21 New Hobbies to Try ...

If you’re something of a tech-head, or have ever dreamed of being a treasure-hunting pirate, then this is the hobby for you! Geo-caching is a high-tech treasure hunt with two main components, the hide and the seek. Some hobbyists hide treasure capsule, others find them. Geo-cachers use their GPS devices and a series of clues in an online logbook to hunt down caches, then add new clues and return the cache to its original location for someone else to find! To get started, check out the official global GPS cache hunt site at geocaching.com. So much fun, so addictive!

Knitwear is a definite winter must-have. And knitting is not just for grandmothers anymore! I’ve noticed flyers and message boards for knitting clubs in junior high schools, and have wondered what’s made this hobby so attractive to a younger crowd. According to my cousin, who is an avid knitter, it’s relaxing, and when she finishes a project, she has an incredible sense of accomplishment. I’m clumsy, all thumbs, so this isn’t the hobby for me, but it might be perfect for you! To learn more, check out knitty.com or ravelry.com. Both are active sites for knitters of all ages and skill levels.

It seems like everyone has a blog these days, from my 85-year-old grandmother to my seven-year-old cousin. Some blogs focus on particular hobbies or interests, and others are just online journals for the world, or just a select few, to read and enjoy. My personal favorite are celebrity blogs. If you’re too shy to reveal your thoughts, feelings, and experiences with others, keep your blog private and use it as a diary. Try to make an entry at least once or twice a week, and add photos and links to things you find interesting. At the end of the year, you’ll be amazed as you read back through everything you’ve written.

Whether you live in the big city or in the countryside, it’s easy to enjoy gardening. Plant flowers and wait for them to bloom, or plant vegetables and enjoy your harvest all summer and fall. Most communities have gardening clubs or seed exchanges. If live in a flat or apartment and don’t have a yard or garden to plant, try gardening in pots, instead. Houseplants are another alternative to traditional plot gardening. This is a great hobby to share with a child or grandchild, and is a very relaxing way to destress too!

Digital cameras are becoming inexpensive and increasingly easy to use. It’s also relatively easy to find a photography course for beginners, so this might be a great new hobby for someone with a creative eye. Look around you! Subjects are everywhere, from your pets, kids, and garden, to skyscrapers, street signs, and clouds in the sky. To begin this hobby, expect to invest about $200 for a good camera and an inexpensive flash. Some amateur photographers have even been able to move from being hobbyists to making a living capturing images. I have a very good friend who went from total amateur to amazing wedding photographer!

When I was a child, I loved getting new Lego sets, either finding them at garage sales, or receiving them as gifts for special occasions. It was tradition that my father would help me put the set together the first time, and together we built spaceships, castles, and racecars. Nowadays, there are competitions for Lego builders across the globe, as well as a thriving sub-culture of collectors and hobbyists. This hobby can be expensive, as most hard-core fans use only genuine Lego products, but it’s fun!

I admit it: I am hooked on books...15 Best Fiction Books ... @Kati, romance, non fiction...Name it and I've got it. While reading can be a lonely, singular pursuit, it doesn’t have to be. All you need to start a book club is a group of three or more people who share your taste in literature, or who simply live close enough that you can meet once a month. Take turns choosing which books to read, then spend an evening comparing thoughts and selecting the next book!

I once made the mistake of admiring an old boyfriend’s mother’s collection of frog figurines. For the next three years, she gave me ceramic frogs for every occasion, and I hated them. Even now, the sight of a frog makes me shudder, but about Hello Kitty stationary, I feel differently. I also collect headbands of all colors, shapes and sizes. Find something you enjoy, and collect them. All of them. Every single one you can find. Like dachshunds? Collect them. Love Pokemon or TokiDoki? Collect them. Holiday-themed gelatin molds? Collect them, and display them proudly. Also try traditional collectable items, like coins or stamps. And once word of your new collecting hobby spreads, expect to get them as gifts from everyone you know and love.

