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Don’t let boredom strike this year by using your free time to take up some popular and fun indoor hobbies not just for this winter, but all year round.
Indoor Hobbies
Use or list of indoor hobbies to inspire you to spend your time better indoors.
Our selection covers all different types of winter hobbies, giving you plenty of new ways to exert your energy and creativity, away from the cold weather outside.
Popular
1. Cooking
Cooking is a fun way for you to spend time alone, with a friend, partner, or the whole family. There’s no limit to the number of new recipes and dishes you can try to cook.
Getting into food is a great way to spend your spare time. Cooking can help you host dinner parties, learn about different foods and cultures, and become healthier.
Sites like MasterClass are great for learning new culinary skills, for all levels of cooking. And the best part is, you get to eat your delicious dishes at the end of it all!
2. Learning a New Language
Learning a new language is a fun, challenging, and overall great indoor hobby to take up. Plus, it can open up the door to a range of opportunities abroad.
Always wanted to order in French at a Paris bakery? Or maybe reconnect with family and friends who live abroad?
Apps like Duolingo and Rosetta Stone are a good place to start. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you can learn a new language by practicing a little every day.
Language learning is the type of hobby people who really love to learn and grow take up.
3. Indoor Gardening
Indoor gardening allows you to grow and care for plants and flowers at a time when outdoor gardening is not possible in many places around the world due to the weather.
You can cultivate beautiful plants in your home for a number of reasons, from decoration to cooking.
Indoor gardening is one of the most relaxing indoor hobbies you can take up. It requires much less physical effort than outdoor gardening but with the same reward and satisfaction.
If you’re interested in indoor hydroponic gardens, you can get started with an AeroGarden Harvest with a gourmet herb seed kit or splurge on an AeroGarden Farm.
4. Bread Making
Imagine bringing the calming hum and the delightful smell of the local bakery into your own home.
Breadmaking is only increasing in popularity. It’s one of those quiet indoor hobbies that are ideal if you have a spare afternoon or morning, with nothing to do.
A bread machine can aid you in making fresh and delicious loaves of your favorite types of bread. Plus, making bread will help you save money purchasing bread at the supermarket in the long run.
Your morning toast and afternoon sandwiches will never be the same again!
5. Drawing
If you’re stuck indoors, drawing is a therapeutic way to use your spare time and one of the best creative indoor hobbies you can try.
No matter what your skill level when you starting drawing, with practice, you will always get better.
Whether you like drawing intricate floral patterns or the still life around you, drawing helps give you a real sense of achievement.
Get started with some Skillshare drawing classes, ranging from basic techniques to 3D drawing and perspective.
Read more: 100+ Drawing Ideas (The Ultimate List of Things to Draw)
Productive
6. Writing
Do you constantly conjure up new stories and ideas in your head? If so, writing could be an excellent output for your thoughts, feelings, and energy.
From journaling and mind mapping to writing a novel, writing can be both therapeutic and creative.
Writing is one of the most productive indoor hobbies you can take up. Who knows? Maybe the next Hollywood blockbuster or chart-topping thriller is sitting in your head, ready to be written.
MasterClass has online writing classes taught by fantastic authors and screenwriters, including James Patterson, Dan Brown, Margaret Atwood, Aaron Sorkin, and Shonda Rhimes.
7. Investing
If you have cash savings doing little in a bank account, or just a little money at the end of the month, investing can be one of the most useful indoor hobbies to take up.
Understanding money and more about investing can help you build a better financial future for yourself and your family.
Investing can also be fun, interesting, and very rewarding. It’s an indoor hobby that, if done right, can literally change your life and move you toward total financial freedom when you’re older.
8. Reading
Reading can suck in your mind and imagination for hours and end. There’s nothing like getting lost in a good book.
Whether you like learning about ancient history or escaping into fantasy worlds, reading is one of those easy indoor hobbies you can pick up straight away.
If you don’t have space for physical books, get yourself a Kindle Paperwhite. You can download thousands of books to your device and read them at any time.
