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These come with people built in: five-a-side, board game nights, badminton, a community choir, amateur theatre, pizza making with friends. About two-thirds of them need at least one other person before they can happen at all, and three-quarters take place somewhere other than your house. Maybe not if your week never looks the same twice, since a quarter of them run to a fixed time you have to keep.
111 hobbies. Each has what it costs to start, how much time it takes and a first session to try.
AikidoThrows, locks and safe falls that redirect an attacker's force, with no competitions.
Amateur theatreRehearse and stage scripted plays, clowning or physical theatre with a local group.
Aqua aerobicsExercising to music in waist-deep pool water, following an instructor.
Archaeology digsVolunteer on organised excavations, trowelling back soil and cleaning finds.
Argentine tangoImprovise with a partner in a close embrace, walking to tango music at social dances.
BadmintonHitting a feathered shuttlecock over a high net with a light racket.
Ballroom dancingPartner dances such as the waltz, foxtrot and quickstep, in a formal hold.
BBQ & smokingCook meat low and slow over charcoal and wood smoke, or hot and fast on a grill.
Belly danceIsolate hips, chest and arms in flowing shimmies and drops to Middle Eastern music.
Board gamesPlay modern tabletop games with friends, from strategy games to party games.
Bollywood danceBright, story-led routines to Hindi film songs, with expressive hand gestures.
Book clubsRead a chosen book each month and meet to talk it over, from novels to philosophy.
BoxingPunches only: footwork, bag and pad work in a gym, with sparring if you want.
Brazilian jiu-jitsuGround grappling on mats, using holds, escapes and joint locks, not strikes.
BreakdancingDance on the floor with fast footwork, spins and freezes, often in friendly battles.
BridgeBid and take tricks with a partner in a classic four-player card game.
CampingPitching a tent at a campsite you drive to, then cooking and sleeping outdoors.
CanyoningDescending a river gorge by abseiling, sliding and jumping into pools.
CapoeiraKicks, dodges and acrobatics played as a game in a circle, to live Brazilian music.
Coaching youth sportVolunteering at a junior sports club, running drills and games for young players.
CoasteeringScrambling along sea cliffs, swimming the gaps and jumping into the sea.
Cocktail makingShake and stir classic cocktails at home, balancing spirits, citrus and sugar.
Cold dips & saunaBrief dips in cold sea, lakes or plunge pools, plus hot saunas and float tanks.
Community choirSing in harmony with a local group, learning your part at weekly rehearsals.
Competitive gamingPlay video games in ranked matches, leagues and tournaments, working to improve.
Conservation workPlanting trees, clearing scrub and picking litter to restore local habitats.
Contemporary danceExpressive, free-flowing dance that blends ballet, modern technique and floor work.
CosplayMaking costumes and props of fictional characters, then wearing them to conventions.
Craft beer tastingTaste beers by style at taprooms and festivals, from crisp pilsners to stouts.
CricketBatting, bowling and fielding on a grass pitch, from the nets to weekend matches.
CroquetHitting balls through hoops on a lawn with a mallet, in tactical turns.
CrossFitCoached, high-intensity group workouts mixing weights, gymnastics and cardio.
CurlingSliding granite stones down the ice towards a target, sweeping to steer them.
Dance fitnessFollowing easy dance routines to upbeat music as a workout, like Zumba.
DartsThrowing darts at a numbered board and counting down scores in games like 501.
Escape roomsSolve clues as a team to get out of a themed room before the clock runs out.
FencingOlympic-style sword bouts on a narrow strip with foil, épée or sabre.
Field hockeyDribbling and passing a hard ball with a hooked stick in an 11-a-side team game.
FilmmakingPlanning, shooting and editing short films and documentaries, often with a crew.
Five-a-side footballPlaying small-sided football on a compact pitch, usually in a weekly game.
Folk & Morris dancingJoin in caller-led ceilidh and barn dances, or dance Morris with bells and sticks.
Hacky sackKick a small footbag round a circle of friends, keeping it off the ground.
Hip-hop danceGroove, bounce and hit the beat to hip-hop tracks, learning street-style routines.
Historical fencingSparring with longswords and other old weapons, using techniques from period manuals.
Historical reenactmentPortray real history in period kit, from living-history camps to staged battles.
Hosting dinner partiesPlan a menu, cook several courses and host friends around your table.
Ice hockeySkating fast and passing a puck with sticks in a team game on ice.
Improv comedyMake up scenes on the spot with other players, building comedy from suggestions.
Irish danceFast, upright step dancing with crisp footwork, in soft shoes or hard shoes.
JudoGripping a partner's jacket to throw and pin them, after learning to fall safely.
KaraokeSing favourite songs to on-screen lyrics with friends in a bar or private booth.
KarateJapanese-style punches, kicks and blocks, drilled in lines and set forms.
KartingRacing small, low go-karts round a track, indoors or out.
