Cheap kid activities/hobbies

[freeazabird]

I have a 3 year old. I want to start getting her involved in a hobby. What sports or other activities are cheapest?

[rubybeth]

Hobbies? Her job at age 3 is to explore the world and play. Take her to the public library, especially storytimes, check out books and read them together, go to parks, playgrounds, children's museums, etc. Pull pots and pans out of the cabinet and let her go wild. Get her fingerpaints. You could take her to the YMCA or other family gym, see what local activities there are for preschoolers--t-ball, soccer, etc.

[calimom]

At around that age or so, I joined a parent participatory group where the toddlers played with scarves, parachutes, did tumbling and that kind of thing. They had so much fun! And it was really cheap, like $15 for a 6 week program through the rec center.
Anything active and moving is good at that age, they have so much energy. Getting together with other kids informally riding scooters and trikes, going on nature walks, seeing tide pools and discussing what you see.

[grilledcheese]

I found drop in playgroups quite cheap and a lot of fun. Ice skating, soccer and swimming are cheap too. In a couple years, you can look into something like scouts.

[Jenny Wren]

If you really want planned activities/hobbies that will grow with your child, I recommend the YMCA. We just joined ours and it is amazing and inexpensive for a family membership. For the toddler set, there is swimming/splash park (with lessons if desired), classes like tumbling, music, and dance. Then, there's also an outdoor trail system for all ages, a family game room for all ages, and drop in child care for when you want your child to play while you work out. As the child gets older there are more classes and sports teams available, plus different clubs (like a teen club or a board game club). They'll also get access to adult classes and gym areas, like the climbing wall and frisbee course, as they get older. The Y also has a full calendar of family activities that inlcude toddlers -- movie nights, craft days, plays, etc.

I wish we had known about the Y when my boys were younger.

[Prairie Stash]

Around Age 4 I started taking my daughter to the Home Depot kids activities. They say 5 and up, but that's a loose guideline in my area. Its our monthly date, definitely requires parental involvement.

We built a bean bag toss game for Valentines, she did the hammering and painting and I did the clean up (lots of paint on me somehow...).

Its a monthly free event, I highly recommend it. The kid loves getting the pin at the end, its a badge of pride on her home depot apron.

[Freedomin5]

My three year old enjoys dressing up, telling stories to herself with her LEGO people, and playing at the playground. I suppose you could call those hobbies.

Seriously, three year olds don’t need to be put in organized sports or activities. They are already taxing their little brains just learning how to stand in line, be patient, share, and not hit people in the face when they’re upset.

I echo the other posters about looking for free activities in your area. We do a bunch of play dates with other kids in her preschool and DH’s coworkers’ kids, go regularly to the playground where she plays with other kids, ride her scooter around the neighborhood, visit the library weekly and read daily, practice coloring and writing letters and numbers, and go swimming at the pool. We make sure to hang out with both English-only kids (so DD can practice speaking English) and Chinese-only kids (so DD can practice speaking Chinese). Right now, it’s about letting her explore and seeing what interests her.

The only thing I’ve splurged on are arts and crafts lessons because DD has sensory issues and relative weaknesses in fine motor skills. Doing crafts introduces her to various textures and allows her to practice those skills.

[bogart]

Some good suggestions here.  Count me among those who think that 3-year olds don't necessarily need hobbies, so -- what's the goal (or what are the goals) in helping her find one or more to participate in?  Does she have energy you need to get burned up?  Desire to interact with other kids?  Do you want to get out and interact with other parents?

[rubybeth]

One more thought: sometimes there are music classes available for little ones. Kindermusik is something you can google for you area. Or if you're in a city that has a music school, sometimes they offer group movement and music classes, or beginner ballet for little ones if your child is so inclined. Sometimes kids start violin or piano lessons pretty early, if there's interest/aptitude, so could be worth exploring.