Hobby is a pleasurable engagement in work at the time of leisure. It is a work of sweet will. So hobby is a Social necessity in the modern times. The present machine age has placed enough leisure time at the disposal of man.
Every prudent and a modern adult must utilize leisure time fruitfully. This is only possible by busying oneself in a hobby. But adult age is too late for the selection of a hobby. The best time for such selection is the childhood. Hobbies represent important past time of the pupils and these help them in promotion of discipline with pleasure.
The hobbies have the following educative values:
(i) These help in the development of innate powers.
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(ii) These are the best substitutes of play at the adolescent and adult level.
(iii) These provide relief from dull and dreary work of the school.
(iv) These have recreational and aesthetic value.
(v) These would solve the problem of spending leisure hours.
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(vi) To some these help in preparing for vocations like painting and photography which may give economic benefit also.
Individuals differ in their interest, aptitude, attitude, ability, tastes and the like. So pupils are interested in various types of hobbies. The chief types of hobbies for school children may be categorized as follows:
(i) Collection:
Collecting stamps, seeds leaves flowers,- feathers, stones, fossils, match-boxes, pictures, cartoons, coins etc.
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(ii) Artistic Hobbies:
Like include drawing, painting, clay modeling, book-binding, toy-making, sculpture designing, embroidery, preparing cartoons etc.
(iii) Scientific Hobbies:
Like preparing soap and candle, radio repairing, photography, preparing improvised Scientific apparatus, preparing electrical appliances of daily use etc.
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(iv) Social Hobbies:
Like placing chess, attending clubs, making correspondence with pen friends etc.
(v) Library Hobbies:
Like writing small poems, short stories etc.
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(VI) Craft Hobbies:
Like spinning, weaving, kitchen, gardening, leather work, basket making, tailoring knitting etc.