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Each of these gives your head a proper workout: chess, crosswords, logic puzzles, coding side projects, learning a language, genealogy, electronics. There is more to learn than in most hobbies and they are slower to pay you back, so the first few weeks are study as much as play. Maybe not if what you want after work is something you can do with your brain switched off.
119 hobbies. Each has what it costs to start, how much time it takes and a first session to try.
2D animationDrawing a picture for every frame so characters move, usually on a tablet.
3D printingPrint plastic objects layer by layer from downloaded models or your own designs.
Argentine tangoImprovise with a partner in a close embrace, walking to tango music at social dances.
AstronomyFind planets, stars and galaxies by eye or telescope, and chase eclipses and auroras.
AstrophotographyPhotograph the moon, planets, stars and galaxies with a camera or telescope.
Beat-makingProgram drums, basslines and samples in a music app, then arrange them into tracks.
Bike maintenanceFix punctures, adjust gears and brakes, and service or build your own bicycle.
Board game designInvent your own board or card game, make prototypes and playtest them with friends.
Board gamesPlay modern tabletop games with friends, from strategy games to party games.
Book clubsRead a chosen book each month and meet to talk it over, from novels to philosophy.
Botanical illustrationDrawing and painting plants from life, true to every leaf, petal and vein.
BoulderingShort, ropeless climbs on low walls, solving each route like a puzzle.
Brazilian jiu-jitsuGround grappling on mats, using holds, escapes and joint locks, not strikes.
BridgeBid and take tricks with a partner in a classic four-player card game.
Car restorationBring old cars back to life, rebuilding brakes and engines and detailing paintwork.
CelloBow a large string instrument held between your knees, with a deep, warm tone.
Charcuterie & curingCure and dry meat at home with salt and time to make bacon, salami and ham.
Cheese makingTurn milk into cheese at home, from fresh ricotta to aged cheddar.
ChessOutthink an opponent on a 64-square board, over the table or online.
CNC & laser cuttingCut and engrave wood, acrylic and more with computer-controlled lasers and routers.
Coding side projectsCode your own apps, websites, bots and AI tools, often to automate everyday chores.
Coffee brewingBrew pour-over and espresso at home, tweaking grind and beans, or roast your own.
Combat roboticsBuild and drive radio-controlled fighting robots, then battle them in an arena.
Competitive gamingPlay video games in ranked matches, leagues and tournaments, working to improve.
Creative codingWrite short programs that draw moving patterns, generative art and web toys.
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.
CrosswordsFill a grid from clues, from quick definitions to cryptic wordplay.
CurlingSliding granite stones down the ice towards a target, sweeping to steer them.
Data visualisationTurn real-world data into clear charts and maps that tell a story.
Electronics & ArduinoWire up circuits, sensors and lights, programmed with an Arduino or Raspberry Pi.
Electronics repairOpen up broken phones, consoles and gadgets to replace parts and get them working.
EntomologyFind and identify insects, from moth trapping at night to butterfly counts.
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.
Fiction writingWriting your own short stories and novels, and building the worlds they live in.
Film & game scoringComposing music to fit scenes in films and games, timed to the action on screen.
FilmmakingPlanning, shooting and editing short films and documentaries, often with a crew.
FlamencoStamp out fiery rhythms with your feet and hands in the dance of southern Spain.
Flight simulationFly lifelike planes on a computer, from light Cessnas to jets, often with a joystick.
Fly fishingCasting a near-weightless artificial fly on a long line to tempt trout and salmon.
FPV dronesBuilding and flying small drones first-person, seeing through video goggles.
GenealogyTrace your family tree back through census records, archives and DNA tests.
GeocachingUsing GPS on your phone to track down hidden containers left by other players.
Glassblowing & lampworkBlowing molten glass in a hot shop, or melting glass rods at a torch into beads.
GoPlace black and white stones to surround territory in an ancient strategy game.
GolfSwinging clubs to hit a ball round a course, or practising at a driving range.
Hacking challengesSolve legal capture-the-flag puzzles by finding and exploiting security flaws.
Ham radioTalk worldwide over licensed amateur radio, and track satellites or listen to space.
Historical fencingSparring with longswords and other old weapons, using techniques from period manuals.
Home automationConnect lights, plugs and sensors so your home does things on its own.
Home recordingRecord real instruments and vocals at home, then layer and mix them into a track.
HomebrewingMake your own beer, cider, mead or wine at home, from fermenting to bottling.
HydroponicsGrowing herbs and salad indoors with roots in nutrient-rich water instead of soil.
Improv comedyMake up scenes on the spot with other players, building comedy from suggestions.
Instrument makingBuilding guitars, violins and ukuleles by hand, from shaping wood to stringing.
Inventing languagesInventing a language from scratch: its sounds, grammar, words and script.
