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Crafts & Hobbies

These days, the word "hobby" evokes a sense of blase interest. Children have hobbies; bored housewives might have a hobby or two; the rest of us can scarcely be bothered. The original connotation was much different, however—a person's hobby was their avocation, not a primary sense of income, but certainly the focus of passion and interest.

To put it in perspective: Rene Descartes was a mathemetician by trade, but his hobby or avocation was philosophy. Not everyone with a hobby is going to change the course of Western civilization, but the point is that Descartes' hobby wasn't a mere back-drawer doodad he pulled out when he was bored and lonely, it was a motivating force in his life.

We're not suggesting hobbies need to take over your life, like robots in some creepy sci-fi movie. Just the opposite, in fact—hobbies should keep us from surrendering to the doldrums of existence, make us excited, provide an opportunity to exercise our creative talents and explore our interests. They shouldn't be simply a way to pass the time, because that's just another name for boredom.

At the same time, making your hobbies (whether they include cooking, weaving, woodworking, book-binding, or origami) the focus of all your attention is just as harmful. If you find yourself only working to fuel your interests, your hobbies (however harmless they were to begin with) have become your idols and you need to put them aside and learn to prioritize. Still, you need to have interests outside of work, and they need to be cultivated and not just casually dabbled in from time to time.

Why do we take hobbies so seriously? Because what we spend our free time doing reveals a great deal about who we are. If your primary activity when you aren't at work or cleaning the house or whatever is buying clothes, then clothes are what's important to you. The same is true for playing video games, watching reality TV, and bare-knuckle boxing.

It's important to choose hobbies that are constructive. As Christians, we're to do everything to the glory of God, and while some activities done in moderation might be fun, doing them all the time is more a sign of selfish addiction than simple enjoyment. Hobbies should be relaxing, of course, but they should be good for something, and good for other people.

The books you'll find below won't tell you what your hobby should be. They will, however, help you develop the skills related to certain hobbies so you can pursue them to the best of your ability. In a world that excuses lack of excellence and even defends poor quality, we need to work even harder to do our best, whether in our vocations or our avocations.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.

 

