There is no shortage of great hobbies for men. In this article, we will take a look at the top 50 best hobby ideas in a range of categories. Ranging from manly to creative, expressive to profit-turning, you are sure to find one or two appealing hobbies for you to consider.
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It is easy to get so caught up with our digital social lives that we forget about hobbies and having fun in the real world. However, there are a plethora of great hobbies for men and women out there that don’t involve checking your social media apps to count likes or comments. As a man, having hobbies is no bad thing. Whether watching movies or sports, reading, or something more physical, having hobbies has been proven to be beneficial for your physical and mental health.
Here are the types of hobbies for men we’re covering in detail below:
- Back to Basics with Traditional Hobbies for Men
- Active Men’s Hobbies for the Great Outdoors
- Athletic Hobbies for Men
- Health & Self Care Hobbies for Guys
- Good Hobbies for Men With a Creative Passion
- Interesting Intellectual Hobbies to Pick Up
- Fun Hobbies for Men with a Love of Music
- Cool Hobbies for Social Men
- Homemaking Hobbies for Men
- Useful Hobbies for the Handy Man
- Crafty Hobbies for Men
Why Men’s Hobbies Are Important to Try
Hobbies are meant to be fun. They are there to give us a break from the often harsh reality of life. No matter how happy or successful we are, the daily grind wears us all down. But having hobbies offer us a chance to disconnect, even if just for a while.
The ability to lose ourselves in fun hobbies has a positive effect on our overall health and wellbeing. Fun hobbies for men could be both solo endeavors or team affairs. For men, the ritual of bonding over manly hobbies runs deep, and without getting too technical, is something hardwired into us dating back to the early days of modern man.
Hobbies are an effective stress management tool, something especially useful in our fast-paced society. Moreover, a man with a brain rejuvenated by indulging in his passion is more productive at work, happier in himself, and therefore in a position to take better care of his family.
The best hobbies for men are those which offer mutually beneficial social ties. These relationships come easy in team sports or group excursions. This could include more sedentary pursuits such as following a sports team. Being a part of such a group offers peer acceptance and a sense of belonging. Without delving into social constructs and the psychology of masculinity and such, these sorts of men’s hobbies help bond and establish a friendship hierarchy–the group structure through which stronger friendships form.
Back to Basics with 3 Traditional Hobbies for Men
Some hobbies are timeless. They have been part of life for as long as hobbies have existed. The following manly hobbies are traditional pastimes that can be enjoyed alone or with family and friends.
An argument could be made for these being the coolest hobbies for men because they encompass everything a man could want from a hobby and provide freedom for individual expression to tailor each experience a different way.
1. Hiking and Camping
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When thinking about great hobbies for men, hiking and camping are surely among the first things you think of. What is more manly than taking on nature itself? Hiking a defined trail or off the beaten path and wandering into the wilderness, setting up camp, and sleeping under the stars. If this sounds like something you would enjoy, then definitely add camping to your list of hobbies.
Hiking and camping are combined in this list, not because they cannot be done separately, but because they fit together so smoothly; they are often seen traveling hand in hand.
What’s more manly than going for a day-long trail hike only to stop, pitch a tent, and camp out for the night? It’s a great way to reconnect with nature and disconnect from the stresses of the everyday world.
2. Fishing
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Another addition to this list of hobbies for men is possibly one of the ultimate male pastimes. Fishing. A tale of man versus beast. A tale of patience and, ultimately, escape. So head out onto the lake with a packed lunch and a thermos of coffee. Enjoy the peace and tranquility that it brings. Often, that aspect is the more important part of the hobby—the act of fishing rather than the actual catching of the fish.
While you can rent or borrow some tackle without too much hassle, if fishing is your thing, you will want to embrace it fully. This is where the costs can run up, but as with any hobby, the price is worth it for the benefits your mind and soul reap from it all.