InvestingResearch companies and markets, trying ideas in a practice portfolio first.
JudoGripping a partner's jacket to throw and pin them, after learning to fall safely.
KendoFencing with bamboo swords in Japanese armour, striking head, wrist and body.
Lace makingTwisting fine thread into open, delicate lace with bobbins, a needle or a shuttle.
Learning a languageLearn a new language through apps, classes and conversation exchange meetups.
LEGO buildingBuild LEGO sets made for adults and design your own creations from bricks.
Local historyUncover the past of your street or town through archives, maps and local memories.
Lock pickingOpen locks you own with picks and a tension wrench to learn how they work.
Logic puzzlesCrack sudoku, nonograms and maths brain-teasers using pure reasoning.
MahjongDraw and discard tiles to build winning sets in a four-player game from China.
Making video gamesDesign and program your own video games, or mod the games you already play.
Making videosFilming, editing and posting videos for YouTube or short-form apps.
Mechanical keyboardsBuild custom computer keyboards, choosing switches, keycaps and how they sound.
Mentoring & tutoringVolunteering one-to-one with a young person to help with schoolwork or confidence.
MicroscopyLook at pond life, cells and crystals up close through your own microscope.
Miniature wargamingBuild and paint armies of small models, then battle them on a tabletop with dice.
Model engineeringMake working model steam engines and locomotives from metal on a lathe and mill.
Model railwaysBuild miniature train layouts with track and scenery, and run model locomotives.
Model rocketryBuild small rockets from kits and launch them on motors in an open field.
Modular synthsPatch ready-made synth modules together with cables to shape sound, no soldering.
Motorcycle maintenanceService your own motorbike: change the oil, adjust the chain and keep it running.
MountaineeringClimbing mountains by alpine routes, scrambles and cabled via ferrata paths.
Music visualisationTurn sound into moving pictures, from oscilloscope drawings to live visuals.
OrienteeringUsing map and compass to find checkpoints in timed races or plot routes on hills.
ParaglidingFlying from hills under a fabric wing, launching on foot and riding rising air.
PatisserieMake croissants, choux, tarts and macarons using classic French techniques.
PC buildingChoose compatible parts and assemble or upgrade your own desktop computer.
Perfume makingBlend scented oils into perfumes of your own, layering top, heart and base notes.
PianoPlay tunes on the keys, right hand on the melody and left hand on the chords.
Plant IDLearn to name wildflowers, trees and grasses where they grow, with guides and apps.
PoetryWriting short poems, playing with rhythm, imagery and line breaks.
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.
Retro computingRestore and run old computers and consoles, from repairs to loading 1980s software.
RoboticsBuild and program machines that sense their surroundings and move on their own.
Rock climbingRoped climbing up tall walls and real crags, with a partner holding the rope.
SailingSteering a small dinghy and trimming its sails to the wind, usually at a club.
ScreenwritingWriting scripts for film and TV, with scenes told through action and dialogue.
Sign languageLearn a signed language like BSL, using hand shapes, movement and facial expression.
Sim racingRace lifelike cars on a computer with a wheel and pedals, chasing clean, fast laps.
Small engine repairGet lawnmowers, strimmers and outboard motors running again by fixing their engines.
SongwritingWriting lyrics and melodies, shaping verses and choruses into original songs.
Sound designRecording everyday and outdoor sounds, then reshaping them into new effects.
SpeedcubingMemorise move sequences to solve a Rubik's cube and other twisty puzzles at speed.
SpeedrunningBeat a video game as fast as you can, learning routes and tricks to shave seconds.
Stand-up comedyWrite your own jokes and perform them solo at a mic in front of an audience.
Stop-motion animationMoving models or clay a tiny bit per photo so they come alive on playback.
Synth DIYSolder your own synthesiser from a kit, then play the sounds it makes.
Tabletop role-playingTell a shared story round a table with dice, playing a hero or running the game.
Trading card gamesBuild a deck from collectable cards and duel others, as in Magic or Pokémon.
Traditional board gamesPlay classic games like backgammon, draughts, dominoes and cribbage.
Video gamesPlay story, cosy, co-op and VR games on a console, PC or headset.
ViolinBow a four-string instrument tucked under your chin, from folk fiddle to classical.
Watch repairTake apart, clean and rebuild mechanical watch movements under a magnifier.
Welding & metalworkFuse steel with an electric arc, building frames, gates and metal sculptures.
Wildlife photographyWaiting patiently outdoors to photograph birds, animals and insects in the wild.
WoodturningSpin wood on a lathe and shape it with chisels into bowls, pens and spindles.
WoodworkingCut and join timber into furniture, boxes, inlaid marquetry and even boats.
Word gamesMake and guess words in games like Scrabble or a daily Wordle.