17 Of The Best Hobbies for Women
Diving into a new hobby can add instant joy to your week. Research supports that spending purposeful time with our hobbies can help create balance in our lives and improve our mental health and overall well-being.
We find that many of our readers are searching for “great hobbies for women in their 30’s” or the “best hobbies for women in their 50’s”. Today we see that age is truly just a number and we love hearing from women who are passionate about calligraphy, candle-making and flower arranging in their 20s as well as women in their 50’s who enjoy wine tasting or studying self-defense.
Favorite hobbies are often not a function of age but are driven by passion and natural interest.
Regardless of your age, this post details fun hobbies for women that we hope helps you find a new activity to enjoy on your own or with loved ones. From horseback riding to interior design, biking, podcasting, or playing video games, the key is to find those activities that become an exciting hobby for you.
Many of our suggestions below are great hobbies that you could begin to explore immediately. Some may require placing an order for supplies from Amazon (such as a new yoga mat) or a quick trip to a local craft store to find the perfect notebook for journaling, adhesives or colorful paper for scrapbooking, or the best pens to practice lettering.
In reading this post you might be inspired to step outside your comfort zone. Our hope is to connect our readers with a rewarding hobby that they can begin today.
17 Of The Best Hobbies for Women 2024
We suggest several popular hobbies below. To help with your search, we have grouped these by theme:
- Perhaps you are looking to tap into your creative side?
- Or you’re a woman looking to be more active?
- Or do you crave an activity you can enjoy in your own home?
No matter your preference, we’ve got you covered.
Creative Hobbies for Women: Making Beautiful Things
1. Calligraphy
Calligraphy is the art of producing decorative handwriting or lettering with a pen or brush. This lettering style is eye-catching and impressive. You might be surprised to learn that with the right pens, paper, and a little time spent practicing, you may develop a knack for this!
Learn how to create beautiful letters, cards, and art when you have a calligraphy talent. Perfect for sharing as gifts for loved ones.
If you want to explore the right technique and get the tools to begin, there are many different calligraphy sets online to choose from that include everything.
If you are looking for an online course to help you with the fundamentals, check out our review of the best calligraphy courses online.
2. Blogging
Do you love to write? Are you someone who likes to share your thoughts with others? Blogging is absolutely for you if the answer is yes!
It’s super easy to start a blog, you can create one from the free blogging platforms online in a few minutes. This is an interesting hobby where you can combine a love for writing with learning to create a blog, and, further, connect with others who share the same interest.
Choose what you’d like your blog to focus on – life lessons, your interests, other hobbies, education, etc. Learn how to get started by reading these helpful beginner blogging tips.
Top Course: Writing & Blogging with Passion: Create a Flexible Editorial Plan & Calendar (Skillshare)
3. Jewelry Making
Pass the time and make something beautiful by taking up jewelry making. If you’re creative and patient, then this is one of the hobbies for women that will suit you.
You can choose a specific style you like, from dainty simple designs to more loud, bright, and bold pieces. This is a great hobby that can make you proud of what you are able to create. In addition, you can wear some of your pieces or gift them to loved ones. A great opportunity to invest in your creative side.
There are some forms of jewelry making that will be more complex than others, so begin with some instruction and learn what it takes to create different jewelry styles by checking out these courses.
4. Sewing
Have you always wanted to sew? Perhaps this has been a goal to be able to alter your own clothing to look your best. Or, you may have wondered about pattern-making. Creating or improving something with your own hands (or the help of a sewing machine) is very rewarding.
Spending time at your sewing table can help to improve focus, provide stress relief, keep your fingers nimble and your mind sharp. It is a lovely way to be creative and transform free time into clothes you have made.
If you have always wanted to explore this, why not begin with an online sewing class?
5. Cake Decorating
Now, this is one of the more delicious creative hobbies for women that’ll make you the favorite neighbor, mom, grandmother, etc., as you share your cakes and treats.
