4 Secretly fun and useful hobbies at home you must try! [2023]

Are you looking for a meaningful way to spend your time? You should consider one of the most exciting and practical hobbies to pick up at home.

With all the extra time we now have on our hands, from staying home and avoiding our commutes, the lack of change in scenery can make life feel dull and unexciting. If you are feeling unmotivated or even unengaged at work, it may be because your brain needs a new challenge. While we may not be going outside and are avoiding running unessential errands, it is the perfect time to stimulate your mind and pick up a new things to do that you can practice at home!

Setting aside time for a new hobby can also help you to destress by clearly separating work and leisure activities while you are in the same space.  While all hobbies can be rewarding, there are some that are not only great for relaxing but will also improve your quality of life.

Read on to find out the most fun and useful hobbies to pick up at home!

1. Cooking/Baking

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Being at home has pretty much forced us to try our hand at cooking our own meals, so this hobby is a no-brainer in terms of practicality. And yes, while a lot of us have never picked up a pan, are kitchen risks and want to avoid a house fire at all costs, I am not lying when I say that you CAN do it AND have something edible to show for it at the end.

There are tons of YouTube videos that teach you the basics, from how to poach an egg to how to cut a premium fillet of fish. Plus, if someone in your family already knows how to cook, you could learn the basics through video call and get to spend some quality virtual bonding time with them too! If you really want to hold yourself accountable, look into subscription services like HelloFresh that regularly send you all the ingredients and recipes needed to make a MasterChef worthy dish.

Lots of chefs and even companies like Airbnb are offering online cooking classes now, and many of these are free or cost less than $1. Check out a list of online cooking classes here.

Why it’s one of the best hobbies to pick up:

• Cooking at home can help you save money
• Cooking for yourself means you will eat healthier and be more mindful about your nutrition
• It is a very useful and practical skill you can always use
• You will feel incredibly proud of your creations and will learn to appreciate the effort that goes into preparing food
• Cooking for others is an amazing way to show love and care
• Once you get the hang of it, cooking can actually help you destress and relax

Getting Inspired:

Personally, watching cooking shows like TopChef and MasterChef inspires me to try new  culinary challenges (like the Mystery Box or Quickfire Challenges), which makes cooking a lot more fun and exciting. I also recently discovered the Bon Appétit YouTube channel, which has a ton of cooking-related games and challenges that you can try for yourself or just watch while cooking at home.

2. Learning a New Language  

Learning a new language is honestly one of the best uses of your time and an awesome hobby to pick up. Not only does learning a new language strengthen your brain’s neural connections; it is also a hobby that you can put down on your resumé, that employers actually care about. This hobby is especially beneficial for travel enthusiasts who want to explore the world. Connecting with others in different countries in, or over a love for, their own language can facilitate deeper social connections by allowing you to pass for a local wherever you may go!

Why it’s one of the best hobbies to pick up:

• Multilingual have better memory, problem-solving, critical thinking and listening skills
• Knowing more than one language means you will  be able to develop a new way of thinking and/or perspective on another culture
• Knowing a new language can make it easier to make connections and even friends in different settings
• It boosts job prospects and opens up global opportunities

Getting Inspired:

Finding a foreign TV series you love can be an amazing way to motivate yourself to learn a new language. Immersing yourself in a new language this way can help you learn it more quickly, and watching a show or movie is also much more fun than reading a textbook about grammar. There are numerous and comprehensive language learning apps (like Rosetta Stone) that you can explore, and many of these are perfect for beginners as well.

I’d also recommend participating in a language exchange with a virtual (or in-person) friend if you really want to dive deep into another culture.

3. Zumba

Zumba is the perfect hobby for anyone who wants to take a step (pun intended!) towards improving their health. It is essentially a fun, aerobic work out to upbeat music and involves simple Latin-inspired dance steps. The best thing about Zumba is that it is super accessible for couch potatoes and fitness freaks alike. It is also a very low barrier hobby in terms of cost - all you really need is someone to follow along with.  There are also already a million YouTube videos out there with instructors showing you steps that you can instantly try out, sorted by intensity level and even music style.

Why it’s one of the best hobbies to pick up:

• The combination of fun music and dance moves makes Zumba feel less like a workout (that you may otherwise dread), but you will get fitter and tone your body each time you do it regardless
• Zumba promotes flexibility and coordination
• Like other exercises, practicing Zumba automatically releases endorphins and boosts your mood and metabolism
• There are many types of Zumba that target different fitness goals (like muscle building, circuit training or simply low-intensity fun)
• It is extremely low cost and can be done almost anywhere, without any equipment

Getting Inspired:

I find that the best way to get inspired and motivated to start Zumba is to find someone else to do it with you. Whether it’s a friend or a family member, beginning with someone else definitely makes you feel less sheepish when starting out - simply because you have someone else to laugh at and improve with. Whether you want to start alone or not, I’d recommend following a simple YouTube video to get started. Don’t forget that you’ll have the most fun when you dance like nobody’s watching!

4. Gardening/Becoming a Plant Parent

Being closer to nature makes a lot of us happy. Whether it’s stepping outside for a few minutes or working in an office with windows, greenery has a calming effect. If you are lucky enough to have a backyard or lawn, now is the perfect time to pick up some tools and transform it into something that makes people stop and notice.  It is also great idea to plant produce that makes up a large part of your diet like tomatoes or basil. Alternatively, if that seems like a big and unfamiliar step, perhaps you can start small and take care of just one plant. And yes, succulents count!  

Why it’s one of the best hobbies to pick up:

• Taking care of a plant or a garden teaches you responsibility and discipline, plus, you’ll feel really proud of yourself for keeping another living thing alive!
• Growing your own food and means you can avoid buying expensive organic produce
• Gardening reduces cortisol levels and is a natural stress reliever
• Healthy plants beautify any location, inside or outside
• Indoor plants can improve air quality and create a productive work environment

Getting Inspired:

Visit a nursery and get inspired by all the vibrant colours and varieties of plants that could keep you company at home. You can also find out which plants would be best for your climate and care-taking capabilities here. If you are feeling creative, you can also assemble a simple but chic terrarium to house your plant babies. Here’s an easy video that shows you what you might need.  

We Want to Hear from You!

Developing a new hobby is an amazing way to learn new skills and continually improve on something. It is even better when your realize that activities that are fun end up being useful hobbies to pick up as well. Which of the three hobbies outlined above are you most likely to try, and what other hobbies are your personal favourites? Leave a comment and let us know!

Join Our Travel Family

While these fun and useful hobbies are just the perfect activities to pick up while stuck at home, going on a trip and exploring new places and experiences is definitely something else.

Speaking of trip planning, if you need a handy app to plan your nature-bound adventures or trips to anywhere on earth, we recommend you try Pilot!