The best hobbies for couples are, more often than not, fun activities that you can practice together with your partner, doing something that you both enjoy. If you have different interests from your spouse, then it can be challenging to figure out what to do.
It may be tempting for each of you to focus on your individual preferences but sharing hobbies can help improve your communication, bond more, and even increase your team spirit by collaborating to do different tasks or overcoming obstacles together.
Here at HobbyKraze, we believe that although people are different they can still find things that they have in common. You just need to expand your horizons and take into consideration new activities that maybe none of you have tried so far.
To give our readers some new ideas in identifying the best hobbies for couples, we reached out to 40 relationship experts, most of them family therapists or dating counsellors, and asked them the following question:
What are the Best Hobbies that Couples can Practice Together?
Keep reading to see what they had to say.
Jess O’Reilly – Sex With Dr. Jess
1. Walk your dog or volunteer to walk someone else’s!
Pups can bring couples closer together. Dog owners report having lower stress levels and engaging in more physical activity thanks to those more-than-daily walks — both of which are good for relationship harmony, libido and sexual activity.
Some research suggests that owning a dog can make you more attractive and when you throw a pup into the human mix, levels of trust, cooperation, and intimacy are higher.
It’s no surprise that dog owners have lower blood pressure and being affectionate with your pup (e.g. petting or snuggling) is associated with a release of several feel-good hormones including serotonin and oxytocin.
If you’re not in the market for a dog, but you’re an animal lover, consider sharing cute animal pics. Data suggests that when you look at positive images alongside your partner, it’s associated with a more positive attitude to your relationship.
2. Cook something new together.
Novelty is the spice of life — at the dinner table and in the bedroom. As soon as you break your routine and venture into uncharted territory, you create the potential to heighten curiosity, passion, and attraction, as you take your brain off of auto-pilot.
And food and eroticism have so much in common — from the similar brain and body reactions to sexual and food cravings to the cascade of neurochemical responses to gustatory and erotic pleasure.
You can pick a theme and surprise one another with a new recipe or you can make a game out of it taking turns with each step of the recipe.’
If you’re feeling saucy, you can cook partially naked or get dressed up to match the theme of the meal.
And of course, your options for learning are endless. Over the last few years, online cooking workshops have multiplied so you can now learn from top chefs from all corners of the globe from the comfort of your home.
3. Take a hike.
Nature is healing, inspiring, and relaxing. And when you engage in movement and activities that get your adrenaline pumping, it can help to inject feelings of excitement and passion into the connection.
We know that spending time outdoors is healthy — for our mental and physical well-being.
If spending time outdoors boosts your mood, this can translate into benefits in the relationship – in and out of the bedroom. You might find you have more energy to enjoy sex. You might find that you’re more open to new ideas and explorations.
You may also find that when your mood is elevated, you’re more confident and comfortable in your skin and better equipped to communicate your desires. You’re likely better able to handle conflict and discuss concerns to release tension and lay the foundation for a more harmonious relationship.
So many couples report that they have deep, meaningful conversations while walking (or hiking) in nature, as the shoulder-to-shoulder setup reduces intimidation and awkwardness.
Dr. Raffaello Antonino – Therapy Central
Mutual attraction, understanding, and sex are perhaps regarded as the most important things in a relationship.
But we often forget that a relationship is often about doing things together – maybe in the form of having some interesting couple hobbies, such as:
1. Photographing – this can be nicely combined with hiking. If the two of you have a knack for visual arts, doing photography in nature can be a very relaxing, healthy, and interesting hobby!
2. Cooking – you may have tried this one, but often we forget about how we can cooperate to make delicious meals.
3. Gardening – this hobby is great to do in tandem, and with a little bit of work you’ll have a beautiful yard! Moreover, gardening is somewhat demanding from the physical point of view, so the two of you will be much more efficient than just one person.
4. Cycling (or jogging) – let’s be honest, cycling jogging alone does tend to get a little bit boring. Cycling together with your partner might just be what both of you needed to actually go out and cycle consistently!
Amber Lee – Select Date Society
1. Volunteering – Finding a shared purpose is the key to maintaining a long-term relationship. When you volunteer and do something meaningful together, it will strengthen your bond. When couples find a shared purpose, it brings a new meaning to the relationship they have with each other.
2. Play Board Games or Card Games – Playing games gives you the chance to laugh and have fun together while competing against each other.
Let’s be honest; Competition can be sexy. As you compete against each other, trash talk and make wagers. The competition will reignite the spark in your relationship!
3. Work Out Together – Whether you are taking a yoga class, hitting the gym, or going for a hike, working up a sweat together is a great way to connect with your partner.
Working out together allows you to be a cheerleader for each other and encourage each other. It also releases powerful chemicals in your brain that will increase the attraction you feel for your partner.
4. Take a Class Together – Learning something new together. Sign up for a painting class, cooking class, or learn a new language together. Learning something new together helps you grow together.
5. Learn Salsa – Taking a salsa dancing class together can get you both outside of your comfort zones and foster connection. The environment is sexy and fun. You will leave the class feeling energized and vibrant!
6. Travel – When you travel together, you learn and grow together. It will add a new dimension to your relationship and allow the two of you to create memories together.
Travel is often filled with mishaps and challenges (think delayed flights, getting lost, etc.) Getting through these challenges together will bring you closer.