3. Archery
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Archery is the perfect hobby that offers things to do when bored for guys who want to embrace their inner Robin Hood. While it might not be the first thing that comes to mind when creating a list of hobbies for men, archery deserves its place on the list.
Archery continues to grow in popularity, offering a mental challenge as well as a means of stress escape. You don’t need to rob from the rich in order to enjoy the hobby either. The only drawback might be finding an archery range near you.
More of a solo pursuit, it is still a hobby that will introduce you to new people. You can go with friends or grow an archery-specific social circle. Either way, when it comes to the actual hobby itself, you are competing against yourself, trying to better your technique, aim, and accuracy.
4 Active Men’s Hobbies for the Great Outdoors
There’s nothing like some fresh air and sunshine, so why not combine your love of the outdoors with your pursuit of manly hobbies? While these recommendations are by no means exhaustive, they’ll help you identify opportunities to hone body, mind, and spirit out in the elements.
4. Sailing
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Sailing can be a fantastic way to get a breath of fresh air, literally. But, admittedly, it’s a hobby for which you must set aside some budget. Nonetheless, you can make it less expensive by borrowing or renting a boat rather than buying one.
For safety reasons, you will need to stick close to the shores of a small lake when first getting started, but you can soon graduate to progressively larger water masses. Taking up an exhilarating hobby such as sailing will bring with it secondary hobbies. Elements that must be considered and studied if you want to pursue your main hobby. These include studying the weather, navigation, and rope skills.
Another great thing about sailing is that it can be an excellent fun time for the entire family and not just an individual pass-time activity. However, sailing is one of those hobbies for men that really needs to be put through the questions we talked about at the start. It’s not a cheap hobby, and you will need to invest in lessons, and well, it takes a lot of time when you consider preparations and clean up.
5. Rock Climbing
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When looking for a fun, manly hobby, rock climbing might be one of the outliers on your list. Scaling a vertical cliff or indoor climbing wall can be a challenging but extremely rewarding exercise. It’s a satisfying feeling when you reach the top. Standing proud on top of an elevated boulder or cliff, knowing that you conquered it is a near indescribable feeling. The thrilling views below are but a bonus. It’s a physically and mentally taxing exercise that pushes your analytical skills to the limit.
Related Reading: 50 Common Rock Climbing Terms to Master
Join a local rock climbing gym to learn the ropes (literally) before you venture out to a crag in the hiking trail. Of course, you’ll need a climbing partner for safety and to conquer more challenging problems. The local gym is a fine place to get folk who’d like to hook up for climbing escapades. If you don’t have ready access to real outdoor climbing options, indoor climbing centers offer a good challenge also.
6. Surfing
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Since surfing is a sport confined to areas near the seashore, not everyone may have the opportunity to enjoy it.
Being on the surfboard, you get a rush of adrenaline as you battle the waves and feel the full force of nature up close and personal. It’s an exciting way to connect with nature as you ride over the waves. If you live in a surfing-accessible location, you should have no problem getting your hands on the necessary gear. Even if you decide to rent your board for a little while until you decide if this is the hobby for you.
The sport requires practice and is also physically draining. However, the effort is worth the reward.
7. Skiing and Snowboarding
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If you live in a snowy area, then you shouldn’t miss out on the fun of skiing or snowboarding. But the good news is that nowadays, many cities have indoor slopes offering dry skiing. These are great places to go, even if you do have the mountains on your doorstep. You can practice your hobby and save the mountain adventures for special occasions.
Many people see skiing as a wonderful hobby idea for the whole family. Many skiers started on the slops when they were very young, growing up with the hobby laid out for them already. However, that doesn’t need to put you off. It is never too late to grab your poles and head off to the pistes.
6 Athletic Hobbies for Men
Sports and fitness are something that almost everybody can do. Fair enough, not everybody can be a pro, but there is usually nothing stopping anybody from trying their hand at getting in better shape. Not only are sports one of the most popular hobbies for men, but they also encourage several healthy lifestyle changes.
