Getting Kids Interested In Stamp Collecting

Does anyone have any advice on getting kids into stamps? I have a while before my kids are old enough, (they are still best represented by ) But I want to start now, maybe by starting small child-friendly topical collections for them, or whatever. Does anyone have any words of wisdom for me?

My suggestions.......you should:

1. Go easy and don't push it.
2. Don't extol the intellectual / academic benefits (that will happen but it's not a good selling point)
3. Offer a handful of stamps from a range of countries on a topic of interest to the youngster - figure skating, rockets or horses....whatever
4. Suggest that they would be protected and more viewable if they were mounted. Help the youngster do that.
5. Don't buy an album to start and don't spend a lot of money in the beginning.
6. Make the collecting / mounting / viewing a family event

My suggestions...

1. Start with used stamps for them.
2. Have them pick a topic of their choice.
3. Let us here know what they select so we can send some freebies if we can.
4. Have them hinge them to pages.
5. When they get a page full, take a picture and post it here. Then read aloud the comments they receive. Tell them how many times "their" stamp page has been "viewed".

Dave N.
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I can tell you what I did.

I used to take my Daughters to Stamp Shows. Very often dealers would give them stamps, I matched them 5 for 1. I gave them each a stockbook. They could not put the stamp in the stackbook untill they found the Country on a map. That was the hidden geography lesson. When they completed 2 pages or more in the stockbook. We would look them up in the Catalog. (Hidden reading and history lesson.) When they filled the Stockbook(5 two sided pages) I gave each one an album to put them in. The youngest still activly goes to shows with me. The middle one is still interested but boy's and friends take priority. The Oldest has no interest but never really did. So, to borrow the line from an old song, 2 out of 3 aint bad! The Youngest also has a nice Currency collection! About 100 notes from around the world.

Start early, and let them go their own way...

My youngest kids (3 and 5 yrs) helped me this weekend in soaking some kiloware. They didn't do much stamps (about 10-20 stamps each), but had fun while attending (and wondering why others float instead of sinking)... And give them some stamps and tools (like kids stockbook) to play with whenever they feel like... And above all, let them watch You enjoy the hobby; I think this is the most important thing on the long run.

And who knows... Maybe they'll catch the bug. If not, then you've spent some quality time together.

Thankyou all for your great ideas and advice. You've obviously "been there"! I am looking forward to sharing my hobby as the kids get older. I think I have a "window" between now and the terrible teens to at least plant a seed, and if they drift away, they can always come back when they're older, as lots of us have done.
Thanks again.

...then there's always

"Start stamp collecting..or it's Spinach every night!"

(with apologies to the Swab)

My little Angels quite like spinach....

Remind yourself that it's OK for them to use a glue stick to put hundreds of US flag stamps (on piece) into a scrapbook. Tens of millions were printed. They will eventually move to hinges or mounts for their trial colour proofs. All in good time.

Peter (father to Kate, 4-1/2 and Neil, 2-1/2, who both sometimes "help" daddy with his stamps.)

My son(4 on 8/29) likes to watch me sort stamps, view covers and postcards, and go to the post office. He has his own album- which he glues stamps into, stock pages to place stamps into, and a magnifying glass. He's been playing with stamps since he under 2, I give him my damaged stamps and he has picked out his own at stamp shows we attend. In fact, at the last show, he came home with much more than I did. Let them go at their own pace and when the mood stikes them. The best thing to do is engage their interest and keep it light and fun. I also assist Boy Scouts as a stamp counselor. Every year I make covers featuring pictures of my son as the cachet for his birthday and other special occasions.

Very nicely done Stamperdude!

Stamperdude, that is absolutely fantastic, thankyou so much for sharing that with us
I am totally inspired!

Stampgal,

As you are in the UK, you may be interested in this:

http://www.ukphilately.org.uk/hyouth.htm

They are truly great people. I was lucky enough to have worked for some hours on the Stamp Active stand at the recent International in London, and John Davies is a very nice and committed guy.
They had some great info for kids including games and colour your own stamp etc.
Worth a letter or phone call when the time is right.

Londonbus1

Thanks Rod and stampgal. I had even set up a 2 frame display of covers I had done featuring my son as the cachet subject on his 2nd birthday to share with the family.