Have you ever seen popular cake decorating shows like Cake Boss or Cupcake Wars? They’re entertaining and also educational if you want to get inspiration for all your baked goods decorations.
If you’re not much of a baker, start first by learning how to make the treats, and then stock up on all the decorating tools so that you can make your masterpieces. This is a great way to be creative and share what you have made with loved ones.
Top Course: Layer Cake From Scratch: Ultimate Beginners Guide to Cake Decorating (Skillshare)
Active Hobbies For Women: Joy in Movement
6. Travel
Hobbies for women aren’t all about staying home and relaxing. Traveling is the perfect hobby for ladies who love to explore, and who have the time to do so.
There are lots of ways to travel – to different towns within your state, to different parts of your country, or to visit other countries in the world.
Are you more of a social traveler? A cruise or tour might be your jam. If you’re an independent person, go solo on your adventure. The world is your oyster!
This interest may go hand in hand with blogging. Capturing your travels with great photography and blog posts can be a cool hobby in and of itself.
7. Dancing
Learning a new style of dance is always fun, especially when you can meet new people at the same time. Social dancing is where you meet up with a group of people and dance.
One of the traditional social dance styles is ballroom dancing, which is a partner dance style that is graceful, romantic, sensual, and lively! There are many different ballroom dances to learn.
Explore partner dance styles in this article to see what takes your fancy, and then search for a social dance club or event near you. You can also brush up on your skills with these online dancing lessons!
8. Gardening
We had to include this on our list of hobbies for women because it’s one of the most classic and rewarding hobbies.
Gardening is versatile and dynamic. You can grow your own food to cook or even sell at local markets, or you can create a flower garden and focus on the aesthetics of it. This is a fun way to tap into your creative side. Perhaps you will enjoy bringing the fruits of your labor inside and get into flower arranging to feature what you have grown in beautiful bouquets.
For some inspiration to get started, check out our piece on online gardening courses to help you get started from scratch.
Top Course: Gardening 101: A Guide For Growing & Caring For Plants (Skillshare)
9. Volunteering
This is one of the more sweet and generous hobbies for women over 50, suited to people who have more free time on their hands or are retired/semi-retired.
You can volunteer with children, local aged care facilities, homeless shelters, environmental organizations, or travel volunteering – there are so many options to explore.
Through the process, you’ll make friends and also feel that you are making a positive impact on the world, which is very rewarding.
10. Yoga
Many of us think we should devote more time to learning mindfulness or finding stress relief but we don’t prioritize it. Yoga is a great hobby to help improve your physical and mental health.
Even if you have tried yoga before, it may be worth a second look – connecting with the right teacher or class style can make all the difference. Start small, even 10 minutes could be a great investment in yourself.
For all people, when we age our bodies are naturally less flexible and we are more susceptible to injury. Yoga is a fantastic way to keep flexible and strong, and it’s super calming. Our yoga course reviews are a great way to start your practice today.
The meditative aspect of yoga is what draws many people in. Whether you’re there for the spiritual side or the exercise, you’ll love what it does for you. Learn more about the benefits of yoga here.
Top Course: Yoga For Beginners: A 15-Day Foundational Course (Skillshare)
11. Swimming
Swimming is a great way to get some exercise that’s easy on the joints as it is low-impact. You can get a great cardio workout and you’ll feel stronger if you swim regularly.
It’s also an active hobby that you can do year-round since there are outdoor and indoor pools to visit no matter the weather or temperature outside.
Many people say that swimming feels like a peaceful break from the business of life and they feel very calm afterward. If you want to learn more about swimming strokes and techniques, here are some tips for people who want to take up a swimming hobby.
If you are looking to do hobbies with your partner, you can also see my other post on hobbies for men.
Hobbies For Women At Home: Quietly Sharpen Your Mind
12. Brain Teasers & Jigsaw Puzzles
These are forms of puzzles and games that specifically focus on using your reasoning, memory, and other mental capacities to solve the games.