8. Running
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There’s no need to break the bank to indulge in an enjoyable sporting activity. For the most part, running won’t cost you much besides a readiness to break a sweat and the willingness to push your lungs out of your comfort zone …and not forgetting a decent pair of running sneakers.
Most cities have jogging lanes and trails where you can freely exercise.
Running will keep you physically and mentally fit. The great thing is that anybody can run. There are plenty of apps that offer starter training programs and get you from walking to running in X number of days. It’s one of the best hobby ideas for men who enjoy a little bit of alone time. Yes, you can run in a group, and you can train for a half or even full marathon, but at the end of the day, you are only ever really competing against yourself.
9. Cycling
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Riding your bike is a healthy habit that can help you sample the outdoors. Biking is also a clever way to beat the traffic if your city gets more than average traffic. Believe me, in some cities, you could move faster on a bike than by driving.
A healthy hobby, all you need to do is buy a bike and not fall off. You don’t need any licenses or memberships. Before you get worried about wearing spandex and going for a sprint through the mountains, cycling as a hobby can be as gentle or exertive as you wish to make it. A solid manly hobby for this list, you will burn off some extra calories, get fit, and get some good lungfuls of that fabled fresh air people rave about.
10. Hitting the Gym
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What could be more manly than working out in the gym? One of the ultimate hobbies for men, it covers all of the bases. Plus, it’s one of the great hobby ideas that anybody can do. Working out is non-discriminatory. Everybody, big or small, can head to the gym and start working out. Everybody there is working to better themselves, and as a result, you form bonds with people you may otherwise not have interacted with.
Related Reading: 9 Tips to Get Bigger Forearms
Even if you are not ready to go to a mainstream gym, you can always invest in a bench and some dumbells and start working out at home. The other reason why this is one of the premier options on this list of hobbies for men is because it covers so many bases. You don’t need to lift weights to work out. You can do cardio work or combine it with gentle weight workouts to tone your body rather than bulk up. The list of possibilities and options is truly endless.
11. Swimming
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Swimming is an efficient and inexpensive way to burn extra calories and keep fit. This hobby helps you work out all around the body and is considered one of the healthiest exercises. A full-body workout that is just as good for the mind. Swimming is a solid fixture on any list of hobbies because provided you know how to swim, you can do it. Even if you can’t, learning to swim is, in itself, a good hobby idea.
Whether you want to swim alone or as part of a group, in the pool or the sea, swimming is a wonderful hobby to take up.
12. Martial Arts/Boxing
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There’s no need to get heavy into Krav Maga. Just having enough confidence to take care of yourself in a fight, and learning about self-discipline are important. Also an effective emotional outlet for anger, stress, and primal competitive urges.
Which martial art is right for you? Well, you might first consider which gyms, studios, clubs, and dojos are actually available nearby. Then, consider what mixture of striking, grappling, and evasion/redirection make sense for your interests. You probably want to also make the decision of whether full contact or no contact fits the type of training you’re after; semi-contact (pulled punches and kicks) usually offers the worst of both worlds, practically speaking.
13. Golf
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Golf is a gentleman’s game usually played on well-manicured lawns. It’s also a great way of spending time outdoors. Golf is a game that requires focus and concentration, though truth be told it can be an incredibly frustrating hobby to all but the most persistent. Oscar Wilde is often credited for saying golf is a good walk spoiled. Yet, it remains one of the best hobbies for me. It may leave your blood boiling while you play, but before you get home, you will be looking back fondly and planning the next round.
You should be advised, however, that golf is not a cheap hobby. The equipment and membership fees at a golf club can run into the thousands. Not to mention the recurring cost of tees, balls, and other golfing equipment. If you happen to work in business, then being able to swing a club in anger certainly has its perk. A great many business deals are discussed in the boardroom but sealed on out on the course.
