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 Sep 25, 2026
Want to make your own clothes, stay off your phone more, find an incredible community, become the best gift giver in your circle AND learn a lot more about sheep? I cannot recommend knitting more. Start with a scarf, then do a hat, and then you'll be ready to start knitting sweaters
41
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.
43
Chain piecing over and over at the end of a work day is superbly meditative. And eventually you have a cool new blanket.
1
Sure it’s expensive, and sure it takes years but my god the creative freedom to build that perfect scent that makes you feel drunk on your own skin. Burying my head in my top to get more whiffs of my own creation. I’m so humble.
drumming has always come to me naturally and I decided to play again late last year and it’s so fulfilling. Who’s trying to start a band??
4
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.
192
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.
2
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!
5
Joining an adult synchronized skating team
In honor of synchro finally making it to the Olympics in 2030, a reflection on my favorite hobby: As an adult, when I said I missed synchro, what I meant was I missed the scent of Garnier Fructis hair gel mixed with locker room sweat, and the gentle pulse of a thumb-shaped bruise on my bicep, and the auto-play movie that projects behind my eyelids when I go to sleep, where I am somehow both in my body and above it, monologuing each step in the program as a figment of myself performs it. I missed the all-encompassing, childlike feeling of my hobby as my identity. In the locker room, my team and our coaches hold hands in a circle and pass a squeeze around, then scream together at the top of our lungs, an exorcism for nerves. As we walk single-file toward the rink, my coach high-fives each of us down the line. I step onto the ice and feel floaty, then try to remember to bend my knees. I don’t know how else to write about skating without sounding like a sixth-grader, because on the ice, I feel like a sixth-grader. I think maybe that’s a good thing. At the end of the program, I cannot stop smiling. There is something special about trying hard at something that will never matter professionally or really at all.
82
adult recreational flag football
i recently joined a team. i’m so bad but it’s new community and it’s FUN!!!
2
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.
9
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!
31
Certifications are like grown up Girl Scout badges. Many are cheap, and most are great conversation starters at parties. Marriage Officiant? Exotic animal handler? Ham radio operator? (My personal favorite is linked)
8
creating a travel junk scrapbook
I love collecting receipts, tickets, business cards, maps, guidebooks etc during my travels and then creating a scrapbook/journal out of them. Such a fun way to revisit your adventures and it is basically a free souvenir!
8
I got really fixated on the idea of buying a new soft toy recently but then I was in Liberty London and saw these little crochet kits, and thought why not make it instead. The broader point is that I generally start feeling a bit weird if I haven’t created anything for a while. Even if it’s shitty, it feels good to do things with your hands. Craft kits like these are overpriced, but definitely reduce the friction of getting stuck into a new project, which I really appreciate.
1
i lived out my designer dreams and made a bunch of comfy pipes out of clay. it was fun, meditative, and now i have a keepsake/badass future heirloom + a bunch of sweet gifts for the stoners in my life
1
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!
61
Taking a leather-working class at Tandy
If you live somewhere with a Tandy leather store, I cannot recommend taking a class enough!!! They’re affordable (usually about $15/hour depending on the length/complexity of the class) and you leave having learnt a new skill and with a fun new item in tow. I took my mom to make leather tote bags and we had the best time together, and a few months back I did a journal cover making class. Buying the leather can get pricy but it’s not hard to find other uses for it. The classes usually include all the other tools/materials you need. As a plus, the store smells amazing!
72
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
Intro to Paper Quilling: A Daily Practice (Nikki Furlong)
Paper quilling looks intimidating but, once you get the hang of it, can be relaxing and even therapeutic! I head a "Chilling and Quilling" activity at the library occasionally and we usually get a good turnout. There are some cheap starter kits that can help you start out :)
5
I think getting back to hobbies that have tactility and produces something tangible is a great way to keep grounded. Especially in a day and age where technology has everything connected and permanence of "the cloud" makes it a dumping ground of things we no longer sort and just toss into a bin thinking "I'll get back to that eventually." Junk journaling doesn't have to be as elaborate or require any of the fancy gear and tools as what the article suggests. Do you have scissors? Glue sticks? Journals? Stickers? Markers? Then you're all set. This is a great way to keep memories in a scrapbooking type way but collecting the small things, maybe like a snack your kid particularly enjoyed one day or a receipt of a meal that unlocked or became part of a core memory. I recommend the /r/junkjournaling subreddit for more inspo.
202
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.
71
Get in touch with your inner child and/or work through your emotions by playing make believe with other adults. Guaranteed to get you out of your head and make you laugh. If you’re lucky, you might even find a new community. Starting improv 💯 made the year after my divorce much easier than it would have been otherwise.
play a board game by yourself!
There are many solo games out there or multi-player games with 1 player versions in the instructions! Try it out and see if you can win, sometimes it can be trickier than you think and offers a fun challenge.
2
4 recs
Because it’s fun! The point is to have a good time. To focus. Good old fashioned observation and pleasure.