Rachel Sommer – My Sex Toy
Discovering new hobbies together is a great way to induce excitement into the relationship. It allows you to reconnect with each other while strengthening the bonds in the relationship and creating memories that will last forever.
So, here are three of the best hobbies that couples can practice together:
1. Hiking – Hiking together can be a great way to reinforce your relationship’s bonds. Whether you’re nature lovers or not, nature walks combined with flora and fauna discovery throughout the trails can be an exciting way to have fun for couples.
2. Volunteering – Volunteering improves your mental and physical health. It fosters a sense of belonging and satisfaction, especially if you both have a passion for the specific task you volunteer for.
3. Gym – Hitting the gym is often tricky for most people, primarily due to a lack of motivation. So, when you start with your partner, you motivate each other to work hard. In addition, you spend more time together and enjoy better shape and health.
4. Gardening – Apart from reaping the aerobic benefits, gardening is an excellent hobby because both partners work together. From weeding to preparing the soil, working together increases the efficiency and results while fostering teamwork.
5. Cooking – Learning a new aspect of cooking together is another great way to strengthen your relationship’s bonds. After all, food is nourishing, and learning how to nurture each other’s bodies the best can only be a plus in the relationship.
Richard Heller – Rich in Relationship
The couples I work with look for mutual interests that they can share, and usually more than one.
For example, a couple I am working with both love gardening, travel, and business.
Interestingly they love different aspects of travel; one likes museums and sightseeing, while the other really loves to get into everyday life and culture, so planning trips so that they work for both of them can either be challenging or entertaining depending on the state other emotions and communication.
Hobbies that work well for couples are interactive, productive, and often support well-being.
On the physical well-being side: Martial Arts, Tennis, Golf, Baseball, Cooking, Massage
Intellectual well-being: Puzzles, Crosswords, Scrabble, Sudoku, Word Search
Emotional well-being: Journaling, Theatre, Movies, Singing, Game Playing
Some couples may enjoy improving their homes together by bringing different skills to the project; one may be more design-oriented while the other is more hands-on. This kind of interaction builds appreciation for one another’s strengths.
Dr. Tara Suwinyattichaiporn – Luvbites
1. Couples meditation. Meditation has a ton of great benefits when practiced together. It helps bring couples closer together mentally, physically, and spiritually. Many of my clients reported that they feel their emotional connection is stronger as well.
Additionally, studies show sexual meditation can even help with increasing sexual desire and arousal. So, not only that it improves synergy between the partners, it can help reinvigorate passion as well.
2. Hiking together. This is a great combination of nature time, exercise, and connection. Nature can be so healing physically. Exercise is necessary for a healthy lifestyle.
Hiking together allows a quiet time to chat and connect. During this time, you can also ask relationship check-in questions like “how are you feeling about our relationship right now?” and “Is there something more I can do for us?”
3. Cooking together. Food brings people together and in this case, it can bring the couple together.
Make it an event! Go grocery shopping together, create a menu together, select a pairing beverage, go home and make this meal together. This can be a fun weekly or monthly activity to do together.
Debbie Rivers
I work with couples to improve their relationships! One of the best ways to do that is to have fun together. Instead of the standard date night, find something you enjoy doing together. The novelty and newness will reignite your spark and keep it burning brightly.
How do you choose what you will do, especially when you have different interests? Go on a Hobby Hunt Adventure together! You can start this by coming up with a Hobby Bucket List of things to try together.
You will have different ideas and you need to agree to try what the other person would like to do once without complaining! Then take turns planning the adventures to find out the ones that you both enjoy the most.
Here are some fun options to try:
1. Paint & Sip Class – so much fun and even if you aren’t artistic you come away with a painting & feel accomplished! It could spark a shared love of painting.
2. Cooking Classes or cooking together as they do on the cooking shows. Have some fun, set a time limit and see who comes up with the best dish.
3. Dance classes, either a one-off taster or book a block of lessons.
4. Try different physical activities like couples Yoga, Badminton, lawn bowls, ten pin bowling, volleyball or mixed netball.
5. Personal development courses to grow together
6. If you like music plan to go to different types of music events, open mic nights & karaoke.
7. Laughter is good for relationships! Go to comedy nights, amateur stand-up nights, and even try your own routine!
8. Acting classes or improv workshops
9. Be a tourist in your city and explore like you would do if you lived overseas.
Whatever you try will create shared, unique experiences that will stimulate connection. The best part is they will give you something to talk about other than your to-do lists.
Babita Spinelli – Zencare
The best hobbies that couples can practice together. Here are a few:
1. Cooking together or taking cooking classes is a great hobby for couples to practice together. What makes cooking such a bonding experience is that a couple can not only enjoy learning new dishes but enjoy sharing the meal they cooked together on an ongoing basis.
2. Practice cycling – Discovering new places on bikes. Bike riding is the perfect combination for a couple to bring exercise into their lives, discover new places together and relieve stress! Couples can practice their cycling skills and enhance their physical strength together.
3. Learning a language is a fun and challenging hobby for a couple to practice together. A couple can pick a language that they feel they are going to use in a future trip they plan to take.
Practicing a language is a wonderful way for a couple to maintain a continuous bond and support the love of learning with each other.
Nina Rubin – After Defeat
Couples can have fun together doing many activities, from hosting poker or game nights to going out for trivia. Making friends with other couples and different people at trivia is a great way to expand your social circle and get out during the week.