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125 Items found Print
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Active Filters: 4th grade (Ages 9-10)
Adventurous Boy's Handbook
by Stephen Brennan and Finn Brennan
from Skyhorse Publishing
for 4th-8th grade
in Dangerous Books for Kids (Location: SS-DAN)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
American Boy's Handy Book
by Daniel Beard
from Dover Publications
for 4th-9th grade
in Dangerous Books for Kids (Location: SS-DAN)
$12.95
American Girl's Handy Book
by Lina & Adelia Beard
from David R. Godine
for 4th-9th grade
in Dangerous Books for Kids (Location: SS-DAN)
Animated Origami Faces
by Joel Stern
from Dover Publications
for 4th-8th grade
in Paper Crafts & Origami (Location: ELE-ORI)
$5.95
Art Lab for Kids
by Susan Schwake, Photography by Rainer Schwake
from Quarry Books
for 3rd-8th grade
in Painting Instruction (Location: ELE-ARTPAI)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Asian Crafts
by Judith Hoffman Corwin
from Franklin Watts
for 4th-6th grade
in Asia (Location: HISMC-ASIA)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Barbarian Book: Warfare by Duct Tape
by Steven Erickson
from Chinquapin Press
for 4th-Adult
in Dangerous Books for Kids (Location: SS-DAN)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Beginner Book: Warfare by Duct Tape
by Steven Erickson
from Chinquapin Press
for 4th-Adult
in Dangerous Books for Kids (Location: SS-DAN)
$11.95
Belle & Boo Book of Crafts
by Mandy Sutcliffe; photography by
from Roost Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Crafts & Hobbies (Location: SS-CRA)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Bentwood Box
by Nan McNutt
from Sasquatch Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Native American History (Location: HISA-19NAT)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Best of Sewing Machine Fun for Kids
by Nancy Smith & Lynda Milligan
1st edition from Possibilities
for 4th-8th grade
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Bible Puzzles to Solve
by Keith and Rosanna Heatwole
from Rod & Staff Publishers, Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Brain Teasers & Puzzlers (Location: LOG-PUZ)
Big Book of Geometric Designs and Illusions to Color
by Koichi Sato, Spyros Horemis
illustrated edition from Dover Publications
for 2nd-Adult
in Abstract & Mosaic Coloring Books (Location: COL-ABS)
$7.95
Book of Perfectly Perilous Math
by Sean Connolly
from Workman Publishing
for 4th-10th grade
in Math Games & Activities (Location: MATR-GAM)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Book of Perfectly Perilous Math
by Sean Connolly
from Workman Publishing
for 4th-10th grade
in Math Games & Activities (Location: MATR-GAM)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Botanical Gardens - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Dot Barlowe
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Flowers & Plants Coloring Books (Location: COL-BOT)
$4.99
Boy Joiner and Model Maker
by E. A. Davidson
Reprint from Hope Chest Legacy, Inc.
for 4th-12th grade
in Carpentry for Kids (Location: SS-CARP)
$15.00 (2 in stock)
Bumper Book of Nature
by Stephen Moss
1st edition from Crown Trade Paperbacks
for 1st-Adult
in Hiking & Outdoor Adventures (Location: NAT-HIKE)
Button Blanket
from Sasquatch Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Native American History (Location: HISA-19NAT)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Carpentry for Children
by Lester Walker
from Overlook Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Carpentry for Kids (Location: SS-CARP)
Carpentry for Children
by Lester Walker
Ninth Printing from Overlook Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Carpentry for Kids (Location: SS-CARP)
Carving for Kids
by Robin Trudel
for 2nd-6th grade
in Carpentry for Kids (Location: SS-CARP)
$8.50 (1 in stock)
Cat's Cradle
by Anne Akers Johnson
from Klutz
for 3rd-6th grade
in Games & Toys (Location: FUN-GAME)
$12.99
Christmas Crafts
from HarperCrest
for 3rd-6th grade
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
Claymation Sensation: Underwater Claymation
by Emily Reid
from Windmill Books
for 3rd-8th grade
in Crafts & Hobbies (Location: SS-CRA)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Common Weeds - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Stefen Bernath
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Flowers & Plants Coloring Books (Location: COL-BOT)
$5.99
Concoct it
from Walter Foster
for 2nd-5th grade
in Crafts & Hobbies (Location: SS-CRA)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Contest (Everest 1)
by Gordon Korman
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$7.99
Cork & Wood Crafts
by Arden J. Newsome, illustrated by Nancy Coner
from The Lion Press
for 2nd-6th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Creating with Fimo Acrylic Clay
by Libby Nicholson & Yvonne Lau
from Kids Can Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Crafts & Hobbies (Location: SS-CRA)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Creative Shellcraft
by Katherine N. Cutler, illustrated by Giulio Maestro
from Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$5.00 (2 in stock)
Curious Kids Nature Guide
by Fiona Cohen
from Sasquatch Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Field Guides & Nature Handbooks (Location: NAT-FG07)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Cut & Assemble a Medieval Castle
