Talking to strangers is no fun, is it? Unless you are an extrovert who can talk to anyone about any topic, things can get a little boring or bumpy. That’s the reason most people stick to talking about the weather. But there’s only so much we can talk about it without sounding like a weatherperson on the television.
That’s the reason hobbies are next on the list. Sooner or later, the question about your hobbies will come up. Or you could be the one asking the question. It’s easier to talk to someone when you share common likes or dislikes, isn’t it?
Still, that’s not what happens always. Many people don’t know what to say when they are asked about their hobbies. Is it because they don’t have any? Nope. It’s highly likely that they have hobbies and activities they take part in quite regularly. They just don’t relate it with the term hobby. They get uncomfortable, shrug it off, and ask you to talk about your hobbies instead.
Irrespective of which continent, country, and city people belonged to, some hobbies were liked by a lot of them. Well, people had their own versions of the hobbies in some instances, but overall, these hobbies became popular throughout the world. While some are expensive, other hobbies hardly require any investment from your side, except for some time.
In this blog, we’ve listed 21 popular hobbies in the world for you to match with your list and give them a try. Next time you meet someone, you can mention some of the popular hobbies to see if the other person likes them too. Sounds good, doesn’t it?
Shall we start off with the list then?
Table of Contents
Games First, Please
1. Billiards- Cue Sports
Does it remind you of your teenage days in the clubs? Even though billiards, snooker, and pool are three different games, let’s consider them as one of this post. The rules, the balls used, and the calculation of scores and penalties are different, but all three games have a similar style. They are played on a table covered with a soft cloth. A cue stick and a cue ball are common to both.
The games are either one player or two player-based, where the one with the highest score wins. It’s pretty much an old game that saw many changes over the decades and centuries. Teens and adults alike enjoy playing a round or two of billiards in their free time. Some people even have a table at their home and play it almost every day.
2. Bowling, Alright
Pin bowling is very popular in many parts of the globe. And yes, it’s again the youngsters who like to crash the pins and score points. Many entertainment and shopping centers have at least one bowling alley to attract the younger crowd. If you are serious about the game, you’ll be better off joining the bowling center instead. That way, you’ll not only have to pay less (bowling rates are charged per hour), but you also get to meet and compete with equally serious players.
Did we mention the special bowling shoes you’ve got to wear? Yeah, we know, not something you look forward to, right? Bowling did become a little less popular during the last few years. Still, we cannot deny its lure. Anybody who sees the bowling alley wants to try crashing the pins at least once. It’s so satisfying, isn’t it?
3. Tennis, Maybe
Tennis is a slightly expensive hobby (even more than billiards and bowling). You will need a decent tennis racket, proper shoes, and training to play the game. Tennis courts aren’t an issue anymore. You can find them in abundance and get membership in the clubs to play whenever you want.
Tennis requires physical fitness, even if you have no mention of competing in Wimbledon. It needs dedication, physical stamina, and mental strength to master the game and improve your skills with each game. Tennis is yet another old game that has been popular in England for a long time. If playing the game feels like too much effort, you can limit your hobby to watching it and learning all that you need to know about how it’s played. That’s fun, too, isn’t it? Knowledge is always useful.
4. Boating, Of Course
Those who live near the lakes and rivers are bound to love exploring the water body in a boat. Whether you simply like to row to the center of the lake or wish to catch some fish in peace, boating is a fun hobby. People from far off places visit rivers and lakes to step into a boat and experience the thrill of floating on water.
Kayaking is another form of boating and is a favorite hobby for a lot of people. River rafting is an extreme adventure sport that attracts many tourists and travelers. You can also have parties on boats by sailing into the sea. It depends on how you look at boating, that’s all. Isn’t it cool to have more than one option under the same umbrella term?
5. Golf on the Greens
Golf is a great hobby (though it is expensive) to have. It doesn’t matter if you are young or old. People of many age groups play golf. While the ones looking to stay fit like to walk through the course, others use the golf cart to love around.
Men and women watch, discuss, and play golf while finalizing business deals and other transactions. Reminds you of books and movies, doesn’t it? Well, they did get inspired by real life. Even today, after all these decades, being a member of a golf club is considered prestigious. If going to the course isn’t possible always, you can have a mini-golf patch right in your home. Yep.
6. Form a Team- Team Sports
Team sports are great hobbies. You can become a part of a group and collectively develop your skills. Kids start playing team sports at a really young age. Depending on which country they belong to, the sport could be anything, be it cricket, baseball, basketball, ice hockey, etc.