Hosting monthly or occasional poker nights allows people to have friendly competition while also doing dinner, drinks, or snacks. Trying out other poker games can even the playing field for newbies.
Additionally, hosting theme parties like the 1920s, superheroes, or things related to a holiday can be exciting! As people feel more comfortable going out again, parties and backyard BBQs are great ways to reunite.
For couples who like to be handy, restoring furniture or creating a garden is rewarding. Building raised beds or buying them for an apartment balcony is a way to garden in small spaces.
Many couples enjoy going on various concert “tours” and following some bands to multiple cities and then trading souvenir pins. My friends met in a social media pin trading group and have been dating for a year!
For more quiet times, selecting a book of poetry or a novel to read together and reading to each other is romantic and relaxing.
Tiffany Schneider – Life Change Advice
It’s not about the hobbies, it’s about doing it together. Any hobby practiced as a couple can be magical, bonding, or hellish depending on how the couple engages with each other. I would first focus on why the couple is spending time together.
By setting down guidelines that together time is about bonding, mutual respect, intimacy, and kindness, then this hobby time can truly strengthen the connection. Spending time together is about communication.
There are times when you need to compromise and do something that doesn’t interest you because it interests your partner. Sometimes partners don’t have much in common and the gap grows over time. That’s when each partner needs to become curious enough to step out of their comfort zone to meet their partner in their interest.
For instance, if I love gardening and you love watching Matinee movies, it’s great to spend one day a week gardening together and another watching a Matinee together. This way both are happy.
You can get creative, anything really can be in the league of a hobby. From setting aside once a week to discuss politics to going to an escape room, it’s about taking that activity you tend to do on your own and including your partner in it.
Try to combine hobbies that involve different forms of communication. Partner dancing or jogging together allows you to communicate physically.
Playing board or card games together allows you to communicate in a spirit of fun. Going to a museum together allows you to communicate intellectually.
The best hobbies are ones they can do with compassion and care, spending time paying attention to each other, and curiously discovering each other in new ways. It’s the couple that makes the hobby worthwhile in how they treat each other, not the hobby that makes the couple.
Billie Tyler Therapy
Couples might find many different hobbies they can practice together.
Some of the hobbies I have seen work well for couples include cooking, furniture building, sharing in a tv show, working out challenges, dance lessons, or board games.
Often finding something you can both contribute and interact around is best.
It is also nice to do something outside of both of your comfort zones so you can share in some vulnerability that can really strengthen a relationship.
Something else that is fun is taking turns teaching each other something the other has skills or strengths in.
For example, if one person enjoys basketball they can spend time teaching the game and showing curiosity around the passion of the other person. Then the student becomes the teacher and might share the art of ice cream making.
Ultimately, it is all about finding joy and connection together, the possibilities can be endless.
Dr. Kathy Nickerson
It is so important for couples to find some hobbies to enjoy together because sharing fun experiences creates an emotional connection.
Healthy relationships stay healthy by constantly nurturing the connection. You can keep your relationship in tip-top shape by finding some hobbies for you both to share.
The best hobby for a couple is one they both truly enjoy. Ideally, something that helps both of you to lose track of time and just savor the experience.
Chat with your partner about what sounds fun; what did you used to love doing that you don’t do much anymore? Is there a way to do more of that or adapt it to fit your life now? Is there something you’ve always wanted to try, but never had the time? Let’s do it now!
If you’re up for learning something new, you can take a cooking or gardening class together and then practice what you learned at home.
If you’re artsy, try participating in an online painting challenge together. Or find new museums to explore on the weekend; bring your sketchbook and let yourself be inspired.
If you like to work with your hands, why not find some plans online and build a couple of lounge chairs for your yard?
If you like DIY, take on a new project for your house. It can be something big where you each focus on different parts or it can be something more decorative, like hanging some wallpaper together.
If you like to travel, it can be fun to do genealogy research together and plan a trip to see where your ancestors came from. Even if the actual trip is off in the distance, it’s really fun to research restaurants and things to do in foreign places.
You don’t necessarily have to do anything exotic. There’s nothing wrong with board games, doing a puzzle, or watching TV. The important thing is that you’re having fun with each other.
I recommend that couples take up a few hobbies, so that there’s a menu of things to pick from, and you can choose depending on how much time and energy you have available.
Start by chatting with your partner, hop online to get some fun ideas, make a list of things you both want to do… then as time permits, dive in!
Nancy Landrum – Relationship Rehab Coach
According to Webster, a hobby is an activity done regularly in one’s leisure time for pleasure. So I’ve always believed (and seen in my coaching practice) that anything can be a couple’s hobby, as long as they both enjoy it together and are having fun!
I know of a couple who both enjoy sky-diving together! Glad they found each other because that’s not for me!
Thankfully, my late husband and I enjoyed hobbies together that were a little more laid back. Once a week we enjoyed breakfast out, table games in a beautiful park setting, and a matinee.
Writing was a hobby that we thoroughly enjoyed together. While I was the writer, he was an excellent editor giving me valuable feedback when something I wrote didn’t make sense to him.
We also enjoy cuddling on the couch to solve crossword puzzles together. He said I was the best at figuring out the long words!
Several of my coaching couples enjoy frequent walks together while sharing about their work, children, friends, and any number of things they could enjoy together.
One couple works out at the gym together.
