Broadway, has a fine stock of yarns.

Music

Sing

See What's Free or Cheap in NYC: Music for some opportunities for joining a chorus.

• Children's Songs and Nursery Rhymes from all over the world.

Write your own Songs

Writing your own songs can be a lot of fun, and it's quite easy.

• Think of a simple song you already know; for example, "Three Blind Mice."
• Write out the lines in "dum-tee," following the rhythm:
  
  

  Original Words: Three blind mice, Three blind mice, See how they run! See how they run! They all ran after the farmer's wife Who cut off their tails with a carving knife Did ever you see such a thing in your life As three blind mice?

  Dum-tee: Dum, dum, dum Dum, dum, dum Dum, dumtee dum Dum, dumtee dum Tee dum, tee dumpitty dum, teedum Tee dum, tee dumpitty dum, teedum Tee dumpitty dumpitty dumpitty dum Tee dum, dum, dum.

• Fit your own words to this rhythm.

Play an Instrument

• Berklee Shares - free lessons and tips for many instruments and voice.
• Guitar Noise - free lessons and more.
• Harmonica Lessons, some free.

Listen to Music

See What's Free or Cheap in NYC: Music for some free or inexpensive concerts and performances.

You can listen to music with a stereo, or on an i-pod or Walkman, or on the radio or TV.

Origami

Origami teaches manual dexterity and offers insights into geometry.

• OrigamiUSA offers puzzles, links to origami groups, listings of origami events, and more.

Pets

Pets are not a hobby. Pets are a commitment. See the ASPCA's Animaland, the website for kids who love animals.

Photography and Video

"A picture is worth a thousand words," and photographs can illustrate reports as well as bring back cherished memories.

• Adobe Digital Kids Club has online tutorials and free software to download.

Pressed Flowers

All you need is a couple of sheets of absorbent paper, a heavy weight, and a flower! Starting a pressed flower collection, making greeting cards, pictures, or bookmarks, kids can find out about botany and produce lovely things.

• Preserved Gardens shows samples as well as listing suppliers, ideas, and more.

Stamp Collecting (philately)

There are stamps that illustrate every conceivable subject from art to zoology.

• Introductory notes About Stamp Collecting from the US Postal Service.
• Free stamps for kids under 17
• Just for Kids from the American Philatelic Society

Video

See Photography.