5 Health & Self Care Hobbies for Guys
Being able to save a life is an impressive skill to have. But perhaps it’s even more impressive when a man invests himself in hobbies that focus and rejuvenate body, mind, and spirt together. These skills are lifelong pursuits, and have evergreen value as part of your personal toolkit.
14. Basic Animal Care/First Aid
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Knowing how to splint a leg, stop bleeding, perform CPR, and unclog someone’s trachea with a Heimlich is helpful. It’s also good to know how to aid animals, as it can very easily make you the savior of some pet you love.
15. Yoga/Tai Chi/Qigong
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While many go whole-hog for the spiritual aspects of these eastern pursuits, you don’t have to in order to reap tons of benefits. Coordination, flexibility, strength, and endurance (both physical and mental) training offer daily benefits that make you more resilient to the grind of daily lift.
Mentally, you will practice presence of mind, emotional regulation, and breath control; all of which coincide to reduce anxiety, boost focus and alertness, and offer more regenerative rest. You might even consider these “soft” martial arts which offer meta-training that can make you more generally effective at everything you do.
16. Holistic Medicine
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Vitamins and minerals have their place, more in nutrition than in truly curing the sick. Having a little herb knowledge can provide you with natural analgesics and supplements, as well as simple cures to simple problems that don’t necessitate modern medicine. Herbal remedies can also offer a balm for the mind, as well.
17. Cosmetology
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Call it barbering if you want. Being quaffed and being able to help quaff others is a talent and a service. They say it’s recession-proof, and anyway cosmetology allows you to make a flex most other guys can’t keep up with. Bonus points if you include beards and mustaches in your repertoire.
18. Fashion
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Every girl crazy ’bout a sharp-dressed-man. Men’s fashion doesn’t have to be ostentatious, but a little bit of effort carries your personal style a long way. You’ll exercise your critical eye for proportions, colors, and shapes, gaining immense confidence in the process. Nobody likes it, but first impressions matter, and developing a fashion sense will help you control the narrative about the man behind the suit.
Full Guide: How to Match Clothes
3 Good Hobbies for Men With a Creative Passion
Creative pursuits are something to be encouraged. For many creative people, it is not so much a hobby as a compulsion. The need to create can be powerful. Yet, sadly, not many people get to pursue their creative endeavors as a full-time career. Hence why there are so many fun hobby ideas for creative men that can help scratch that creative itch.
19. Blogging
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If you are looking for creative hobbies for men, then blogging should be the first idea on your list. If you love to write, then this is a hobby for you. You could start a blog in your area of interest or specialty. Whether you want to create it as an informational resource or rather more as a personal ‘diary’ where you just talk to your readers, there is room for your blog on the internet.
You can start a blog for free. While you may not get the best options and can’t monetize your site, it’s a great way to start and build up your confidence. Following that, you can get a paid blog, tweak the layout and look into affiliate marketing. Then, suddenly your cool hobby is also a form of passive income.
20. Photography
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A fascinating world, that of pictures. You can come at it from a scientific standpoint, an aesthetic outlook, or take it up just to meet attractive people who want to have their picture taken. It will suck you into a black hole of filters and lenses and ISO numbers and gadgets that goes deep as the Kola Borehole.
That said, photography can be a relatively cheap hobby to pursue. Yes, cameras can be expensive, but you could start out with just the camera on your mobile. Experiment with settings, lighting, and filters. You can easily start a blog or Instagram page to display your photography giving visibility to your work.
The more you indulge in this hobby, the better you get, the more willing you are to invest in your passion. From there, you could turn it into a side hustle where you can capture photos at weddings, memorials, graduations, or family photoshoots.
21. A/V Podcasting
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While sharing all your thoughts with the world might be a tiresome thing to do, knowing how to work in new media is good for every business. Video and audio editing, software, programming, website design, hosting, and many other technical skills get folded into this, adding to your employability many times over. Don’t think anyone will listen to your podcast? Give it a try anyway, you’re likely to be surprised.