Travel planning is a great hobby.
One of my coaching couples enjoys planning family outings together and with their children.
It’s a lot of fun including individual and joint research on where to go, then choosing sights, activities, and stops along the way and back.
Pareen Sehat – Well Beings Counselling
One of the best hobbies that couples can practice together is going on adventures. It does not mean you need to plan out something extravagant, but it can be simply taking a detour on your morning walks.
This spontaneity can keep things interesting in your daily routine, which lowers the chances of growing apart. As a result, a shared hobby can strengthen your existing bond with one another.
Another hobby a couple can begin is starting something together. It can be like a book club with friends and family to share what they are reading and how it impacts them.
It’s a fun way to include people close to you in an activity that you and your partner love to do. This can further help you see the world through your significant other’s perspective, which improves your communication skills.
Julia Bendis – Match By Julia
No matter if you are a newly recent couple or have been together for decades, there are always hobbies and activities that you can do together.
Depending on your interests and physical activity level, they range from rigorous strength exercising to the complete opposite spectrum of sedentary-quiet ones:
If you are both into outdoors and physical adventure and also happen to live near the mountains or beaches – going on regular hikes or jogging on the beach is always fun, and you get both fresh air and exercise.
If you aren’t runners, you can do walks on the beach or along a nearby trail. It doesn’t have to be super vigorous.
Being near a body of water has great advantages for outdoorsy couples, you can go kayaking, body boarding, surfing or paddle boarding. If you’ve never done it before, make sure to take some lessons first, I’ve seen plenty of people get hurt on their first attempt.
Taking a walk each evening after work or first thing in the morning can be a great everyday hobby too.
Camping isn’t for everyone, but if you do like the outdoors, you can compromise and do a day trip to a campground, and then to a hotel or back home after.
Skiing, snowboarding, biking, playing tennis or pickleball – anything outdoors is a great hobby to do on a regular basis, if you have the means and desire to do so.
If you aren’t big on regular outdoor and physical activities, or simply want to balance the physical with the mental – here are suggestions for great hobbies to do together indoors or in the comfort of your home:
Puzzles of different levels and difficulty are an amazing hobby to do together as a couple. Have you seen the amazing scenery and wildlife puzzles available? I highly recommend checking out puzzles and boards that go together so you can put them away when not working on them.
Board games, remember how much you loved playing board games as a kid? Why not do it as an adult! Playing cards together and with other couples are always fun, even if it’s not with real money.
If you are handy and like building things with your hands, how about building something together? It can be anything from a small project like a birdhouse to larger like furniture. Being a team and relying on each other during this type of activity is important in a relationship.
The same goes for doing projects around the house, who says it has to be a chore when it can be a fun project to do together. Just make sure it stays fun and does not turn into a fight… If that’s the case then you need to step away and call a professional…
Watching a series or documentaries together can be a great hobby. You are both learning and educating yourselves as well as spending time cuddling up on the couch.
Cooking together is an amazing hobby. Each week take turns picking a recipe and working on it together. It can’t be any more romantic and enjoyable!
Lastly, any activity can turn into a regular hobby as long as you are both enjoying it and it brings you closer. It doesn’t matter what it is, at the end of the day, it’s about spending quality time together, stimulating your brain, and having fun adventures.
Tara Skubella – Earth Tantra
As a tantric guide for couples, I think it’s important to pick hobbies that excite and resonate with both people for bonding, spirituality, and relationship growth.
Also, giving ourselves permission to grow as an individual, as well in partnership, provides a beautiful lifelong path. For conscious couples, meditation, yoga, and retreats support our desire to grow in these ways.
Many couples find traveling is a common excitement, so why not combine your travel time with a retreat? There are many couple-centered retreat opportunities around the world ranging from water adventure to tantra (relationship connecting) to cooking to yoga and writing.
There is literally a retreat out there for any couple. One way to find couples retreats is to search RetreatBookings.com, YogaRetreats.com, or RetreatGuru.com.
For partners wanting to stay close to home, virtually guided retreats are becoming more popular as well as creating your own stay-at-home retreats.
Yoga, meditation, and breathwork are ways to grow wellness, mindfulness, deep connection, and spirituality. Not only are these modalities good for the mind, body, and soul, they can help form bonding with the release of oxytocin, dopamine, etc, which are our natural happy chemicals.
Yoga often times weaves in short components of meditation and breathwork into classes. Yoga might be best for couples who enjoy focusing on body movement. Breathwork is a great practice for partners interested in lung wellness, expanding lung capacity, and learning how to weave breathwork in their lovemaking.
Many people believe meditation is the art of being mindless and still, however, there are hundreds of forms of meditation available like transcendental, nature walks, meditative dance, vipassana, kundalini, and more.
Often times breathwork is also woven into meditation, making it a form of meditation itself.
Claudia Cox – Text Weapon
Research shows time and time again that financial stress is a leading contributor to breakups. Just because you don’t talk about your financial worries doesn’t make them go away.
While it might not seem like a super romantic hobby, building a secure financial future together by investing, creating a side hustle or even flipping a house (if that’s your thing) can build trust, a sense of teamwork, and a feeling of security.
Learning new things together is another hobby that is underrated. The key is to find something you are both really interested in pursuing, such as learning a new language.
Download some of the great free APPS out there like Duolingo, book a teacher on italki, watch a foreign film together, try cooking some of the local cuisine, and finally, plan a trip to test your new language skills.
