For most of us, a love for antiques has been passed down from our parents. Some of us find the passion along the way in life, and all of us are keen to see our kids appreciate the beauty in old things.
It can be difficult to get your kids in the headspace of understanding that old doesn’t necessarily equal bad or boring, so we’re going to check out a few ways you can frame antiques that are engaging for your kids.
Tea
Not all kids are brought up on tea, it may be a shock to learn, but they’re sure to enjoy ‘tea time’. Take an hour or two to spend with your kids and show them the fun process of making tea. Use fruity teas and different teabags so they can enjoy different colours and watch the tea infuse with the hot water.
Use your favourite antique teapot, be it an antique silver teapot or a traditional ceramic one. If there’s one thing most kids love it’s feeling like they’re adults. Letting them in on using the ‘special’ teapot that is usually saved for adults will show them the preciousness of such antiques.
World Exploration
If your type of antiques come from all over the world, taking the forms of all manner of exotic knickknacks, then you have a great angle for piquing your kid’s interest. Using the framework of exploring the world, you can show your child the beauty and value that can be found in different cultures – even ones that no longer exist.
Every child loves exploration, and you can use your antiques to get your child learning about how the world is diverse in different countries as well as different kinds of antiques and how they hold value.
Boxes
There is a huge variety available when it comes antique boxes for collectors. Whether you like jewellery boxes, snuff boxes, or vesta cases, you can involve your child in the process by sharing with them. An antique jewellery box is a treasured gift regardless of your age, and you can use some storytelling to set your child’s imagination on fire.
It is well known that one of the most magical elements of antiques is the unknown history they hold, and presenting that narrative to your child can get them interested in the stories behind antiques for themselves. You can also teach them about the different types of boxes that are no longer in common use, showing them that they have something rare on their hands.
Posters
Antiques posters are a unique antique to collect. Everything from film posters to propaganda posters make for exciting imagery to bring into your home and get your child interested in learning about antiques.
You can incentivise your child’s interest by watching old movies with them, showing them the evolution of movie posters over time. You can also talk to them about the meanings behind various propaganda posters. This is an especially fun one for older kids, as you can coincide with their academic learning and show them relevant posters and teach them to scrutinise the media they’re presented going forward.
Toys
One more way to get your kids interested in antiques is to get them involved with vintage and antique toys. Bringing playtime and antique time together gets your children involved in how fun and interesting antiques are even today. You can compare their modern toys with antique equivalents, showing them how children their age played.
You can use toys from a certain era to play pretend that you and your child have travelled back in time, and let their imagination run wild. Combining the power of playing pretend and antiques is a great way to get your child’s attention and spark their passion early.
Loving antiques is a more common hobby than most people imagine, and finding the value in all things aged and pre-loved is an ethical and deeply interesting activity. Once you catch the antiquing bug, you want to share it with those you love. Happy antiquing!
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