3 Interesting Intellectual Hobbies to Pick Up
There’s something to be said for hobbies that broaden your knowledge base and sharpen your critical reasoning. So-called intellectual hobbies are rarely truly reserved for academic types. You’ll find passionate people willing to help newbies get started and a plethora of learning resources both online and at the local library. The deeper you go, the more you’ll understand of the world around you.
22. History
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Sounds dull, until you find out that all the weird tales we have are based on historic facts. Plus, when you look at the history, you also begin to see where we are going. It’s not good, but you’ll get to see it.
Don’t focus too much on names and dates, unless they interest you. Instead, look for recurring themes so that you can better piece together the overarching trends of history.
23. Amateur Astronomy
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Believe it or not, you don’t have to be an uber nerd with a ton of cash to observe the heavens. Even the cheapest desktop dobsonian telescopes are orders of magnitude more powerful than anything Galileo had! Plus, sophisticated tracking platforms take all the guesswork out of navigating infinity. Just type in some coordinates, and feast your eyes upon globular clusters, galaxies, double stars, nebulae, planets, and more.
Unfortunately, you’ll quickly learn how light polluted the world actually is–and curse every cloudy night. After all, once you really get a good view of the celestial sphere at a proper dark site, you’ll have a hard time staying away from this historically manly hobby.
24. Language Learning
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Shown to align and expand your mind better than anything short of playing an instrument, knowing other languages is about learning how other people think more than what they say. It’s psychology that also makes it easy to travel.
6 Fun Hobbies for Men with a Love of Music
Who doesn’t love music? Whether it’s listening to music, making music, or going to live concerts. There are a great many music pursuits that make good hobbies for men. Let’s take a look at a few of them.
25. Singing
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If you enjoy singing, you could consider joining a local choir or band. Apart from polishing your singing skills, it might also turn to be an excellent way of enlarging your social circle.
It’s time you took a gamble on yourself and took your singing skills beyond the shower. The local church choir or a karaoke bar can be convenient places to exercise your vocal skills and meet a host of new people.
With a little more training, exposure, and a measure of confidence, you could end up as a recording artist, whether doing it solo or as a band. That could turn your hobby into a side hustle that could earn you some dollars. Not bad.
26. Play the Guitar
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Learning to play the guitar can prove to be an exciting hobby. It’s also one of the more manly hobbies out there. A guitar fits into so many different avenues. You could play for your family at home or lead singalongs around the campfire. Maybe start a band with some friends, or even make new ones by joining an existing band.
Guitar playing is low-hanging fruit when it comes to hobby ideas since guitars aren’t as expensive as many other instruments. Furthermore, it’s easier to learn and improve your guitar playing skills as there are multiple online resources that are available for free.
Spending your free time learning new songs on the guitar can be an exhilarating endeavor that could get addictive.
27. Learn a (non-Guitar) Musical Instrument
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Perhaps you didn’t fancy the guitar that much; there’s more on the musical menu that might help you stand out a bit more and present a different set of challenges and sonic possibilities.
Learning the piano can be awesome. Challenge yourself with the fiddle or cello, or unleash your inner sax-machine. It’s all similarly beneficial; neurology has shown evidence to suggest learning music and playing and instrument can cause extensive mental expansion and stimulation of neurons. All that helps keep the brain healthy, the mind sharp, and confidence up.
There are also the classic hobby-defining benefits such as stress relief and inspiring our creative sides. This is, after all, precisely what the daily “grind” is referring to. If you don’t
Both of these are traditional side-effects of the daily grind, and any hobbies for men that can counterbalance that effect are worth their weight in gold.
28. Ballroom Dancing
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Magic happens on the dance floor. Whether you’re married or single-and-searching, the dance floor could spice your social life in unthinkable ways. Bachelors have met their soul-mates while partners have rekindled the flames of their union with good ballroom dance.