Susan Trombetti – Exclusive Matchmaking
When it comes to the best hobbies for couples that they can practice together, there are numerous. Read on for a few suggestions:
1. Cooking together can be sexy and romantic as well as nurturing. You can just try recipes you both enjoy, or you can take cooking classes together.
As a matchmaker, when I interview matches, a lot of partner prospects would love to cook with their partner. It’s an ideal way to unwind, learn something new, and enjoy each other’s company. You don’t need to be great at it, but it’s a nice thing to do together.
2. Dancing is always fun. Whether it’s ballroom dance competitions that you both like to do, swing dancing, or simply salsa dancing for a night out every week, you can’t go wrong with this. A lot of couples love to dance.
I find that people that are uncomfortable dancing just never learned how, and once they learn and feel more confident, it’s something they enjoy as a couple. It’s an amazing thing to connect through dancing, and it can make you feel very bonded.
3. Working out together is a hobby couples enjoy as well as it establishes lifestyle compatibility in a relationship which is important. Many consider it to be a hobby, but it’s also a way of life and a way to maintain a healthy lifestyle which couples find important.
4. Antiquing can be a great couple hobby. You spend a lot of quality time together talking and bonding while searching for the perfect antique. It’s like being on an episode of The Pickers and you never know what you are going to find. It’s exciting.
Rori Sassoon – Platinum Poire
No two couples are alike, and the same can be said for what a couple enjoys doing together. Depending on your affinity toward fitness, the arts, travel, food, and culture, your and your partner’s interests can vary tremendously.
The best hobbies that couples can practice together are those that both parties will enjoy. These activities should focus on building and strengthening your relationship.
Whether you’re running together, cooking up a storm, or rock climbing, you are both bonding and trusting your partner throughout these processes. Go on a biking adventure together, get outside of your comfort zone and ax throw, work on your golfing skills, etc.
If your partner is a pro at a certain hobby, sport, or activity — let them teach you! There’s an endless list of shared hobbies you and your partner can participate in together. Whether you want to embrace your inner yogi or become amateur dancers, take your pick.
As long as you’re having fun, sharing laughs, and smiling until your cheeks hurt, then you’re spending time with your partner correctly.
Steph Palermo – Just Steph
The best hobbies for couples ideally will vary. Couples with more in common will fare better. It is just easier to relate when you have foundational commonalities like religion, upbringing, ethnicity. This does not mean diversity cannot work.
It merely implies that there are problems in relationships regardless. Why not reduce the amount and increase the depth of understanding.
Here are some thoughts:
Couples who engage in a common physical activity like golf, tennis, walking, etc. will have more to discuss. Being part of the same organizations are fun like affiliations or clubs.
Cooking together, taking dance lessons, travel are other great hobbies for couples that afford time together, intellectual conversation and physical activities, not to mention time to laugh together.
Get in the car and take a long ride. You cannot escape and you learn more about each other each trip.
My fiancé and I belong to The St. Joseph Society of Boston. We attend meeting, celebrations and events. We also can drop in the club during the weekends for a drink or coffee. We love to go to the beach. We also take long road trips where we listen to audiobooks, music and chat.
Alex Davis – Ryan and Alex Duo Life
Research shows that hobbies are closely tied to life purpose, which increases longevity, improves job performance by as much as 30%, and lowers blood pressure.
When it comes to doing hobbies as a couple, there’s even more good news to celebrate. Studies have found that couples who pursue new hobbies together experience dopamine boosts, closer intimacy, and overall happiness and contentment.
So how do you go about picking a new hobby as a couple? Whether you’re similar or more of an “opposites attract” type, finding mutual hobbies can strengthen your relationship.
First, be open-minded to your partner’s interests. Spend a few dates sampling each other’s current hobbies. Perhaps you never thought that you’d enjoy your partner’s yoga class and might be surprised.
If, instead, you prefer to find a completely new hobby for the two of you, consider several factors first. What’s your budget, time restrictions, or will this hobby create unhealthy competitiveness?
Also, don’t discount hobbies that can be done at home together to make it easier to get started. A few favorite ideas include taking an online class, cooking all of the recipes in a cookbook, starting game nights, beginning a new workout, recording your family history, or forming a book club for two.
No matter what, have fun with it! You’ll learn more about yourself and your partner while spending meaningful time together.
Dr. Jennifer Litner – Embrace Sexual Wellness
I’d recommend activities that encourage ongoing learning, novelty, and teamwork.
Pickleball, tennis, rock climbing, and kayaking are great for people who want to be physically active.
Volunteering, meditating, gardening, or learning a new language are great for people who want to engage their minds and learn together.
Mollie Eliasof
Couples benefit from activities together that promote shared interest, increased connection, and play! It almost doesn’t matter the activity if those fundamentals are a part of it.
Have a shared cause that speaks to you both? Volunteer or contribute together. Love being physically active? Sports, hikes, or even moving things from your in-laws’ attic may be a fun way to keep it fitness focused.
For a list, here are a few more:
- Creative projects: create a song together (my parents like this one!), paint a picture together, or design your home’s windchime
- Invest in something financially: find a new play project, whether a house or a new item for your investment portfolio; follow it and chat about the changes
- Mellow together: find ways you both like to unwind; from the beach to the couch, find ways to be still and at ease that make you both smile
Dr. William Kolbe – RPM
Let’s start by unpacking what is or can be meant by a hobby. Most dictionary definitions refer to hobbies as activities designed for pleasure and done during leisure time.