The cost of managing the hobby will depend on the sport you play. You’ll have to go for formal coaching if you wish to improve your skills and convert your hobby into a profession. Many people have successfully done that, didn’t they? After all, they are our inspiration to take up the sport in the first place and give it a try.
Flaunt Your Skills
7. Choreography- Dance Away
Is there anyone who doesn’t dance? Yes, we know there are a good number of people who can’t dance to save their lives. Two left feet are real. But they still would have tried it sometime in their life, even if it is behind the closed doors. Dancing is an excellent hobby that helps in keeping your body fit, improving your coordination, relieving stress, and making you happy.
Whether you are learning dance or teaching it, it becomes a part of your life forever. Across the world, the word dance has gathered many meanings. Just like different dance forms (some of which are unique to some countries), dance evokes various emotions in people. You’ll be pleased to know that most emotions are positive and encouraging.
8. The Allure of Drama
The theater has been popular for centuries. However, as cinema took over, the allure of theater has dimmed. But it is still respected by those who know the effort that goes into learning acting. With the corporate companies talking about role plays and stuff, the theater has started to attract attention.
People with anxiety and depression are advised to try the theater to feel better and express their emotions. Forgetting your worries, taking up the traits and personality of another character, and expressing complex emotions is both draining and rejuvenating. It depends on how you perceive the process. If acting isn’t your strong point, you can write scripts for plays, direct them, or become a stage manager.
9. Build Something Worthy
If you like to work with your hands, this is something you are sure to enjoy. You can make furniture, showpieces, statues, dollhouses, and whatnot. It just depends on what your area of interest is and where your skills lie. What if you don’t know much of anything? That’s hardly an issue, right? You can learn it if you want to.
Many people have developed their hobbies into paying professionals and have become famous (in their own way). If electronics and mechanics excite you, why not try building a motorbike or a car from scratch? Robotics, model railroads, model rockets, etc. are a few other things to try. They are cost-intensive, yet quite popular as they add a certain charm to the personality.
10. Video Games are a Hit
Oh, well, this should be easy, right? Maybe not if you don’t like video games. We aren’t talking about the handheld console you used to play as a child. Video gaming is a serious hobby. There are online and offline clubs and groups for gamers to connect and interact with each other. Discussing gaming strategies, beta testing new games, live streaming the games, and organizing gaming nights are some of the activities gamers take up.
Gaming is another expensive hobby. You’ll need a special gaming laptop, gaming mouse, headphones, etc. for the purpose. And did we mention the Xbox Play station and the money that’s needed to buy the latest games? Gamers also like to collect game-related things like figurines, books, posters, T-shirts, etc. We can hardly deny the happiness gamer experiences after winning the game.
11. A Game of Cards
Whether it is a friendly game on family night or high-tech gambling in the dens, card games are a part of every household. Bridge, poker, blackjack, etc. are some names we hear quite often when card games are mentioned. If you have a knack of shuffling the cards and winning against the odds, you can call it more than a hobby.
We could say it’s your passion for the game (or is to the zeal for winning) that makes you a worthy and scary opponent. Family, friends, or dens, cards are popular in all parts of the world. Even in countries where gambling is illegal, you will find people playing a round or two at family gatherings and events. It shouldn’t be an issue if you have the self-control to stop when you want to, right?
12. Do You Have a Green Thumb
Ah, gardening is such a blissful hobby, isn’t it? It is relaxing, comforting, and also provides some physical exercise if you have a yard full of the garden to take care of. It also requires investment to maintain the garden and keep it free of insects and worms. Be it a tiny garden or a greenhouse full of plants, if you have plants to tend to, you can call yourself a gardener (may not, but that’s fine. We’ll make a few exceptions).
You would have met people who proudly say that gardening is their hobby and can talk about plants for hours at a time. You may not be one of them, but you can still make an attempt to know more about the plants you are growing. You can flaunt your knowledge and also your beautiful garden.
Lazy yet Popular
13. Watching TV
Doing nothing other than lying on the couch and staring at the screen is highly popular. How many people you’ve met have talked about watching the telly regularly? We’d say 8/10 would confess that watching TV is their only hobby. Whether it is the shows, movies, or sports (okay, even cartoons), the telly has become a part of our lives.
Binge-watching our favorite shows and movies on repeat isn’t something new or unique. Just about everyone does it with a takeaway carton in one hand and a drink in the other. At times when you want to be alone, but not too alone, the TV acts as a perfect companion, doesn’t it? We could say the same about OTT as well.