9. Taking Classes Online
From scriptwriting to magic, workouts to music making, if you’ve always wanted to learn a skill, chances are there’s an online course you can take.
Start with online casses from Masterclass, Skillshare, or Udemy. They have thousands of tailored and curated courses, for a wide range of skills and interests.
10. Home DIY
Home DIY is one of the best indoor hobbies for men and women. You can learn helpful skills and crafts while making your home more comfortable to live in.
The sense of achievement that comes with putting up a shelf or putting down flooring is very satisfying.`
Home DIY can also save you thousands of dollars in the long run. It is a great way to spend your free time at home.
For Couples
11. Dancing
There are very few pastimes that can match the fun, energy, and passion of dancing with your partner during free afternoons or evenings.
From lively, modern dancing to classic dances like tango or ballroom, there are many online dance courses you can take or videos online to follow along.
12. Playing Board Games or Video Games
Not just for kids, playing board games or video games is one of the easiest indoor hobbies for adults too.
Both board games and video games can be enjoyed alone, with your partner, or with the whole family.
Games test your reactions, knowledge, and problem-solving skills. You can pass hours of time with board games and video games while having plenty of fun.
Read more: Board Games for Adults for an Evening of Fun with Family and Friends
13. Volunteering Online
Giving your time to people less fortunate than yourself is a wonderful way to spend the free time you have.
There are many ways you can volunteer online. Teaching, doing work for charities pro bono, and keeping elderly people company are just three that can be both enjoyable and rewarding.
Volunteering online is one of the best free indoor hobbies you can take up. All you need to give is a little of your time and energy to help a range of good causes.
14. Making Your Own Beer / Gin / Wine
Making your own beer, gin, or wine is not as complicated as you might think. As craft brewing and winemaking become more popular, more and more people are brewing from home.
Maybe you like rich, artisanal beers? Or maybe a deep, flavorful red wine is your choice of a tipple?
There are many excellent brewing kits and starter kits you can buy online. Or, take a course from an expert, and try one of the most unique indoor hobbies you can get into.
15. Creating a Bucket List Together
Finally, if you’re looking for fun and free indoor hobbies, nothing beats time spent writing down all the things you want to do in your life.
You can create a bucket list on your own, with a partner, or with the whole family.
Remember to set dates to aim towards, and even think about saving or budgeting to save up for certain activities.
Related: Bucket Lists to Inspire You
16. Ballroom Dancing
One of the best ways to keep the romance alive and ignited is by dancing together. Ballroom dancing is both fun and intimate, and it’s a rewarding hobby for you both to take up.
Be it at a dance class or from your own living via a course or online tutorial, ballroom dancing is a wonderfully enjoyable way to spend time together indoors.
Cheap
17. Join a Facebook Group
One of the challenges of being indoors, particularly if you live alone, is getting the social interaction you need. Regular interaction with others has huge positive effects on our mental health.
Facebook groups are a great way to engage in topics and meet people with similar interests. No matter how quirky or niche your interest is, chances are there’s a Facebook group for it.
Facebook groups are free to join and, generally, only require you to answer a few questions to join. Via Facebook, you can chat about hobbies and interests you love with like-minded people on a regular basis.
18. Join a Book Club
As with Facebook groups, the great thing about a book club is that it allows you to meet new people in a comfortable environment. As low-cost hobbies go, this is a great choice.
Members of book clubs either love reading or want to read more. And many book clubs today have themes. That way, a romance reader doesn’t end up with a group of sci-fi fanatics!
Reading is one of the most popular hobbies for those who spent a lot of time indoors, but it can be very lonely. Book clubs allow you to connect with others with similar interests, be it online or at an indoor location.
19. Start a YouTube Channel
Filmmaking is a great hobby. But posting on YouTube opens your content up to a world of potential fans, like-minded people, and good friends.
Anyone can start a YouTube channel for free. Making videos is a good hobby to learn new skills, get the creative juices flowing, and have a creative outlet for your energy.
These days, modern smartphones have such good recording options that you don’t even need an expensive camera.