What constitutes pleasure encompasses a vast spectrum of forms of entertainment, sensorial delights, and satisfying desires. The best hobbies for couples would be those that foment and strengthen camaraderie, mutual appreciation, and love.
Topping my list is the pre-dinner casual conversation over a glass of wine, sharing the personal narratives of the day’s course, reminiscing, and flirting with the future.
Conversation bonds the couple with the joy of being heard and understood in a space where they are fully present to each other.
Conversation is an unconditional exploration into the universes of personality and perception that each person has created and developed over their lifetimes.
Another excellent pleasurable hobby for a couple is to share a fitness regimen such as gym workouts, walks, or a sport.
Shared exercise is a reserved quality time that boosts the couple’s emotional bond and physical attraction as well as activates the release of endorphins, the ‘feel good’ hormones.
By exercising together, couples can encourage each other, feel more connected, and promote a deeper sentiment of love.
Leah Spasova – LIFESEXPERTS
Using hobbies to bond and nurture your relationship can be such an easy, yet powerful and fun thing to do with your partner.
However, before you jump on random lists full of ideas for hobbies for couples, I highly recommend that you spare some time to evaluate what kind of person you and your spouse are and whether you work well in a team or you find competing against each other to be more rewarding and building as an experience.
Let’s face it – some people are more competitive and feelings may get hurt if there’s a ”loser” between the two, even if it’s just in a game.
Hence, if a person cannot keep their feelings in check and are likely to get angry or sulk if they lost a game, this is probably a sign that picking up a hobby that can lead to friction and upset is not going to be the healthy choice.
In such circumstances, it may be best to pick hobbies that put you in the same team, needing you to collaborate and complement each other in order to have fun and build the relationship.
And if you love challenging each other and can use the friction to get the spark and flame between you – then jump on and experiment with the fun activities and hobbies that can give you space to play, tease, and rub it…in each other’s face when one gets the better of the other one.
Dr. Robin Buckley
The actual hobby or activity isn’t as important as the reason for the hobby. Rather than “what hobby to do” the more important question to ask is why are you doing the hobby? In essence, what is the goal of why you want a hobby to do together?
For example, is your goal to enhance your communication? Then you wouldn’t likely achieve your goal through doing a weekly individual yoga class. If your goal is to support each other’s physical or mental wellness, then doing yoga together could achieve the goal.
As another example, if the goal is to have fun together, taking up a hobby in which one partner has to be dragged to or talked into doing each time isn’t likely to achieve the goal. If fun is the goal, then choosing a hobby that both partners are excited to do is part of achieving the goal.
Choosing a hobby to do together becomes an opportunity to enhance your relationship; therefore, knowing your goal is an important first step in determining a hobby to try. Have a conversation with your partner regarding what areas of your relationship you want to enhance through this hobby.
Check-in with each other periodically to make sure both of you are seeing the investment of time and potentially money as valuable to the relationship. Be open to making adjustments, or simply trying a different hobby, if the chosen activity isn’t meeting the goal you and your partner were hoping for.
Most importantly, know that if the activity works for one partner, it can become an individual hobby and the couple can then choose something different to try together, instead of forcing something that only worked for one partner.
Ultimately, mutually shared hobbies and individual hobbies contribute to the relationship in different, but significant ways and allowing room for both can strengthen your relationship.
Megan Kozak – Lighthouse Relationships
The best hobbies couples can practice together are as varied as the couples themselves! I would get the couple to get intentional about their ‘us’ time and think about their hope, dream or goal. Then, use this goal to find or create a hobby that fits.
For example:
Want to improve fitness? Try taking up a new a sport together, like stand up paddle boarding. You’ll learn a new skill, laugh together, get a little fitter.
Want to build intimacy? Try something that involves physical touch, like Latin dance lessons, a massage course, or acrobalance.
Want to change the world? Volunteer together with a charity that is important to both of you. By giving your time, not just your money, you will create a shared experience based on shared values.
There is no right or wrong answer. You just need to be intentional about what you want out of this hobby and have fun with a little trial and error!
Jennifer Chain – Thrive for the People
The best hobbies that couples can do together include those that increase adrenaline, novelty, and play, which in turn, leads to more attraction and bonding.
Studies have shown that emotional and physical arousal and the adrenaline rush that comes with it can increase attraction. Any activity where you can get your heart pumping with your partner can be a wonderful aphrodisiac.
For example, going for a hike or a bike ride, taking a boxing class, playing pickleball, watching scary movies, traveling.
Studies have also shown that playfulness and novelty trigger positive states like curiosity, openness, pleasure, and intimacy. Remember when you first started dating your partner and how exciting it was to reach the “firsts” together (e.g., first kiss, first road trip, first time meeting your friends, etc.).
The novelty of the relationship and the things you were doing together helped you feel more present and alive. You can keep that spark going in your relationship by engaging in hobbies that provide opportunities to experience and learn something new and to be playful together.
While you step outside of your comfort zone and routines, you might also be surprised to learn something new about yourself and your partner.
Some ideas for hobbies with playfulness and novelty include trying a new recipe, taking an improv class, wine tasting, playing a board game, attending a sports game, mushroom hunting.