Almost all cities will have a ballroom dancing studio where you can go and sharpen your dancing skills. It’s easy to right off dancing as not being the most manly of hobbies, but even one lesson will show you how tough it is and will most likely be sufficient to light a fire in your soul.
If you feel dancing is your thing, why not find the nearest class and hit the floor. It’s a good workout and a great way to meet new people; if it takes you out of your comfort zone, then all the better.
29. Form or Join a Band
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You’re a skilled player of an instrument or two. But sometimes, it can get monotonous strumming your acoustic guitar alone for hours on end. Then, of course, you could form a band. But if that seems like an uphill task, you could simply join one.
Playing in a band is a very different manly hobby to simply playing an instrument. The challenge of playing with others promotes a healthy level of competition, drive to improve, and plays into the masculine ways of friendship and bonding.
30. Writing Music
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If you are a creative type, you can always try your hand at writing some music. Now, you don’t need to be a classically trained concert pianist to write music. Because this also incorporates writing song lyrics. If you find you have a poetic soul and can easily string together sentences that evoke emotion and intrigue, then maybe try your hand at penning a lyric of two.
This is one of the items on this list of hobbies for men that can easily combine with others. You might not be ready for it confidence-wise, but you could work your way up to joining a band and contributing lyrics as well as your musical skills to the group.
Alternatively, you can go lone wolf, and assemble your own studio with surprisingly robust sonic capabilities. Compose your masterpiece in obscurity, and release it anonymously on SoundCloud until you have a cult following. Or, you know, hand out demos. Whatever floats your boat.
5 Cool Hobbies for Social Men
Some people enjoy being alone with their hobbies. It could be because they enjoy the quiet and the disconnect from the world. However, in 2021 we have all spent enough time enjoying our own company. The following social hobby ideas offer great things to do when bored for guys looking to expand their social circle.
31. Book Clubs
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Book clubs are a convenient way to grow your social circle and make new connections. With book clubs, members of the club read similar book titles and meet up to review those texts. It’s a fun mingling experience with food and drinks thrown into the mix.
It won’t be hard to find a book club near you that you could join. If you have a good collection of books, why not contemplate beginning your book club where you are?
32. Board Games
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Whether it’s old standbys like chess and Monopoly, or you’re a grizzled veteran of crunchy euro games like Carcassonne, Wingspan, or Food Chain Magnate, board games make for a great time. You may or may not know this, but we’re in a golden age of board game design. It’s a refreshing change of pace from video games, where mechanical frameworks and narrative structures exist and evolve on unique terms bound by the physical components on the table.
Holding board game contests regularly, let’s say every fortnight, can be a great way of meeting up with friends and extended family. Throw in some food, maybe a couple of drinks, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for an evening of fun. Just make sure you don’t play anything too cutthroat with newbies unless they’ve got thick skin. Board games bring the feels!
33. Group Travel/Tours
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While it may seem like a strange inclusion on a list of hobbies for men, the world has changed. After spending so long living the quarantine life, travel is once again back on the menu. For many, getting together with friends and going away for a few days is fast becoming a hobby.
Enjoy your expedition to areas of interest in a group. Whether the idea is to meet up with new friends, make new ones, or reconnect with family, there is no shortage of options for quick getaways. It’s also important to remember that you don’t need to head abroad to have a holiday. The ‘staycation’ is part of our culture now. Embracing it is a great way to indulge in your new pastime.
34. Coaching
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If you’re a fan of sports but don’t really consider yourself an athlete in any way, then a great hobby idea would be coaching. You could consider volunteering to coach a kid’s team in the neighborhood. Whether it’s running, basketball, or football, you could find this a fulfilling venture and allows you to get involved in your favorite sports.
