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Looking For A New Hobby? Here's A Master List Of 170+ Hobbies To Try Out Yourself

Sarah Regan
Author:
October 01, 2024
Sarah Regan
mbg Spirituality & Relationships Editor
By Sarah Regan
mbg Spirituality & Relationships Editor
Sarah Regan is a Spirituality & Relationships Editor, and a registered yoga instructor. She received her bachelor's in broadcasting and mass communication from SUNY Oswego, and lives in Buffalo, New York.
October 01, 2024
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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

  1. Running
  2. Walking
  3. Yoga
  4. Pilates
  5. Tai chi
  6. Pickleball
  7. Spinning
  8. Dance
  9. Badminton
  10. Volleyball
  11. Soccer
  12. Basketball
  13. Swimming
  14. Tennis
  15. Golf
  16. Ice skating
  17. Roller skating
  18. Barre
  19. Bowling
  20. Skateboarding
  21. Weight lifting
  22. Kickboxing
  23. Table tennis
  24. Kickball
  25. Baseball
  26. Archery
  27. Acro yoga
  28. Zumba

Creative and crafting hobbies

  1. Crocheting
  2. Knitting
  3. Embroidery
  4. Sewing
  5. Card making
  6. Quilt making
  7. Clothing making
  8. Drawing
  9. Painting
  10. Watercolors
  11. Sketching
  12. Wreath making
  13. Pottery
  14. Wood burning
  15. Playing an instrument
  16. Singing
  17. Calligraphy
  18. Scrapbooking
  19. Papier-mâché
  20. Candle making
  21. Poetry
  22. Journaling
  23. Jewelry making
  24. Flower arranging
  25. Photography
  26. Bullet journaling
  27. Collaging
  28. Flower pressing
  29. Music production software
  30. Photo editing
  31. Video editing
  32. Soap making
  33. 3D printing
  34. Paper quilling
  35. Origami
  36. Miniature painting
  37. Cross stitching

Intellectual hobbies

  1. Reading
  2. Visiting libraries
  3. Visiting museums
  4. Learning a language
  5. Online classes
  6. Free college classes
  7. Workshops
  8. Blogging
  9. Listening to podcasts
  10. Listening to audiobooks
  11. Watching documentaries
  12. Researching
  13. Joining a book club
  14. Studying film
  15. Public speaking

Collecting hobbies

  1. Crystals
  2. Magnets
  3. Coins
  4. Sports memorabilia
  5. Buttons & pins
  6. T-shirts
  7. Travel souvenirs
  8. Sea glass
  9. Seashells
  10. Driftwood
  11. Vintage decor
  12. Vintage clothing
  13. Books
  14. Houseplants
  15. Stamps
  16. Teacups
  17. Art
  18. Action figures
  19. Matches
  20. Trading cards
  21. Antiques

Food & drink hobbies

  1. Cooking
  2. Baking
  3. Grilling
  4. Collecting cookbooks
  5. Wine tasting
  6. Crafting cocktails
  7. Specialty beers
  8. Food/drink blogging
  9. Cooking classes
  10. Hosting dinner parties

Game hobbies

  1. Card games
  2. Poker
  3. Video games
  4. Jigsaw puzzles
  5. Crossword puzzles
  6. Sudoku puzzles
  7. Chess
  8. Checkers
  9. Other brain or word games
  10. Other board games
  11. Darts
  12. Pool
  13. Air hockey
  14. Bingo
  15. Bunco
  16. Euchre
  17. Role-playing games

Outdoor hobbies

  1. Hiking
  2. Trail walking
  3. Sightseeing
  4. Gardening
  5. Rock climbing
  6. Birdwatching
  7. Fishing
  8. Hunting
  9. Scuba diving
  10. Surfing
  11. Parasailing
  12. Sky diving
  13. Horseback riding
  14. Snowboarding
  15. Skiing
  16. Sledding
  17. Snowshoeing
  18. Rucking
  19. Star gazing
  20. Lawn games
  21. Frisbee golf
  22. Kayaking
  23. Foraging
  24. Cloud watching
  25. Plane spotting

Social hobbies

  1. Trivia
  2. Volunteering
  3. Running clubs
  4. Hiking clubs
  5. Theatre
  6. Chess club
  7. Gaming club
  8. Community gardening
  9. Group camping
  10. Canoeing
  11. Workout classes
  12. Dance classes

Self-care hobbies

  1. Self-massage
  2. Sound baths
  3. Meditation
  4. Astrology
  5. Skin care
  6. Yoga Nidra
  7. 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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