Maj Wismann – Web Sexolog
Some of the best hobbies couples can practice together are hobbies where they have fun. Where they laugh and have a great time together.
Quality time that reminds them of how great they can have it together even though the world will knock them out sometimes. Fun activities will strengthen the bond between them and put points in the bank to the hard times.
Couples can with great advantage look to the first period of their relationship to find clues. What did they do together, what did they enjoy together, what made them laugh together.
Sam Whittaker – Mantelligence
Couples or partners who do recreational activities together get to have a stronger bond. Here are some best hobbies to nourish a relationship.
Mountaineering
Mountaineering, which includes traveling, hiking, and camping, can help foster a healthier relationship and a fitter lifestyle. It also encourages deeper and more meaningful conversations they tend to skip because of the distractions of everyday life.. It encourages couples to be patient and to work together.
Content Creation
If both individuals are creative and are into making blogs and videos, then this hobby is definitely recommended. Couples can create blogs or vlogs about their common interests such as travel, lifestyle, food, hobbies, and so on.
Watching Movies
Staying home does not need to be boring. For couples, watching movies and shows that both of them enjoy can add fuel to the relationship. It can help ease the stress from a long day’s work. Relating through issues and characters from shows can also help resolve their own predicaments in their relationship.
DIY
Couples can enjoy their time through different Do-It-Yourself projects at home. This is great for newlyweds who want to furnish or improve their homes. It gives couples a sense of accomplishment, especially since both of them are involved in the project, and is a great venue to showcase their creativity.
There are tons of hobbies that are helpful in nourishing a couple’s relationship. Giving time in doing activities they both enjoy can help resolve problems, get them closer together, and help build a lasting relationship.
David Khalili – Rouse Sexual Wellness
One suggestion I give to couples is to go for two approaches; try a hobby one partner is already interested in and find entirely new hobbies for both partners.
When you introduce a hobby that you are already familiar with, it can be a great way to bring your partner into your world and share the meaning and value that this hobby has for you.
On the other hand, with new hobbies to both partners, they get to be in a place of learning and discovery together.
When deciding on the hobby, decide on what emotion or experience you both are seeking. Are you seeking excitement and novelty? Try something that can spice up your sex life.
Are you seeking comfort and relaxation? Try a hobby that involves slow movement and focus. Maybe you’re trying to master a new skill? Take a course and learn together.
By spending a little time considering the experience that you’re going for in the beginning can pay off in the long run.
Rebecca Blanton – Love Letters To A Unicorn
Having a shared hobby is a great way for a couple to spend time together, create intimacy, and enjoy their relationship. Most hobbies can be shared, but some lend themselves to couples time more than others.
I am a crafter by nature. Sewing and stitching projects (e.g. cross-stitch, embroidery, knitting) are hobbies that have long been done in groups: think of the old-fashion sewing circles.
The great thing about needlecrafts is that there is a wide variety of options so a couple can enjoy it together without having the exact same hobby.
For couples who are into kink and BDSM, there is a growing number of kinky crafting and sewing groups. These are groups that get together to craft just like old-fashion sewing bees with the added level of sharing an interest in kink and BDSM.
Many of these groups meet at cafés, crafting stores, and other ‘vanilla’ locations to craft, chat and connect.
Going as a couple allows you and your partner to connect with others who share your interest in needlework and enjoy similar relationship styles. These circles are ersatz support groups for people as well.
If you are interested in finding your local kinky sewing/crafting circle, you can check the Events section of Fetlife (Facebook for kinky folks), ErosBay.com if you live in the California Bay Area and MeetUp.com.
Joel Flynn – Gentleman Zone
One of the favorite things I do with my girl is to build a vivid vinyl record collection.
Collecting music over time does bring us together to another level where we continuously shape and change our music taste both together and in parallel.
You wouldn’t expect it but when you see what happens when you spin vinyls together and it’s just touching. It’s also super awesome when we browse vinyl shops and share the finding of unknown treasures then only known to us.
I love when we shut down the lights leaving only our red and blue lamp to fill the setting while we play vinyl at home. And the best thing is that when you make a present, let’s say a double LP record, it’s a present for both of us!
Jason Polk – Colorado Relationship Recovery
Explore a new destination together.
When couples explore a new destination, they share that excitement together. Their brains are no longer on autopilot and they pay more attention because everything is new. This creates a shared experience that can be memorable.
Such experiences are a lot different than going into their living room together.
If the destination they are exploring is really new, like a new culture, for example, it is also a reminder that they need to be on the same page to successfully the new culture.
Gregory Cheney – Valiant Couples Therapy
The best hobbies couples can practice together combine their common interests and facilitate communication.
1. Hiking. Couples who enjoy the outdoors and exercise will find hiking can improve their relationship and their health! Hiking provides the opportunity to walk and talk together while exploring beautiful areas.
A relaxing hike can promote relaxed conversation. Hiking provides time alone to talk in our fast-paced world.
2. Puzzling. Couples can improve their communication and connecting while building puzzles. Choosing a puzzle with a picture that interests both partners creates intentional time together.
Couples work on the puzzle while talking about their day. This relaxed way of communicating provides time for catching up with each other.
3. Gardening. Couples who enjoy creating and building things may enjoy gardening together. Working closely together in the garden puts partners in close proximity while they work to create something beautiful.