Check Out: Top 75 Inspirational Football Quotes from Coaches and Players
Perhaps you have played for years, maybe even at a high level, and have knowledge you would like to pass on to the next generation. Either way, coaching is one of the all-time classic hobbies for men. Depending on how serious you want to take your hobby, you can try to coach at varying amateur levels. Who knows, perhaps there would even be a chance you get offered a paid coaching position somewhere.
35. Trivia Nights
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Pub quizzes are back in fashion thanks to lockdown. With online quiz nights a staple in many households, I think it’s fair that this gets added to a list of hobbies for men. Trivia nights are a great hobby because they offer several different things. One is the chance to test your knowledge, learn new things, and, yes, maybe show off a little. They also offer an excellent opportunity to relax and bond with your friends or family.
That’s a win-win that makes this one of the best hobby ideas around, especially if you are socially inclined.
5 Homemaking Hobbies for Men
Whether you’ve claimed the title of “man of the house” or not, it pays to know your way around domestic life. The beautiful thing is that it’s hardly mundane; when you put some time into homemaking hobbies, you’ll find a world of delight and enrichment of your living space and lifestyle alike.
36. Cooking
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Eating better means better health which leads to greater happiness and longer life. You also don’t have to rely on microwaves or Uber Eats for sustenance! Look good while you do it–a gourmet meal is sure to impress that special someone.
37. Baking
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Importantly distinct from cooking, baking is the creation of sweets, which is an allure for anyone with a tongue, and a smart way to control your carbohydrate intake.
38. Mixology
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Everyone loves a bartender who knows their stuff. Instant life of the party. Even if it’s just virgin cocktails, only cooking trumps this for pure sex appeal. If you need a place to start, might we suggest our guide to 10 easy mixed drinks you can make at home?
39. Gardening
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The ability to grow anything means having your own food, spices, and a sustainable lifestyle. If you’re in a city, learn urban or rooftop gardening or start a community garden. Instant property value improvement!
40. Interior Decorating
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Even if you’re a young man, plastering the walls of your room or apartment with posters is tacky. The least you can do is frame them, and gain a little insight into making a room not only comfortable or attractive, but more functional so you don’t waste space.
5 Useful Hobbies for the Handy Man
Hey, who says trades can’t also be hobbies? You might not have customers beating down your door, but you can attain a great deal of competence fixing and improving the most critical things in your life. It just takes practice, research, and of course, self-justification to buy just one more tool.
41. DIY
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More of a way of life than a hobby. The next time something breaks, before you toss it, try to fix it. That’s all it takes to begin the journey.
Becoming a DIYer entails many things, including having a good workshop full useful, well-built tools. It can also mean a general understanding of many disciplines including woodworking, soldering, welding, finishing. It’s even a great skillset to exercise your right-brained creativity as well, dovetailing nicely with design.
42. Woodworking
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Every piece of furniture you buy is grossly overpriced because you’re paying for the skill of the person (or machine) that put it together. Be able to construct without help and you’re no longer at their mercy.
43. Basic Computer Repair
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Knowing computers is now more important than knowing about any other machine, because computers are now part of every other machine. Have some basic knowledge – as in, how to change out a hard drive, format a drive, install RAM, etc. It makes you indispensable in the modern world.
44. Engine Maintenance
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This is better than knowing computers from a life or death standpoint, since a busted engine can leave you stranded. Understand basic parts, know how to swap out a tire, jack up a vehicle, and as many odds and ends as possible. A mechanic of any skill is never without friends or favors to trade.
45. Car Restoration
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Car and motorcycle restoration could be a great hobby idea for those who are more mechanically-minded. With your basic garage tools and a bit of training and practice, you can learn to fix anything. The costs of a hobby such as this can ramp up quickly as you start to take on more challenging projects. However, what makes this one of the best hobbies for men, is that you can try to sell your restored cars for a profit. This will then fund your next project while giving you a little profit also.
Scale this to another level by cheaply acquiring old automobiles and restoring them. You can then resell them at a higher price, and you’ll be laughing all the way to the bank.
