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Looking For A New Hobby? Here's A Master List Of 170+ Hobbies To Try Out Yourself
Hobbies enrich our lives, challenge our minds, and if nothing else, give us something to do on an otherwise boring day. And not only that, but hobbies are actually beneficial to our health and longevity, too. Here's why, plus a master list of 172 hobbies to try yourself.
Athletic & physical hobbies
- Running
- Walking
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Tai chi
- Pickleball
- Spinning
- Dance
- Badminton
- Volleyball
- Soccer
- Basketball
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Golf
- Ice skating
- Roller skating
- Barre
- Bowling
- Skateboarding
- Weight lifting
- Kickboxing
- Table tennis
- Kickball
- Baseball
- Archery
- Acro yoga
- Zumba
Creative and crafting hobbies
- Crocheting
- Knitting
- Embroidery
- Sewing
- Card making
- Quilt making
- Clothing making
- Drawing
- Painting
- Watercolors
- Sketching
- Wreath making
- Pottery
- Wood burning
- Playing an instrument
- Singing
- Calligraphy
- Scrapbooking
- Papier-mâché
- Candle making
- Poetry
- Journaling
- Jewelry making
- Flower arranging
- Photography
- Bullet journaling
- Collaging
- Flower pressing
- Music production software
- Photo editing
- Video editing
- Soap making
- 3D printing
- Paper quilling
- Origami
- Miniature painting
- Cross stitching
Intellectual hobbies
- Reading
- Visiting libraries
- Visiting museums
- Learning a language
- Online classes
- Free college classes
- Workshops
- Blogging
- Listening to podcasts
- Listening to audiobooks
- Watching documentaries
- Researching
- Joining a book club
- Studying film
- Public speaking
Collecting hobbies
- Crystals
- Magnets
- Coins
- Sports memorabilia
- Buttons & pins
- T-shirts
- Travel souvenirs
- Sea glass
- Seashells
- Driftwood
- Vintage decor
- Vintage clothing
- Books
- Houseplants
- Stamps
- Teacups
- Art
- Action figures
- Matches
- Trading cards
- Antiques
Food & drink hobbies
- Cooking
- Baking
- Grilling
- Collecting cookbooks
- Wine tasting
- Crafting cocktails
- Specialty beers
- Food/drink blogging
- Cooking classes
- Hosting dinner parties
Game hobbies
- Card games
- Poker
- Video games
- Jigsaw puzzles
- Crossword puzzles
- Sudoku puzzles
- Chess
- Checkers
- Other brain or word games
- Other board games
- Darts
- Pool
- Air hockey
- Bingo
- Bunco
- Euchre
- Role-playing games
Outdoor hobbies
- Hiking
- Trail walking
- Sightseeing
- Gardening
- Rock climbing
- Birdwatching
- Fishing
- Hunting
- Scuba diving
- Surfing
- Parasailing
- Sky diving
- Horseback riding
- Snowboarding
- Skiing
- Sledding
- Snowshoeing
- Rucking
- Star gazing
- Lawn games
- Frisbee golf
- Kayaking
- Foraging
- Cloud watching
- Plane spotting
Social hobbies
- Trivia
- Volunteering
- Running clubs
- Hiking clubs
- Theatre
- Chess club
- Gaming club
- Community gardening
- Group camping
- Canoeing
- Workout classes
- Dance classes
Self-care hobbies
- Self-massage
- Sound baths
- Meditation
- Astrology
- Skin care
- Yoga Nidra
- Volunteering
What is a "hobby," exactly?
A "hobby" is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as "an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure," so what that looks like for you might be totally different from the next person, and that's OK! What counts is that your hobby is fun, enriching, or somehow beneficial for you.
And whether it's gardening, crafting, or playing an instrument, hobbies become even more important as we get older. One recent study published in the journal Nature Medicine1 even found that having a hobby is linked with not only fewer depressive symptoms in people 65 and up but also higher levels of happiness, self-reported health, and life satisfaction.
No matter your age, though, according to licensed therapist Lair Torrent, LMFT, we all have a "growing edge" to cultivate—aka some area of our lives where there's an opportunity to improve. Torrent says figuring out a hobby that aligns with your growing edge can help you focus on yourself and find more joy in your life.
Hobbies can help you tap into the present and work with your flow state. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the founding psychologist of "flow" research2, says that "the way to happiness lies not in mindless hedonism but in mindful challenge." Engaging with a challenging hobby, then, can be rewarding and contribute to positive feelings of achievement.
How to find your hobby
To discover your next hobby, refer to a list such as the one found in this article, and narrow down a few that call to you based on your interests. Try out different hobbies until you find one that you like doing and fits into your life seamlessly.
Remember, you don't need to put pressure on yourself to do your hobby "enough," just have fun with it when you feel called to do it.
The takeaway
Hobbies are so much more than a way to pass the time; they bring joy to our lives, keep us sharp as we age, and allow us to access flow states that are beneficial to our well-being. So whether you start gardening, join a club, or dig out your old knitting needles, keep up with your hobbies—your body and mind will thank you.
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