At first glance, your child's collection may seem like a mass of rocks or a shoebox of cards, but in fact it's doing much more for your child than you may realize.  The simple act of thinking about and starting a collection is actually teaching your child skills that will serve her well throughout her life. 

Responsibility - A collection is the perfect time for teaching kids a sense of responsibility.  It's important for young collectors to learn how to take care of their precious treasures, from keeping items like delicate stamps out of direct sunlight or baseball cards in their case to dusting their figurines and returning them to a safe spot

Personal Pride - A child's collection is often his or her first opportunity to experience true pride of ownership.  Something they are "growing" and caring for all on their own.  This sense of pride is particularly evident when kids drive the decision about what to collect and are able to make their own choices when adding to the collection.  In addition, sharing knowledge and being an "expert" in his field can be a great self-esteem booster, and may even inspire other children to begin a collection of their own.

Organizational Skills - Once their collection gets large enough, most children will begin to organize their items to their own specifications.  Most will begin counting their collectibles and keeping clear mental notes of exactly how many dolls or figurines they currently own.  Some may even set goals as to how many they would like to have to complete a set.  Depending on the child's age, some may line up their dolls in two rows to keep them neat, while others will demonstrate more advanced skills by sorting the dolls by height or hair color.  

Money Management - You'll be amazed at how quickly a child can understand the concept of money when they are working at expanding their collection, particularly when they are using their own money.  Whether they are using gift money or a weekly allowance, collectibles provide a great opportunity for kids to learn how to budget.

Social Skills - As you are going through the initial process of deciding on a collection it may be hard to see, but collecting is a great way for kids to socialize and fit in with their peers.  Afterall, one of the greatest joys of owning a collection is sharing it with friends.  It can be the basis for a whole new friendship and an opportunity to find common ground among kids that your child might not have met otherwise.