Kids and Coin Collecting

Kids and Coin Collecting

The hobby of coin collecting requires very little skill at all. All that is really needed is an interest in coins! Wow, I’m Captain Obvious! At any rate, there are many things to be learned just from holding the coins and taking care of them.

Many kids start by picking up a coin they have never seen before and continue collecting. Because coin collecting requires so few supplies, it makes a great hobby for a child to start and carry with them throughout their life. Children of any age can start and gain great knowledge from these little pieces of metal.

As we have touched on before, there are many educational opportunities that await a child who becomes interested in coin collecting. Let’s look at those advantages!

They can improve their reading ability.

Most general references on coins are written in fairly simple language so the child can accept a reasonable reading challenge. Visiting Internet sites dealing with coins will again challenge a child to read. It’s a necessary skill if you want to be a serious coin collector. Most children improve their reading ability when reading becomes personally important to them.

It will improve their comprehension.

Coin collecting has its specialized vocabulary. Even at the entry level, the collector will want to remember many specialized terms. To get the full meaning from an article the child may need to consult a dictionary. For coin collectors there is a need and a good reason to remember what you’ve read. The moment a child realizes information is important they will find a way to remember it. You need only watch them play video games to see this!

They can hone their organizational skills

Coin collectors are always checking references, price lists and information provided on the Internet. The collector must be organized, as this trait is an important part of the hobby. Necessary information must be readily available and kept up to date.

Self-confidence will rise.

Kids know the difference between learning and spending time in school. Learning about coins can be a lifelong hobby and a continual process. The child will know they are making progress and gathering knowledge that is both interesting and obviously valuable. It is difficult for any child to feel in control and in charge. Coin collecting provides this opportunity.

Coin collecting will instill a sense of pride inside them.

 A feeling of genuine pride is not easy for a child to obtain. Receiving praise for schoolwork or sports accomplishments is often seen as a superficial pat on the head. Pride must be generated from within. Coin collecting is not something everyone does and knows about. The child can take pride in independently learning about coins and being involved in a special activity that is obviously important to adults and will baffle peers.

They can develop an interest in history and culture.

One can hardly collect coins without learning about the people who produced them. Even if a child doesn’t continue with the hobby, they will be exposed to many other interesting subjects and develop an appreciation for their importance!

They will learn neatness.

 A coin collector must be neat. They can’t have valuable coins getting lost! The coin collector will organize their collection and reference materials. Once the value of neatness is recognized it is usually applied to other aspects of life.

The ability to set and reach goals is stressed.

 Coin collectors are always making short and long term plans. Few collectors are content to have a casual assortment of coins. There is a good reason why every coin is added to the collection. Coin collectors wish to build sets and acquire certain important coins. Completing a set of coins, even a small one, is seen as an important accomplishment. The collector gains much satisfaction from attaining goals.

It builds self-esteem.

 Perhaps the greatest benefit coin collection offers a young person is the opportunity to legitimately participate in the adult world. There are no age restrictions and there are a number of teenagers who quickly became knowledgeable numismatists. Knowing about coins is knowledge that is appreciated by adults and the child can find themselves in a position to teach and inform adults about the hobby. Often a little success can grow into lots of ambition.

They will have to establish priorities.

Determining priorities is often difficult for children There is so much going on and often their time and activities are planned for them. When it is their turn to decide what to do with time they seldom have creative ideas. Coin collecting can be a very exciting hobby. A child will want to spend time with their new endeavor—reading, learning and looking at the coins in their growing collection. We all must learn how to plan our time. Coin collectors know how to use leisure time wisely.

Obviously, they will better understand the value of money.

A common complaint among adults is that kids don’t understand the value of a buck. The moment they have money they find a way to spend it. The young coin collector must learn how to save for that special coin. They may be prompted to think of ways to earn extra money by getting better grades in school, working around the house, babysitting, or mowing the neighbor’s yard. Children should have fun and money often seems as a necessary part of this. Any young person could make a far worse choice than spending their money on books and coins.

They will gain specialized knowledge.

If you have a computer around the house do you notice how the kids take great pride in knowing how to operate this machine? It’s not the computer that’s important. Rather, they can do something worthwhile that you can’t do! Coin collecting offers this same rare opportunity. It also prompts children to investigate other ways to be considered an important person in the adult world. So, you can see that coin collecting for children can provide much more than just knowledge of coins. This hobby can extend into other areas of their lives and give them opportunities to learn in various ways. So how do you get a child interested in coin collecting?

 

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