14. Surfing Online
What if you are bored of watching the TV? There’s the World Wide Web to explore, that too right at your fingertips. Surf through social media, watch videos on YouTube, check out the news (beware of fake news, though), read something interesting, or catch up with old friends and search for the missing ones.
Yeah, most of us doing all of the above activities even when we are busy and have a deadline to meet. No wonder it is a popular and addictive hobby. But it’s got its advantages too. We’ve come across interesting and important information when mindlessly surfing the internet, right?
15. Reading Books
Any book lovers around? Say, yes, please. The funny thing about this hobby is that it features on many lists. But when you actually ask people what they read, who their favorite authors are, and how many books they read per month, not all of them give us encouraging answers. (Risky topic, we know).
Back to readers, finding someone who enjoys reading as much as you do is a marvelous feeling, isn’t it? Reading doesn’t need much effort (unless you have an exam the next day, which is then called studying). Grab a book, cuddle on the couch with a blanket, and enter the imaginative world of the books.
16. Relaxing- Do Nothing for a Change
This is a super easy and popular hobby. It’s mighty hard, too, especially for those who cannot sit idle. What do you do when you want to do nothing? Well, you don’t do anything. You just sit or sleep or stare through the window.
You can listen to music (which is yet another popular hobby throughout the world) or, you can let the silence of the house envelop you and bring some much-required peace. In our opinion, it’s necessary to do nothing at times and let your body and mind relax. Yeah, this is vaguely similar to meditation. That’s better, though.
17. Hit the Beach
Ahem… we don’t mean it literally. *wink*
If you want to be lazy but also soak up the sun, the beach is a good place to go. Carry your umbrella, the beach mat, a hat, and a bottle full of sunscreen. That’s it. You can get a gorgeous tan doing nothing other than dozing, reading, or watching others around you.
Beaches can be relaxing and exciting. You can enjoy the trip being alone or with some company. It is truly a versatile place that caters to people of different tastes. Going to the beach is a famous holiday and a popular hobby (depending on where you live).
Time for Some Activity
18. Ride through the City/ Town
Do you think we’ve been lazy for long enough? Time for some action then. If you want to get some exercise, take out your cycle and peddle down the streets and get some fresh air. Go to new places and observe things.
If cycling is a lot of effort or if you want to go to a far off place, take your motorbike instead. Fill up the fuel tank, and zoom out of the city and into the green countryside. Glide through the curvy bends with the wind in your hair. And yeah, don’t forget to hear the helmet.
19. House Cleaning
Do we hear you sigh? Well, the thing is your house does need cleaning. And instead of calling it a chore, turn it into a hobby. A good number of people do that, you know. They love cleaning their homes, arranging and rearranging the shelves and furniture.
It sure takes time and energy, but the results are worth it, aren’t they? Having a sparkling clean home is a lovely feeling. Of course, it wouldn’t stay the same for long if you have little munchkins running around. But that’s another story.
20. Social Welfare Activities
This hobby is gaining popularity in recent times. More and more people are stepping forward to take up social welfare activities and do something for the less privileged or for the causes they believe in.
Volunteering in shelter homes, joining teams to take part in community activities, organizing educational and entertainment events, share your knowledge with others, etc. are some ways in to do your bit to the society and the environment. You don’t have to limit your activities to your region, either.
21. Shopping
Oh, this is one of our favorite hobbies. That’s why we listed it in the end. Shopping is a super popular hobby, irrespective of age, gender, and region. The thrill of buying and owning something new (or something you don’t have) cannot be expressed in words.
What you shop for is a personal choice and is likely to be determined by your other hobbies. But walking through the colorful markets and malls, looking at different things, bargaining, eating, and finally buying is an excellent way to spend your free time. Just make sure you track your expenses and don’t go overboard. We are all guilty of it, aren’t we? Sigh!
Conclusion
You don’t have to worry if your favorite hobby is not on this list. There are many other popular hobbies across the globe. We are sure it’s going to be mentioned elsewhere unless, of course, your favorite hobby is quite exotic and even extreme. We mean, not everyone likes or wants to take up paragliding or skydiving or even sailing as a hobby, right?
However, these are still famous as holiday and adventure sports among the crowd. They may not want to try them regularly, but they do want to try an extreme activity at least once in their lifetime.
Hobbies are essentially a way to relax or have fun in free time. Whether you want to take up productive and paying hobbies or simply do whatever you feel like, as long as you are having fun, the goal is achieved.
