Looking for hobbies to do at home? If you are, you’re not alone. Up to 73% of adults consider themselves lifelong learners, and for many, that means learning new skills and hobbies.
Whether you’re looking to unwind after a busy day, develop your creativity, or explore a new subject area, you can find the information and tutorials you need online.
You’ll be doing yourself a favor: Researchers have discovered over 600 ways hobbies positively affect health, including slowing cognitive decline and improving mental well-being.
Below are six hobbies to learn at home with a reliable connection from your local internet provider:
1. Learn a New Language Online
Learning a new language offers impressive benefits: it expands your career opportunities, prepares you for travel adventures, and sharpens your mental agility.
Start with simple, easy-to-navigate apps like Duolingo or the free version of Memrise, then move on to paid programs such as Babbel or Rosetta Stone, which offer more advanced lessons.
Once your language skills are sufficient for basic conversations, join an online exchange platform like Tandem or iTalki, to chat with native speakers in real time.
Exchange platforms benefit both users: you take turns conversing in each other’s native language. All you need is a microphone and a reliable internet service.
2. Explore Digital Art or Graphic Design
Exploring the world of digital art and graphic design is one of the most rewarding hobbies to learn at home. Beginner-friendly tools like Canva, Procreate, and Adobe Express offer intuitive interfaces and hundreds of templates for novices who want to sketch out ideas, create social media graphics, design greeting cards, or alter photographs.
If you run into problems, YouTube offers a seemingly endless series of graphic design tutorials to help you get back on track.
Developing your graphic design skills can remain a hobby or unlock income opportunities as you build an online portfolio. However you choose to express yourself, consider upgrading to fiber internet to make it easier to upload and share your creations.
3. Take Virtual Cooking or Baking Classes
Cooking has long been one of the most popular hobbies to do at home, and the internet offers a dizzying array of recipe websites and cooking tutorials. You could cook for years based on YouTube tutorials alone and never repeat the same recipe twice.
To master cooking or baking styles, however, you can’t beat a virtual class. Online classes cover everything from basic cooking techniques and ingredient selection to mastering the finest in global cuisine.
Platforms like MasterClass and Sur la Table offer live, interactive sessions with expert chefs, while sites like Udemy and Skillshare provide pre-recorded courses you can revisit at your own pace.
4. Start Indoor Gardening or Herb Growing
Hobbies have a way of leading into one another. After mastering a few cooking techniques, you may find yourself learning to grow herbs indoors. Basil, mint, rosemary, and chives all thrive in pots on sunny windowsills or in compact hydroponic planters.
In addition to providing fresh ingredients for cooking, herbs improve indoor air quality by filtering toxins and boosting humidity.
To get started, choose small pots or stackable planters to maximize vertical space. Use a well-draining potting mix and water sparingly; overwatering herbs can lead to root rot and unhealthy plants.
Rotate your pots weekly to ensure even exposure to sunlight. Pinch back new growth regularly to keep plants bushy.
5. Try Online Fitness or Dance Programs
Staying active improves your health and uplifts your mood, making fitness one of the most rewarding hobbies to do at home. Whether you’re sweating through an online fitness class or taking dance lessons in your living room, movement keeps both your body and mind energized.
From calming yoga sessions to heart-pumping HIIT workouts and energetic dance cardio, there’s a virtual studio for every preference and fitness level.
The flexibility to exercise whenever it fits your schedule means exercise adapts to your life, not the other way around. Streaming classes let you work out in your favorite gear, right at home, either alone or with classmates at your level of fitness and skill.
Some of the most popular online fitness and dance programs include:
- Peloton, which offers strength training, cardio, and yoga classes.
- Obé Fitness is a personalized fitness program for women known for its dance, cardio, and strength classes.
- The Sculpt Society focuses on low-impact, high-intensity movements and dance-inspired cardio.
- DNCR Academy specializes in dance styles taught by professional choreographers.
6. Learn an Instrument Virtually
Ready to make some music? Virtual instrument lessons make it easy to pick up guitar, piano, or ukulele at your own pace. Guitarists can strum along with lessons from Guitar World, while pianists can fine-tune their art at Piano Dreamers.
For those who prefer smaller instruments, Uke Like the Pros offers step-by-step ukulele tutorials, or you can get your blues on with online harmonica lessons.
Endless Hobbies to Do at Home and Learn Online
Language lessons, digital art, cooking, gardening, fitness, and virtual music are only a fraction of the hobbies you can do at home. The internet is a treasure trove of information on leisure activities.
Sewing, embroidery, sculpting, magic, paper crafts, and more are all waiting for you. Just pick a hobby and commit to it this week. Dive in, explore new interests, and discover how online learning can enrich your everyday life.