by A. G. Smith
from Dover Publications
for 4th-7th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$12.95
Cut and Make Space Shuttles
by David Kawami
from Dover Publications
for 4th-9th grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Dangerous Book for Boys
by Conn & Hal Iggulden
2013 reprint from William Morrow & Company
for 3rd-Adult
in Dangerous Books for Kids (Location: SS-DAN)
$25.99 $12.00 (1 in stock)
Dazzling Designs - Coloring Book
by Koichi Sato
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-Adult
in Abstract & Mosaic Coloring Books (Location: COL-ABS)
$3.99
Devious Deductions
from Thunder Bay Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Brain Teasers & Puzzlers (Location: LOG-PUZ)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
DK Ready Set Grow!
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Gardening for Kids (Location: SS-GAR)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Dollar Bill Origami
by John Montroll
from Dover Publications
for 3rd-12th grade
in Paper Crafts & Origami (Location: ELE-ORI)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Double Dangerous Book for Boys
by Conn & Hal Iggulden
from HarperCollins
for 3rd-Adult
in Dangerous Books for Kids (Location: SS-DAN)
$25.99
Easy Carpentry Projects for Children
by Jerome E. Leavitt
from Dover Publications
for 1st-6th grade
in Carpentry for Kids (Location: SS-CARP)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
Easy Origami
by John Montroll
from Dover Publications
for 4th-6th grade
in Paper Crafts & Origami (Location: ELE-ORI)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Everyday Mysteries
by Jerome Wexler
from Dutton Children's Books
for 3rd-5th grade
in Brain Teasers & Puzzlers (Location: LOG-PUZ)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Exploring Papier-Mache
from Davis Publications
for 3rd-12th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Famous Figures of the Early Modern Era
by Cathy Diez-Luckie
from Figures in Motion
for 1st-7th grade
in Modern History (Location: HISW-MOD)
$19.95
Famous Figures of the Middle Ages & Renaissance
by Cathy Diez-Luckie
from Figures in Motion
for Kindergarten-6th grade
in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)
$19.95
Favorite Roses - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Ilil Arbel
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Flowers & Plants Coloring Books (Location: COL-BOT)
$4.99
Favorite Wildflowers - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Ilil Arbel
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Flowers & Plants Coloring Books (Location: COL-BOT)
Fizz, Bubble & Flash!
by Anita Brandolini
from Williamson Publishing Company
for 3rd-8th grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$7.50 (2 in stock)
Floral Bouquets - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Charlene Tarbox
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Flowers & Plants Coloring Books (Location: COL-BOT)
$3.99
Flower Garden - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Ruth Soffer
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Flowers & Plants Coloring Books (Location: COL-BOT)
$4.99
Fun with Easy Origami
by Dover
from Dover Publications
for 3rd-6th grade
in Paper Crafts & Origami (Location: ELE-ORI)
$9.95 $6.00 (1 in stock)
Fun with Next to Nothing
by Wesley F. Arnold and Wayne C. Cardy
from Harper & Row
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Garden Flowers - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Stefen Bernath
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Flowers & Plants Coloring Books (Location: COL-BOT)
$5.99
Gardener
by Sarah Stewart & David Small
from Sunburst Book
Realistic fiction for Kindergarten-4th grade
1998 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Gardening With Children
from Brooklyn Botanic Garden
for 3rd-8th grade
in Gardening for Kids (Location: SS-GAR)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Gardening with Emma: Grow and Have Fun
by Emma Biggs, with help from her dad, Steven Biggs
from Storey Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Gardening for Kids (Location: SS-GAR)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Giant Encyclopedia of Art & Craft Activities
by Carrie Barnes
from Gryphon House
for 4th-8th grade
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Gizmos & Gadgets
by Jill Frankel Hauser
from Williamson Publishing Company
for 1st-8th grade
in Science Experiments & Activities (Location: SCI-EXP)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
God's Special Tent
by Jean Stapleton
from Christian Focus Publications
for 3rd-6th grade
in Bible Activities for Kids (Location: BIBR-ACT)
Golden Anniversary Book of Scouting
from Golden Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$18.00 (1 in stock)
Graph Grapplers
by Evelyn B. Christensen
from Mindware
for 3rd-6th grade
in Brain Teasers & Puzzlers (Location: LOG-PUZ)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Great Animal Search
by Caroline Young
from Usborne
for 3rd-7th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$7.00 (3 in stock)
Hook a Fish, Catch a Mountain
by Jean Craighead George
from E.P. Dutton & Co.
for 4th-8th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
How to Make Snop Snappers and Other Fine Things
by Robert Lopshire
from Greenwillow Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$15.00 (1 in stock)
