6 Unexpected Ways to Get Your Kids Interested in the Things You Love (Without Boring Them to Death)

There’s this awkward little heartbreak no one talks about when you become a parent: the gnawing fear that your kid won't love the same things you do.
You imagine yourself sharing sunsets in a botanical garden or losing hours in a museum together — only to find that your small human would rather poke at dirt, yawn, and ask for snacks.

But here’s the good news: kids are weird. And you, dear parent, are a little weird too (it's why you love museums and gardens). If you lean into the weirdness rather than fight it, you might just bring them along for the ride.

Here are 6 misfit-approved ways to sneakily, gently, wonderfully get your kids interested in the things you love — without crushing their spirit (or yours).

1. Let Them Lead (Even If It’s Into the Gift Shop)

When you go to a museum or garden, resist the urge to be the Tour Guide Parent. Let your kid pull you toward whatever they want to see, even if it's the café or the weird modern art installation that looks like someone tripped while carrying cardboard.
Curiosity is curiosity. Once they're interested in something, it's easier to tie it back to what you love about the place.

"Oh, you love that statue that looks like a giant bird? Did you know artists get ideas from nature? Let's see if we can find real birds in the garden!"

2. Tell the Secret Stories

Kids love secrets. They love to feel like they're being let in on something hidden and magical.
When you visit a museum, don't just read the plaques. Whisper the legends behind the art. (Made-up legends are acceptable. Encourage small acts of creative rebellion.)
In a garden, tell them about the Victorian plant hunters who braved pirates and jungles just to steal orchids.
It’s not a tour anymore — it’s a treasure hunt.

3. Make It About Them, Not You

Painful, I know. But sometimes the trick isn't to make them love your hobby — it's to let them see themselves reflected in it.

If your kid loves building, point out the structure of a greenhouse.
If they’re obsessed with fantasy novels, explore the "fairy garden" or the ancient ruins section of a historical museum.
If they just like snacks... God bless, find the café and declare it the "official explorers' rations depot."

You’re not just dragging them into your world. You’re expanding their world to include it.

4. Embrace the Chaos Days

Not every outing needs a mission. Some days, the only goal is to stomp through every puddle in the garden, or to laugh at the most ridiculous painting you can find. These "chaos days" lower the stakes. Kids start to associate museums, gardens, and historic sites with freedom, not boredom or lectures.
Once the pressure’s off, they might wander into wonder on their own.

5. Create Tiny Rituals

Children, like most small animals, love rituals. So invent little traditions that make outings special.
Maybe you always sketch one thing you saw in a "museum notebook."
Maybe you always find the smelliest plant together in the botanical garden.
Maybe you always have ice cream afterward and debate what dinosaur would have enjoyed it most.

Rituals turn random visits into treasured lore.
And lore is sticky in the best possible way.

6. Be Shamelessly Enthusiastic

Listen, you can’t out-cool a 10-year-old. Don’t even try.
Instead, be wildly, unapologetically into the stuff you love. Kids are allergic to lectures but strangely addicted to authentic enthusiasm.
When they see your eyes light up because a rare flower is blooming or a painting feels like music you can see, they won't always understand it — but they will feel it.

And sometimes, that's enough to spark their own weird little fire.

from One Misfit to Another

You can’t force your kids to love what you love. (And honestly? Thank goodness.)
But you can create moments where they can stumble into wonder.
You can build a little bridge between your heart and theirs, one messy museum visit or muddy garden walk at a time. Who knows? One day, you might find them dragging you out to a new exhibit, or pointing out a flower you would've missed. And you’ll smile — knowing you planted something real, and wild, and beautiful. Even if it took a few bribes, some chaos, and a very suspicious-looking snack from the gift shop.