How to Find a Hobby

We're happiest when our world includes both productive work and enjoyable play. Luckily, we live in a time when intriguing and exciting hobbies abound.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Compasses
• Athletic Headbands
• Cameras
• Binoculars
• Camera Bags
• Pool Tables
• Hummingbird Feeders
• Climbing Magazines
• Dive Computers
• Certified Scuba Tanks
• Bikes
• Art Supplies
• Artist Palettes
• Texas Line Dancing Videos
• Shortwave Radio Receivers
• Ballroom Dancing Videos
• A Little Bit Of Mambo CD
• Benny Goodman Live CD
• Camera Lenses
• Acting Classes
• Ball Game Tickets
• Seed-starting Medium
• R/C Ship Models
• Model Train Sets
• Model Rockets
• R/C Model Airplanes
• R/C Model Cars

Collect Something

1. Ramble through flea markets and find antiques.

2. Trade baseball cards or comic books.

3. Gather a family of dolls.

4. Buy, sell and trade die-cast collectibles.

5. Seek out Beanie Babies and teddy bears.

6. Accumulate rare coins and stamps.

7. Search for arrowheads and other historical memorabilia.

8. Indulge in kitsch - matchbooks, ashtrays, beer bottles, snow globes.

9. Go for Americana originals - Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Howdy Doody, Roy Rogers, Star Wars, Star Trek or Precious Moments collectibles.

10. Acquire antique toys - lead soldiers, rag dolls, old bicycles and wagons.

11. Find and refurbish old record players and Victrolas, along with 45 rpm and 78 rpm recordings.

Do or Make Something

1. Go for an adrenaline rush - scuba dive, sky dive, rock climb.

2. Stay healthy - play tennis or golf; join a basketball, softball or volleyball league; bicycle or roller blade.

3. Seek out the wilderness - hike and camp, hunt or fish, pan for gold.

4. Build a perfect garden.

5. Take a course at a local college or university.

6. Raise, train, and show cats, dogs or horses.

7. Create a wild world in an aviary or aquarium.

8. Treasure hunt with a metal detector.

9. Study for an amateur radio license.

10. Dance - swing, jive, two-step, mambo, line or square dance.

11. Volunteer - as a youth group leader, in your church or synagogue, to help charities, to participate in community projects with Habitat for Humanity.

12. Create art - take photographs, learn to paint, draw, sculpt.

13. Travel and tour, by car, RV, or motorcycle.

14. Get a buzz from beekeeping.

15. Join a local acting troupe.

16. Craft ceramic or rag dolls.

17. Make dollhouses.

18. Build a village around a model train layout.

19. Construct furniture and do woodworking.

20. Learn to make stained glass windows and figures.

21. Learn to make candles.

22. Turn mud into practical and beautiful pottery.

23. Indulge nostalgia and imagination by making models of cars, ships or airplanes.

24. Learn to brew beer or make wine.

25. Take up gourmet cooking.

26. Paint - watercolors, oil, acrylics.

27. Quilt, needlepoint, crochet or knit.

28. Grow prize-winning roses.

29. Restore a classic car or build a hot rod.

30. Cut and polish semiprecious gemstones.

Watch Something

1. Indulge yourself with tickets for big-time stick and ball sports.

2. Follow less-recognized sporting events, attending and supporting local schools and colleges.

3. Take in exciting car and boat racing, both at local tracks and national events.

4. Follow horse and dog racing.

5. Become a film buff.

6. Get in touch with the natural world by bird-watching or beachcombing.

7. Feed your spirit by attending musical and cultural events.

Tips & Warnings

• Make significant investments in supplies and equipment only after you determine your long-term interest.

• Find hobbies for the whole family, but remember the value of some hobbies comes from the solitude they provide.