KendoFencing with bamboo swords in Japanese armour, striking head, wrist and body.
KickboxingCombining punches and kicks on pads and bags, for fitness or for competition.
Krav MagaPractical self-defence: escaping grabs and striking back under pressure, not a sport.
Kung fuStances, strikes and flowing forms from Chinese styles such as Shaolin and wing chun.
LacrosseCatching, cradling and shooting a ball with a netted stick in a fast team game.
LARPAct out a story in costume as your own character, live with other players.
Lawn bowlsRolling weighted bowls across a green to stop them close to a small jack.
Life drawingDrawing a live model at a class, from two-minute gestures to longer poses.
Line dancingDance set step patterns in rows with the whole room, mostly to country and pop.
MahjongDraw and discard tiles to build winning sets in a four-player game from China.
Miniature wargamingBuild and paint armies of small models, then battle them on a tabletop with dice.
Muay ThaiThai stand-up fighting with fists, elbows, knees and kicks on pads and bags.
Murder mystery partiesHost or play a whodunnit with friends over dinner, everyone in character.
Musical theatreSing, act and dance in staged musicals with a local musical society.
NetballPassing and shooting into a high hoop, with no running while holding the ball.
Obstacle racingRunning muddy courses with walls, ropes and crawls to tackle along the way.
PadelDoubles rallies on a small enclosed court, playing the ball off glass walls.
PétanqueTossing metal balls underarm to land closest to a small jack, on gravel or dirt.
PickleballHitting a holey plastic ball with solid paddles on a small court, like mini tennis.
Pickup basketballShooting hoops and joining casual half-court games at public courts.
Pizza makingMake slow-rise dough and bake pizzas as hot as your oven or pizza oven goes.
Playing in a bandRehearse, jam and play gigs with other musicians, covers or your own songs.
PokerCard games of odds and bluffing, played for chips at a home game with friends.
Pool & snookerPotting balls with a cue on a cloth table, from pub pool to full-size snooker.
Pub quizzes & triviaTeam up to answer general knowledge questions at a weekly quiz night.
Public speakingPractise giving speeches and talks, often at a supportive club with feedback.
Puzzle huntsTeam up to crack chains of linked puzzles, roaming a city or hunting clues online.
Rock climbingRoped climbing up tall walls and real crags, with a partner holding the rope.
Roller derbyFull-contact team skating on a track, blocking rivals so your scorer can pass.
RoundnetBouncing a small ball off a low round net in fast two-on-two rallies.
RowingPulling oars in a sleek, narrow boat on a river, usually with a club crew.
RugbyRunning, passing backwards and tackling in full-contact union, league or sevens.
SailingSteering a small dinghy and trimming its sails to the wind, usually at a club.
Salsa dancingDance with a partner to fast Latin music, with quick footwork and spinning turns.
Scout & Guide leadingRunning weekly meetings, games and camps for a local Scout or Guide group.
Scuba divingBreathing from a tank to explore underwater, from pool sessions to reefs and wrecks.
Sign languageLearn a signed language like BSL, using hand shapes, movement and facial expression.
SoftballHitting, catching and running bases in a social, slow-pitch cousin of baseball.
SquashFast rallies hitting a small rubber ball against the walls of an indoor court.
Stand-up comedyWrite your own jokes and perform them solo at a mic in front of an audience.
StorytellingTell true stories and folk tales aloud to a live audience, without a script.
Swing & lindy hopDance lindy hop and other bouncy partner styles to big-band swing jazz.
Table tennisFast rallies with small bats and a light ball across a table-top net.
Tabletop role-playingTell a shared story round a table with dice, playing a hero or running the game.
TaekwondoHigh, fast kicks, patterns and sparring in a Korean martial art.
Tap danceMake rhythm with metal-tipped shoes, tapping out shuffles, flaps and time steps.
Ten-pin bowlingRolling a heavy ball down a lane to knock over ten pins at a bowling alley.
TennisRallying a fuzzy yellow ball over a net on a full-size court, singles or doubles.
Touch rugbyRunning and passing rugby where a touch replaces the tackle, often in mixed teams.
Trading card gamesBuild a deck from collectable cards and duel others, as in Magic or Pokémon.
Ultimate frisbeePassing a flying disc between teammates to score in the end zone, no contact.
VolleyballBumping, setting and spiking a ball over a high net as a team, indoors or on sand.
VolunteeringRegular shifts helping local causes, from food banks and repair cafés to befriending.
Walking footballPlaying football at walking pace, with no running or contact, often for over-50s.
Whisky tastingTaste whiskies side by side with a drop of water, noting smoke, fruit and spice.
White-water raftingPaddling an inflatable raft through river rapids as a crew, led by a guide.
Wine tastingTaste wines side by side, learning grapes, regions and how to describe them.
WrestlingGrappling to take down and pin an opponent, Olympic-style, with no jacket or strikes.