a girl in the bath with headphones on

Winter is a pretty divisive season. Like… you either LOVE it or you HATE it. But no matter how you feel about it, one thing’s for sure: it starts every December and lasts until March. 

Now, how you decide to spend the winter months is up to you. Sure, frigid temps and a lack of sunshine are enough to make you want to stay curled up on the couch. But winter is also a great time to experience the kind of fun that can only be had during winter. 

Seriously, winter is the perfect time to explore new passions and pursue old hobbies. And like they explain in this episode of Balanced Black Girl, we need hobbies for self-care! 

So today we’re sharing a round-up of winter hobbies that are both productive and enjoyable. Try one or try them all, just don’t let winter pass by without giving them a shot! 

Winter Hobbies To Try This Season

15 Winter Hobbies To Try This Season

Cooking or Baking

Have you seen the price of groceries recently? They’re absurd! And dining out isn’t exactly cheap either. Learning how to cook is a great way to save money AND potentially discover a new hobby. You can hop on board the sourdough train and learn how to make your own loaves or you can try recreating your favorite restaurant dish. 

For some inspo, check out the podcasts What’s Gaby Cooking and Good Instincts.

Learning a New Language

Hola bonita! There are a bunch of benefits to learning a new language. Sure, it comes in handy when you travel to foreign countries, but it’s worth trying even if you don’t have any plans to go anywhere. You can use free online tutorials on YouTube or use a program like Duolingo to make it easy and fun.

Journaling

Journaling is an amazing way to get your creative juices flowing. It can also work wonders for your mental health. You can keep it old school and simply write down your thoughts in a notebook, or you can try other methods of journaling such as bullet journaling, scrapbooking, and making a photojournal.

Starting a New Workout Plan

You could argue that anytime is the best time to start a new workout plan, but we’re kinda partial to starting in the winter. Why? Well, for one, it coincides with the new year. New year, fresh start. Secondly, you can use the upcoming summer months (a.k.a. bikini season) as motivation to stick to your workout plan. 

You can start small and work your way up to a more intense workout. Or you can just go for it! Just find what works for you and get moving. Getting started is the hardest part!

Reading

For those days when you really wanna escape but have nowhere to go, pick up a book. You’d be amazed by how easy it is to get lost in a good book. If you’re not an avid reader, try different genres until you find one that appeals to you. There are thousands of great thrillers, romance novels, memoirs, and more!

Winter Hobbies To Try This Season

Knitting

Sometimes it’s the most chill hobby that works the best to keep the winter blues at bay. And before you immediately scratch this option off the list, hear us out. Knitting ain’t just for grandmas! Neither is cross stitch, crochet, and embroidery. However, if you’re looking for something to do with your fav elderly folks, this is a great one to mention. The rocking chair is optional. 😉

But really… a relaxing and quiet hobby like knitting is a great way to reduce anxiety and stress. You could even learn how to make sweaters, scarves, mittens, and more, then keep your creations for yourself or gift them to others. 

Playing Games

Time flies when you’re having fun! Use the frigid outside temps as an excuse to stay indoors and have some fun playing games. You can pass the time with puzzles and video games, or you can invite friends and family to come over and play board games. 

Listening to Podcasts

Looking for a new podcast to listen to? You came to the right place! We got you!! Browse the Dear Media show guide for a collection of top-rated podcasts covering a wide range of topics, or check out these posts for some fantastic podcast suggestions:

Binge-Watch Shows or Documentaries

Have you ever curled up in your comfiest loungewear to watch TV only to spend the next 30 minutes flipping through your streaming services trying to find something to watch? We’ve been there!! To save you some time, we compiled these lists of shows that are similar to other binge-worthy faves:

And for easy binging on the go, check out Believable: The Coco Berthmann Story or listen to one of these 15 Binge-Worthy Podcasts Like Serial.

Winter Hobbies To Try This Season

Learning to Play a Musical Instrument

Do you dream of being able to strum a guitar or rock out on the drums? What’s holding you back? There are a ton of great tutorials on YouTube for anyone who wants to learn to play a musical instrument. Stick to it and by summer you should be able to play a couple of songs (or more)!

Writing

You can totally do it just for fun, but writing is one of many hobbies that make money. If you have a story to tell, whether it’s a personal story or a product of your imagination, take some time to put your thoughts down on paper. From there, it’s entirely up to you what to do with it. 

Tackling DIY Projects

Rather than throwing away old clothes, boxes, and other random things you have lying around, upcycle them with a DIY project. Pinterest is practically overflowing with DIY ideas! You never know what you can create using stuff you already own. 

Participating in Winter Sports

There are a ton of sports that you really can only enjoy in the winter. If you’re looking for a new hobby, give a winter sport a try! From skiing and snowboarding to snowshoeing and sledding, there is so much fun to be had if you’re willing to get out and play in the snow!

Crafting

We gotta give Pinterest another shoutout here because it’s also the place to go for craft ideas. Whether you want to paint, collage, or anything in between, crafting is another fun way to get your creative juices flowing and have some fun indoors during the winter. 

Redecorating

Could your place use a makeover? Use the cold weather as an excuse to redecorate! You can spruce up the space with seasonal decorations or switch up the vibe completely with fresh paint and new accents. 

Redecorating your apartment or house can reinvigorate your senses and provide some much-needed inspiration during winter.

Which hobbies are you going to try this winter?

When the weather outside is frightful, a new hobby is delightful! Corny… but true! Which hobby are you looking forward to trying? Is there one we should’ve included? Tell us!! 

Then, head over to the blog for more cool AF info on everything from podcasting to living your best life.