When couples work in the garden together they also create time to talk and communicate with each other.
These are a few hobbies that combine a couples’ common interests and communication. The best hobbies couples practice together combine these two. Many couples find themselves binge-watching TV shows, scrolling social media, or working on laptops.
Even though they may be next to each other, couples may struggle with disconnection in their relationship. Hobbies, where conversation and connection are possible, can facilitate closeness, communication, and connection.
Margaret Ann Dixon – Dr Dixon Psych
In couples therapy, a point of discussion is often related to hobbies that the individuals pursue. These are often seen as passions that need respect from the other. Then there are hobbies that can bring a couple closer and help them grow as individuals.
As a professional musician and a psychologist specializing in couples therapy, I have a bias toward encouragement of music as a hobby.
1. Music is therapeutic and stimulating to the aging brain however it is a more challenging hobby for a couple to agree upon. YouTube is a great source for free lessons if a couple would seek out playing musical instruments as a hobby.
Similarly, a couple could benefit from dancing to music, at home while cooking together – another great hobby many couples share.
2. Dance lessons can be a fun way to reconnect with others and each other, get dressed up, and see each other in another light. The movement can be healing for individual trauma and increase the couple’s connections.
3. Hiking provides a nature bath to wash away the stress of the week. The walking movement is a calming stimulus to the brain, providing calm to the emotionally laden limbic system through the bi-lateral stimulation that we call – walking.
4. Board games, ongoing card games with points kept over months, even years, have been reported by some couples to provide a friendly competition that can lead to even more spice in the bedroom.
Even if the couple has extremely divergent interests, this therapist advises showing interest in a partner’s hobby. This can be a way to show admiration and increase connection, even if you do not share their enthusiasm.
Even subtle comments such as, “I love seeing your excitement about this,” can make the other person feel valued when they might actually feel a bit of guilt for being away from their partner or spending money on a hobby.
Passions are often linked to hobbies. Partners may need to yield to another’s passion and can always negotiate on time, money, and space particulars.
For example, one couple had to negotiate in session the amount of money he would spend on coin collecting once they had a new baby. She encouraged his passion and he was willing to work within a more limited budget and even sold a few less prized coins.
Sira Mas – The Truly Charming
Couple Dance Lessons
One of the best hobbies a couple can try is dancing. You can choose from different styles, such as salsa, bachata, merengue, tango, and many more.
I always recommend this activity to my clients as it has several benefits for a relationship. First of all, physical touch strengthens the emotional connection between partners and stimulates the production of oxytocin, also known as the love hormone. Not to mention, it promotes gratitude towards each other and it helps build intimacy.
Another important benefit of dancing together is that when you dance, you work as a team, which helps you bond, re-connect, and strengthen the relationship.
So, whether you are looking for something to do for fun or you want to keep the spark alive, taking couple dance lessons is definitely your best bet.
Katina Tarver – The Pleasant Relationship
1. Story-telling
If a couple has undergone many highs and lows in their relationship and wishes to enlighten the world about it, they can share their stories or start a podcast together. It gives a sense of fulfillment by inspiring the world and a moment to cherish all old memories.
2. DIY Spa Massage
Massage is a blessing for detoxifying skin and refreshing the mind and body. However, some couples may find it expensive to visit a spa.
In such circumstances, they can turn their home into a spa and pamper each other with a homemade massage kit, preferably with organic products. It will add to a better and more soothing experience.
3. Karaoke
Karaoke is a great activity to break the monotony. Picking each other’s favorite songs, dancing, inviting friends over to get into the vibe, keeping a score, and laughing about it is an excellent way for partners to destress!
4. Road trips on weekends
Going on trips is an excellent way for couples to bond with each other. Playing favorite music, exploring local cuisine, having long talks, and soaking in the vibes of the countryside forms the perfect backdrop of a mesmerizing trip. Indeed, one of the best hobbies couples can do together.
Carrie Krawiec – Birmingham Maple Clinic
Shared hobbies are a great way for couples to carve out deliberate time together. To break up the monotony and create new topics of conversation. To be present and engaged in an activity. To learn and grow and have opportunities to encourage and congratulate eachother.
It creates the opportunity for shared experiences, a common “language” and understanding for one another and what makes each other “tick” which is helpful for creating a deep well to pull from when things are tough or in face of disappointment, annoyance and frustration.
Some couples cook together, do similar fitness or outdoor activities, or enjoy the same kind of travel such as camping.
In my personal relationship, my husband and I share a number of hobbies. Spring-Fall we routinely ride bikes. A 40-mile bike ride takes us a few hours and is a great “date” away from our children.
We also enjoy going to concerts together and have even made time to travel to certain venues to see acts of importance to us like going to Wrigley and Fenway to see the Foo Fighters. On a smaller scale, we try to take the same yoga class at least once or twice a week.
Diana Maria Indries – Better Topics
One of the best things that couples can do together is to play and have fun together.
This not only helps them de-tension but also brings them together as a team. Pretty much like a team-building thing in a work environment, similarly, the more games they can both engage in together the more their bond it strengthened.
Personally, I love games that are also fun AND are still games, hence why I’ve invented the Better Topics Game, together with my husband.
It’s a game and also helps couples work on the relationship, but never leave the fun out of it.
Thank you so much to all the experts that have contributed to this expert roundup! If you enjoyed reading this post, please share it on social media with your friends and followers!