In time, if you stick at it, you can even monetize your channel once you hit 1000 subscribers and 4000 annual watch hours, and earn extra money through ad revenue.
As free hobbies go, starting a YouTube channel has so much potential to be more than just something you do in your spare time.
20. Shop at Local Craft Stores
Buying local is a good way to support local artmakers and businesses while discovering new things to decorate your home with.
Try local galleries, indoor markets, or designated sections of clothes stores or coffee shops to find local crafts for sale. It can be a lot of fun, and you may even make some friends along the way.
If you want to support the local economy in a little way, supporting local crafts and businesses is a good thing to do.
For Adults
21. Play Card Games
Want to spend more time with friends or family members indoors? Card games are a simple and great way to do this.
From simple games, like Rummy and Crazy Eights, to longer games that require equipment, like Texas Hold ‘Em poker, cards are the perfect hobby for people who like to take it easy, in good company.
Read more: Best Card Games for Adults for Hours of Fun
22. Take Up Martial Arts
Need a little discipline in your life? Or maybe a new challenge? Learning a martial art is the perfect hobby to get indoor exercise, meet new people, and learn how to defend yourself.
Most martial arts classes take place in sports centers or community halls. Generally, tutors cater to all ages, and martial arts will help you keep fit and healthy without putting you through rigorous or strenuous amounts of exercise.
23. Adult Coloring Books
The mental benefits of coloring are plentiful. Coloring allows you to be in the moment, relax from the noise of everyday life, and feel the positive benefits of completing a task.
Coloring books are a lot of fun, and one of the best creative hobbies to undertake if you enjoy doing creative things but need a little guidance along the way.
24. Still Life Photography
Most people believe photography is one of the outdoor hobbies that doesn’t translate indoors; they couldn’t be more wrong!
One of the best things about still life photography is that it allows you to see true beauty in even some of the most mundane things in your home or living space.
Invest in a good starter kit of a DSLR camera, lens, a stand, and some lighting, and you can take some truly staggering photos from the comfort of your own home.
There are plenty of online courses to help you get the hang of your new equipment. Still life photography is an incredibly fun hobby when you get the hang of it, and a great way to spend time during the winter months when it’s too cold to go outside to take photos.
25. Table Tennis
Tired of the bad weather stopping you from getting some exercise in with friends? If you have space at home or in the garage, table tennis can be the perfect hobby to take up.
Don’t have space for a table tennis table? Buy a detachable net and bat and ball set, and use an old dining or wooden table you have stored away.
Table tennis is great time spent with friends. It’s fun, competitive, and a great way to entertain guests.
26. Rock Climbing
Rock climbing is becoming more popular, and for good reason: it’s one of the best ways to work out your entire body, in a similar way to boxing or swimming.
While outdoor rock climbing requires travel, expertise, and a look of training, indoor rock climbing centers are great for people of all ages.
The center will provide the equipment and help you scale climbing walls for various abilities, so all you need to do is drive to a center and wear simple workout clothes.
This fun hobby is incredibly rewarding. Plus, it’s a great way to make friends and be a part of a larger community.
Read more: 100+ Hobbies to Try (The Ultimate Bucket List of Hobbies)
More Ideas
27. Calligraphy
28. Learning to Play an Instrument
29. Memory Training
30. Homebrewing
31. Soap Making
32. Origami
33. Scrapbooking
34. Cheesemaking
35. Latte Art
36. Jewelry Making
37. Mixology
38. Chess
39. Quilting
40. Sewing
41. Crossword Puzzles
42. Leather Crafting
43. Embroidery
44. Model Building
45. Indoor Cycling
Just because the weather is cold and wet outside, that doesn’t mean your time indoors has to be boring and unproductive.
Don’t let afternoons and evenings pass you by on your phone or on social media. These popular and fun hobbies can all be done indoors and are definitely worth trying.
Eager to take up or try some new indoor hobbies at home? Save this article to one of your self-improvement Pinterest boards, so that you can revisit this list when the weather gets cold every year.