Another modern offshoot of this hobby is camper conversions for living the van life.
5 Crafty Hobbies for Men
Whether it’s to express your creativity or it’s more of a tactile thing, many people enjoy handmade crafts. Not only is there a great deal of finesse involved, but there’s discipline to be honed against careful planning and execution. Leave any notion that these hobbies are for your grandma at the door. Each skill works mastery of hand and mind, yielding up some impressive end products to share–a byproduct of and testament to your effort.
46. Origami
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Relax the mind and never again need a conversation starter. Knowing origami means when things get dull, you fold a napkin into a flower and dazzle. It’s like up-close magic without looking like a jackass.
47. Sewing
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Even moreso than knitting, having the aptitude to repair torn clothing, replace a button on a jacket, or hem a pair of pants are all going to be necessary in your lifetime. Plus, stitching wounds or repairing the canvas on your rucksack requires this skill.
48. Sketching
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Convey your ideas visually as well as with words to enhance your ability to communicate. Be able to sketch your attacker for the police. Design your own tattoo. Sketching also soothes the nerves and focuses the brain.
It also helps you to “see” with a visual artist’s eye, helping you to more effectively assess proportion, value, and force in any other hobbit that may require these skills.
49. Scent Creation & Candle Making
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The sense of smell sits very deep in our brains, even though we often overlook it. Being able to bring homemade smells can greatly influence how people react to you. Get into this hobby and see. It helps that it can be a profitable side-hustle, as well.
50. Knitting
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Warmth is never unwelcome in the world, and the bi-lateral movement of working the needles is helpful for aligning the electrical impulses in your brain. Plus, you can make a nice scarf.
How to Come Up With Hobby Ideas as a Busy Modern Man
So, it’s time to come up with some new hobby ideas. You’re convinced that looking for a new hobby is a worthwhile venture. Where do you start?
Some of the following suggestions on our list of hobbies for men might appeal to you. First, however, you need to consider whether there’s real potential in the hobby. Is it really something you can invest your time and attention in? Admittedly, you can pick up some hobbies on a whim, but many might sound like fun, but when considered, they are not viable pursuits for various reasons.
Pause and ask yourself some fundamental questions:
- What is it that you like doing? It might seem like a simple question, but it is often so easily overlooked.
- Is there an activity that, when you do, all your pressures in life seem to disappear momentarily?
- What have you always wanted to do? Is there anything you’ve always wanted to try your hand at?
- What did you passionately indulge in much earlier in life?
If you can put an answer down to some or all of these questions, then you’re getting somewhere.
Once you have a shortlist of potentially cool hobby ideas, then ask yourself these questions.
- Do I have the time to invest in this hobby? – Some hobbies do take more time than others. Both in terms of getting set up, how long it takes to do said hobby, and its ideal frequency.
- Do I have the money to invest in this hobby? – Some hobbies are free, while many come with initial costs or recurring fees. Think equipment costs, rolling membership fees, etc. There is nothing worse than starting a fun hobby only to stop it because it’s too costly.
It will be easier to choose a hobby that goes well with your personality, skills, and budget if you can view the listed hobbies below on the backdrop of these questions.
Best Hobbies for Men: Conclusion
As you can see, there is no shortage of great hobbies for men. This list is just the tip of the iceberg. Sadly, we live in a fast-paced world where we get up early and retire late, working on a number of jobs just to cover the bills. It’s all too easy to forget to make time to unwind and indulge in something just for the fun of it. You must be deliberate about indulging in a hobby. Set aside time in your calendar each week to do something just for you.
Hobbies are a crucial part of life for all of us. Whether climbing a mountain or playing video games, it’s not so much the hobby, but the act of engaging that is important. It’s important to disconnect from the stresses of everyday life and do something just because it’s fun and you enjoy it.
What are your favorite hobbies? Can you think of any fulfilling hobby ideas that aren’t too hard to get into? Leave us your thoughts in a comment below!