Two popular examples that you could start as a hobby are crosswords and sudoku. Crosswords deal with finding words, whereas sudoku is about numbers – a good hobby for a well-rounded brain workout.
Not everyone has heard of sudoku before, so if you’re new to it and want some tips on how to play, read up about what it entails here.
Another hobby that may find rewarding is working on jigsaw puzzles. Often, people enjoy having a puzzle in progress so that when they have a few minutes of free time, they naturally move to work on the puzzle instead of picking up their phones.
13. Origami
Origami is a creative hobby idea for people who have a lot of patience, and who love working with their hands. The art of paper folding can be taken up by anyone, no matter how crafty you think you are.
The benefits of this great hobby are numerous. In addition to being relaxing and simply fun, time spent working on origami helps with a sense of geometry and problem-solving.
Start with simple designs and slowly progress to more complex designs. Take a look at these beginner’s instructions.
Top Course: Papercraft: Origami Boxes for Gifts & Trinkets (Skillshare)
14. Learn a Language
It is never too late to develop a new life skill, and learning a new language has a lot of advantages.
If you love to travel or wish to socialize in different settings, or maybe even just watch foreign movies on Netflix, then make your new hobby all about learning that language.
Have you always wanted to learn French, perhaps? Start with a short online language course and either continue to study remotely, join a class, or hire a tutor.
15. Coloring
There is a reason that coloring brings children so much joy. Many adults have found a similar sense of calm and fun in spending time with a coloring book. Coloring has been shown to calm the mind and help with concentration. Perhaps you have tried meditation but couldn’t get into the habit.
Coloring may help with stress relief and improve your overall well-being. If your job requires consistent engagement with technology, this may provide you with a break you didn’t know you needed.
16. Book Club
Reading is a fantastic hobby for anyone of any age. You may already enjoy reading in your free time and joining a book club may add to your love of reading and sense of community.
If there isn’t already a book club in your local area, it’s not hard to begin one. Just advertise it in your circle of friends and then pick a day to meet each week to discuss the book you’ve chosen to read that week/month.
For more tips on how to start a book club yourself, check out this article.
Further, if you are looking for ideas for your next read, you might look at what’s trending on the New York Times bestseller list, or other curated lists such as Oprah’s Book Club or Reese Witherspoons’ Book Club.
17. Watch Documentaries
Learning without the pressure of having to study for anything or remember lots of facts is actually super enjoyable.
Curious-minded women will take pleasure in watching different documentaries on subjects like nature, history, or biographies.
Make it a new hobby by creating a list of the documentaries you want to watch, and slowly work your way through with one or a few every week. Netflix will also promote popular documentaries that may interest you.
Top Course: Creating a Modern, Cinematic Documentary Film with Soul (Skillshare)
18. Music Discovery
Do you remember the feeling of coming across amazing new music and sharing it with friends? If you don’t still do this, it might be time to take on this hobby again!
It’s become easier than ever to discover new music and find your favorite new artists. Through online subscription services like Spotify, you can create your own playlists for every mood and occasion and share them with the world.
It’s fun to explore the music and to fall in love with new songs. Check out some of the most popular playlists of 2024 to get you inspired.
19. Board Games
The fun thing about modern board games is that they aren’t just played at home anymore… you can now go online and choose to play any board game you like with anyone you want.
Online game sites are generally free and provide you with either computer players or real-life opponents from anywhere in the world.
If you want to keep it old school, that’s totally fine as well! We suggest choosing a game you want to get great at and practicing with friends and family regularly (Settlers of Catan perhaps?) to make this a hobby.
20. Collecting
This hobby is fun as it brings in something most women love – shopping – but with a twist. Visit garage sales, flea markets, and look online for certain wares to collect.
It’s completely up to you what you decide to collect – it would be anything from special decorative spoons to books, toys, plates, and more.
Make sure you have space to put your collection as it grows and enjoys visiting different places each week to find your items. Learn more about the art of collecting in this article.
