Unique hobbies to pick up as an adult
“What hobby did you pick up as an adult that stuck?”
30 answers from 29 people · Updated Oct 12, 2026
I’ve recently started embroidery and it’s really therapeutic. It doesn’t have to be anything complicated and they often sell pre-made kits at local craft stores. I’ve also seen people making embroidery journals - stitching a small symbol to signify something they did or encountered during the day. There are kid friendly ones too.
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Chain piecing over and over at the end of a work day is superbly meditative. And eventually you have a cool new blanket.
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The ultimate somatic therapy. You have to be very present and aware of your body, and horses are super sensitive to emotions. You’ll overcome fear, learn new skills, and find a way to communicate and work together with a 1.000 lb animal. Plus it’s exercise (a shocking amount of exercise) and time spent outside.
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Indoor rock climbing to overcome fears
Hear me out: indoor rock climbing — specifically top-roping, NOT BOULDERING — is perfect for anyone who’s always fearful of things one logically knows they shouldn’t fear (doing that scary/new thing, taking the professional/life leap, saying what’s on your mind). The first few times you try it, it’ll make you feel off-kilter — or if you’re like me and afraid of heights, cry — but the more I tried it, i began to realize that inching up the wall was akin to a physical manifestation of overcoming my fears. A route you previously couldn’t complete (because, well, fear duh) will feel so good once you get just a tiny bit higher on it. Top-rope is also the safest way to climb, because someone’s ALWAYS got you on the bottom, so if you attempt something and fall, it’s totally fine, you’ll just be hanging on the wall. Also, if you get scared and tired, you can just hang out on the rope and contemplate the holds and think about what’s next. Breathe. Assess. And then try again. And if you don’t finish it, who cares? It’s just indoor rock climbing. It made me realize that so much of all my fears was just my brain saying “you can’t. don’t. what if” and so little of that is actually true.
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a time consuming hobby, and there is a small learning curve, but once you’ve learned the basics it’s a perfect creative and fun game to play. a group of my friends all decided to “get into it” last summer and its been the perfect casual way to hang out over a few beers. deck building is its own sort of creative hobby. endless cool cards (and sick art) to choose from. my boyfriend and I bring our decks to play at the airport before flights. it’s weird to see myself “improve” at a silly little game but that’s been fulfilling too. no way to monetize this so it’s just a wholesome time with friends. there’s a growing community around it too!
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You can learn a few local species by going on a community bird walk and meeting the friendly nerds. They’ll probably let you borrow their binoculars. Listening to people who are passionate about it is a lot of fun! You can also go by yourself. Your local lake likely has more kinds of ducks than you would have expected. Look up the species! Maybe you can learn which is male and female. Spending a few minutes in nature is good for ya. Also, who cares if you’re good at it or not? Literally no one. And that’s good for the soul.
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learning to identify mushrooms and other edibles
i love going on a long walk in my neighborhood and taking the opportunity to look at my surroundings and identify any plants or mushrooms I can see. I use the linked app (Picture Mushroom) and also recommend Falling Fruit as apps to help you. After a while, its so fun to be on a walk with a friend and point out your favorite lemon tree, some wild fennel, or a false turkey tail mushroom (or whatever you find in your city!). Bonus points as this is an actually usable skill if/when the apocalypse comes. Also this is probably obvious but don't eat any mushrooms you find. I'm not above stealing an orange from a local tree though. happy snacking, don't die!
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Disc golf is an incredibly accessible sport that anybody (literally anybody) can enjoy for a lifetime. I started playing during the pandemic and it has quickly become my go to outdoor activity. It’s a perfect blend of competition, community and appreciation for nature. All that it would take for you to start is a simple starter pack (less than $50) and a nearby disc golf course (11,255 in the US!). The sport is growing at an incredible rate, get yourself caught up in the wave!
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Pottery at Still Life Ceramics
Like every other 20-30 something looking to try new hobbies, I tried my hand at pottery a couple of years ago and genuinely loved it. The workshops at Still Life are great for learning the fundamentals, and you get to throw as much as you want during practice hours. Love the DTLA studio!