I Spy Super Challenger!
by Jean Marzollo
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
in Look and Find Books (Location: PIC-LOOK)
$14.99
Improve Your Survival Skills
by Lucy Smith
from Usborne
for 4th-6th grade
in Dangerous Books for Kids (Location: SS-DAN)
Indian Handcrafts
by C. Keith Wilbur
2nd edition from The Globe Pequot Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Native American History (Location: HISA-19NAT)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Kate Greenaway's Language of Flowers
by Kate Greenaway
from Gramercy Books
for all ages
in Poetry Anthologies (Location: POET-ANTH)
Kids' Building Workshop
by Barbara Robertson, Craig Robertson
from Storey Publishing
for 4th-6th grade
in Carpentry for Kids (Location: SS-CARP)
$16.95
Kids' Multicultural Cookbook
by Deanna F. Cook
from Williamson Publishing Company
for 4th-6th grade
in Cooking for Kids (Location: COOK-KID)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Knight Book: Warfare by Duct Tape
by Steven Erickson
from Chinquapin Press
for 4th-Adult
in Dangerous Books for Kids (Location: SS-DAN)
$20.95 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Language of Flowers
by Kate Greenaway
from Dover Publications
for all ages
in Poetry Anthologies (Location: POET-ANTH)
$6.95
Language of Flowers - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by John Green
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Flowers & Plants Coloring Books (Location: COL-BOT)
$3.99
Let's Make More Presents
by Esther Hautzig, illustrated by Ray Skibinski
from Macmillan
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Look What You Can Make With Boxes
from Boyds Mill Press
for 2nd-6th grade
in Paper Crafts & Origami (Location: ELE-ORI)
Look What You Can Make With Paper Bags
from Boyds Mill Press
for 2nd-6th grade
in Paper Crafts & Origami (Location: ELE-ORI)
Look What You Can Make With Paper Plates
from Boyds Mill Press
for 2nd-6th grade
in Paper Crafts & Origami (Location: ELE-ORI)
Made By Me
by Jane Bull
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Magic Made Easy
by Larry Kettelkamp
from William Morrow & Company
for 2nd-5th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
Make it with Felt
by Arden J. Newsome
from Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Make Your Own Space Station
by Claire Edwards
from Paragon Publishers
for 4th-8th grade
in Paper Cut-Out Models (Location: ELEART-ORI)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Mary Frances Garden Book
by Jane E. Fryer
from Lacis Publications
for 3rd-6th grade
in Purposeful Homemaking (Location: SS-HOM)
Mary Frances Sewing Book
by Jane Eayre Fryer
from Lacis Publications
for 4th-8th grade
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
Mathematical Puzzles
by Martin Gardner, illustrated by Anthony Ravielli
from Thomas Y. Crowell & Co.
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Maze
by Christopher Manson
from Henry Holt and Company
for 3rd-6th grade
in Brain Teasers & Puzzlers (Location: LOG-PUZ)
Medieval Times - Activity Book
by Linda Milliken
from Edupress
for 4th-6th grade
in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
More Sewing Machine Fun!
by Lynda Milligan, Nancy J. Smith
from Possibilities
for 1st-6th grade
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
More Two-Minute Mysteries
by Donald J. Sobol
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-7th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
My Book of Little House Paper Dolls
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
from HarperFestival
for 2nd-6th grade
in Little House Materials (Location: LIR-LHM)
$14.99
My Family Tree Workbook
by Rosemary A. Chorzempa
from Dover Publications
for 4th grade-adult
in Genealogy (Location: XFA-GEN)
$2.50 (2 in stock)
My First Chess Book
by Katie Daynes, chess consultant Sarah Hegarty, illustrated by The Boy Fitz Hammond
from Usborne
Chess Instruction for 2nd-6th grade
in Game Books (Location: LOG-GAME)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
My Little House Crafts Book
by Carolyn Strom Collins & Christina Wyss Eriksson
from HarperCollins
Arts and Crafts for 3rd-6th grade
in Little House Materials (Location: LIR-LHM)
$13.99 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Op Art - Coloring Book
by Jean Larcher
First Edition from Dover Publications
for 4th-Adult
in Abstract & Mosaic Coloring Books (Location: COL-ABS)
$4.99
Optical Illusions - Coloring Book
by Koichi Sato
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-Adult
in Abstract & Mosaic Coloring Books (Location: COL-ABS)
$3.99
Paper Airplane Book
by Seymour Simon
from Puffin Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Flight & Aerodynamics (Location: SCI-PHYFA)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Paper Modelling
by Mildred Swannell
from Yesterday's Classics
for 3rd-6th grade
in Paper Crafts & Origami (Location: ELE-ORI)
$16.95
Paper Sloyd for Primary Grades
by Ednah Anne Rich
Facsimile Edition from Repressed Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Paper Crafts & Origami (Location: ELE-ORI)
Paper Sloyd for Primary Grades
by Ednah Anne Rich
Facsimile Edition from Yesterday's Classics
for 3rd-6th grade
in Paper Crafts & Origami (Location: ELE-ORI)
$12.95
Paper, Ink and Roller
by Harvey Weiss
from Young Scott Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
12
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