Rocking out as the bass player on Guitar Hero is one thing, but investing in a real Fender and learning scales is quite another. If you’ve always had a passion for music, why not try learning to play an instrument? There are so many to choose from, starting with the accordion and ending with the xylophone. There’s sure to be something you’re good at, and something you’ll enjoy! Myself, I’m hoping to take up the triangle…

If you made a resolution to lose weight or to just exercise more this year, then it may be time to join an organized sport. Again, there are so many to choose from, both individual and team sports. Buy a good pair of shoes and start jogging, then train for a marathon. Look up a local baseball or football (soccer) team, and join in. Or, go for broke and choose something a little off-beat, like dodge ball or roller derby. Have fun!

If you're not much of a yarn craft person, cross stitch is a great alternative. It has the same therapeutic feel and you have a fabulous thing to display once you're done. This a fantastic hobby if you like something to do with your hands while you watch television of wait for your kids in the carpool line at the end of the day. All you need is the cross stitch fabric and thread. You can download patterns on the internet or buy kits that come with everything you need.

Even if you aren't the best painter in the world, you can only get better with practice. If you love to take a brush to canvas, stop worrying about your end result and just try new things. You might find out that you're really good at abstract painting or that you have a knack for landscapes. Before long, you'll have a wonderful new hobby.

You might be surprised at just how easy making candles is. Once you get the technique, you are free to make candles of all shapes and sizes and you can color and scent them however you like. This is a great hobby if you want something that gives you gifts to give when you're done. Almost everyone likes candles so this is a hobby that other people are sure to envy.

This is a hobby that I have always wanted to take up. Granted, it's probably not the cheapest thing you can do, but can you imagine how cool it would be to create all those elaborate flower arrangements you see at weddings? And hey, once you're really good at it, you might even be able to sell your skill and make some money by arranging flowers on the side.

Scrapbooking is a pretty popular hobby, and for good reason. There's something really satisfying about putting together a fabulous album of all of your photos to share with family and friends. You can go all out with paper and embellishments or keep things simple. The great thing about the hobby of scrapbooking is that you can pretty much do it however you want and it still looks awesome. What more could you ask for from a hobby?

Taking up a language as a new hobby might not make you a master at it, but it can be a great way to learn enough to get by. Speaking a second language is a great skill to have and may come in handy someday if you travel to a different country. Plus, it's fun to find out how to say words and phrases in other languages.

Have you ever wondered where all those crazy beer flavors come from? Usually they are the brain child of master brewers who love all things beer. Think that could be you? Learning to brew beer is a fun hobby and one that you can ease into with a small setup. Most brewers will tell you that the bug really gets you and you'll soon have all the beer you can handle right at your fingertips.

If you've ever fancied yourself a chef, cooking is the hobby for you. Not only can you take classes to learn different cuisines and techniques, but you can also experiment in your own home with new recipes and ingredients. There are free recipes available all over the place and you can even find tutorial videos on the internet that can help you master your skills. And when it's all said and done, you have something wonderful to eat.

Putting together models is a precise kind of hobby that requires concentration and patience. If you have both of those things, perhaps you'd enjoy putting together model trains, cars or planes. You'll need a place to spread out and a place to store or display your finished models, but building them is a really satisfying endeavor.

Are you fascinated by optical illusions and sleight of hand tricks? You can do them if you teach yourself how. Invest in a deck or two of cards and a couple of how-to books and you'll be ready to debut your new skills at parties or gatherings. Everyone will be so impressed and you'll have something fun to occupy your free time.

If you prefer a hobby that is relaxing and gives you time to commune with nature and be alone, you'll love taking up bird watching. With a pair of binoculars and some identification books, you'll quickly become an old hand at naming birds and finding good places to watch for them. At the same time, you'll be indulging your need for peace and solitude. Perfect!

With so many new, interesting hobbies to pursue, there is bound to be something for everyone! Whether you’re athletic, musically inclined, artistic, or just curious, this is the time to start a new hobby! Which of the hobbies on my list sounds interesting to you? Or are you already doing one of these? Please let me know!

This article written in collaboration with editor, Eliza Martinez