Turns out the magic of analog is in fact very real. Started collecting vinyl in the past few years (along with the general resurgence of popularity) and it is genuinely so fun. It’s a completely different thought exercise to pick an entire album you want to listen to vs. the single song approach of streaming. Also there is so much enjoyment of thumbing through all your options to consider what you’re in the mood for (or having guests choose!). I love having a variety of genres in my collection, equally enjoy picking a fun variant of a new release and finding a used treasure. Plus you get to keep your collection forever!
2
build a lego set (bonus: do it outdoors)
Loved these as a kid, and I still build sets as an adult. Typically I stick with lego botanicals, but this one was too cute to pass up. I just started building snoopy yesterday & had a wonderful time. Kinda allows you to use your hands to create without making too much of a mess. Truly an easy way for me to stay off my phone.
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Startups costs are low, it’s easy to learn (I taught myself entirely with youtube videos) and you can make beautiful, useful things. It’s so lovely to have a knitting friend over for coffee and work on your projects together. Plus it’s impossible to doomscroll with needles in hand!!
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Trying out new hobbies as an adult
i love trying new things and learning art skills as an adult. Makes me feel so alive and present. This is be at Ballet Absolute Beginner class. As adults it’s hard to get ourselves to try new things and experiment. Book the class months in advance and when the time comes just go. Otherwise you’ll overthink and turn back.
I started playing a year ago today and it kinda saved me?? My local parks and rec will have my love forever because the classes are affordable and the ppl are great.
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But seriously. So fun and accessible and lets you sing and play less self consciously. ukulele wine time is a great channel with songs you actually want to learn to play đź’«
this kit was the gateway to a hobby that has carried me through surgery, flights, and keeping me off my phone.
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Grandmas were onto something with their hobbies. For me it's cross stitch and it's addicting. It's one of the few things that can take me away from my screens. I love stitching famous artworks, or in this case, a famous textile design. This is William Morris' Strawberry Thief.
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LEARN A NEW SKILL: LEATHERWORK
My partner is teaching me the basics of leatherwork!
A beginner friendly craft that can get you an incredible gift with a few hours of work?? They say it can’t be done. But needle felting is it!
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whether you are a trained singer or tone deaf, find a community chorus and sing in it! harmonizing with others every week brings so much joy. it's fun to learn a new skill. and it's a great place for building intergenerational community. and most places have one that does not require auditions and is relatively low commitment.
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Buy a journal and a glue stick. Collect random shit. Everything is a treasure! Cut it out and arrange to your hearts desire. Tap into your inner child! Unleash your creativity! Better yet, join a junk journal club (@junkjournalclub in LA for me) for fun events and themed nights. A Year of Junk Journaling by Martina Calvi is a great place to start for ideas.
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Rope in your friends to have a bowling shoe fashion show, share a pitcher of beer, and roll some balls. It’s kitsch, and that’s half the fun. Every city in America has a bowling alley, and you’d be shocked by how nice some are (despite exterior looks).
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Adult Coloring Book & Colored Pencils
I received an adult coloring book and a pack of colored pencils as a gift a few years back and it was honestly one of the best things I’ve been given. It’s pleasant to do with music on, easy to pick up and put down as the mood strikes (no prep or clean up required) and puts me in a meditative/creative mode as I experiment with different color combinations, shading techniques, etc. Also super easy to throw in a suitcase for a lo-fi activity when traveling.
I took swimming lessons as an adult. While swimming laps is kind of useful, deciding to be an adult beginner publicly was incredibly nerve-wracking! Until I did it, at which point it became incredibly rewarding. Getting over a fear of being bad at something in public...life changing!
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I am a slut for community ed classes!! I’ve taken art, improv, fitness, and sewing. All for a reasonable price. If you’re a parent, check it out for your kiddos too - there are a lot of fun offerings for them. (Linked to St. Paul, MN classes but they are all over the US) (Raven pic from a hand lettering class)
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