Does it seem like originality is lost these days? With everyone constantly glued to their phones – and likely all playing the same online games with each other – it is understandable to think that novelty is gone. But is that necessarily true? Actually, it isn’t. And there are plenty of interesting hobbies shaping up these days that are attracting participants looking to do something unique. Indeed, get involved with one of these and you will soon find yourself the new BMOC.
So let’s dig in a little further and see what the new fads are all about. Everything from anachronistic societies to inventing languages to challenging yourself physically is on the table these days. You will surely find one that strikes your fancy, be it creative, intellectual, or intensely physical.
Adventure hobbies
Physical adventurism isn’t dead, despite what many people might think. In fact, there are some really cool outdoor games and hobbies that people are getting into these days, including:
- LARP. Creative anachronism is making a big comeback these days as people are getting back in touch with their love of history. When you find your ideal LARP organization, be sure you are equipped. So find out where the best LARP tassets can be found so you can be fully prepared when you get put there.
- Geocaching. This one involves the use of technology, but the good part is you get to get off your couch and actually use it outdoors. Geocaching is treasure hunting that uses GPS coordinates to find hidden containers all over the world. It is a fun and interesting use of technology to get people outdoors.
- Urbex. Urbex is short for urban exploration. It involves exploring things like abandoned buildings, tunnels, and odd urban areas that have gone unnoticed for some time. Urbex is a cool way to see history in the flesh as you move about a city.
- Foraging. Nothing new about this; in fact, it is one of mankind’s oldest activities. But learning to identify and harvest plant material and mushrooms can be educational, fun, and useful, especially as people become increasingly concerned about the use of preservatives in store-bought produce. If you learn to forage, you both know that you are creating organic foods, and that you are helping build a sustainable world.
- Metal detecting. This is another cool one that people are starting to find the fun in again. With a detecting device, you can search for coins, historical pieces, or jewelry in different types of terrain. You could end up with some really unique items if you are lucky and skilled!
New and old creative ideas
Some creative classics are so beloved that they are making a comeback. Other trends involve new twists on old favorites. If you are looking for a creative outlet, consider the following:
- Bookbinding. We know, some people think the physical book is dead these days. But that is categorically untrue, and the recent resurgence of the bookstore is clear proof of this. So why not celebrate the item that brought people centuries of formal education by learning bookbinding techniques. It will give you a new skill, and additional appreciation for what goes into the process of bookmaking.
- Aquascaping. Otherwise known as “underwater gardening,” aquascaping involves the arranging of aquatic plants, wood, and rocks to make beautiful aquariums. Regardless of whether or not you are a fish owner, this can be a fun, creative hobby.
- Soap creation and art. Some of us remember making soap at camp. This is still a time-honored tradition, and creating bars of soap into sculptures can also be a fun and rewarding pastime. You may find yourself getting hooked on the process and picking up bar after bar as you come up with more and more ideas.
- Locksport. Lockpicking might sound like a sketchy idea for a recreational activity, but this is a legitimate hobby practiced by people who enjoy the challenge of picking locks for the sake of figuring out the mechanics involved. It is basically a Rubik’s Cube-like hobby for people interested in understanding the way locks are engineered.
Intellectual hobbies
There are plenty of intellectual hobbies out there for people looking for a challenge. Some of them include:
- Ham radio. Amateur radio is still a thing, and people have great fun with it. Ham radio involves communicating with people around the world using radio frequencies. You have to get licensed to do it, but once you do you become part of a special group with a common purpose. People get involved with ham radio not only to experiment with technology, but sometimes also to provide emergency services where necessary.
- Stargazing. No, this doesn’t necessarily mean sitting outside with your sweetheart at night, although that can be part of it. Hard core stargazers are able to identify constellations and make sophisticated observations about celestial bodies. You need to be in a place where you can really see the sky, but it can be a fun hobby to hone if you do!
- Conlanging. For the real intellectuals among us, there are groups that like to create fictional languages (and actually use them!). Perhaps Klingon is the best known example of this, but there are others, as well. As you’d expect, these artificial languages involve the creation of distinct grammars and vocabularies.
Unusual skill building
This term by itself could seem to imply practically anything, but there are a few trends that particularly stand out these days:
- Duck herding. That’s right. People who practice this work with groups and trained dogs to try to guide ducks through obstacle courses. Its purpose is to develop group collaborative skills, communication, and leadership. Duck herding can actually be a major challenge, and a lot of fun!
- Zorbing. You might have seen this on YouTube, and it is, in fact, a thing: rolling down a hill inside a giant inflated plastic ball is becoming a major trend. Naturally, most people want to be filmed during the process.
- Mirror writing. Want a real challenge? Try writing backwards. For the dyslexic among us, it might actually be somewhat easier. But for most people it is extremely tough. Nonetheless, it is a skill that can be learned!
If you can dream it, you can do it
The world is your oyster these days when it comes to fun and creative ideas for hobbies. So you can take an idea from this list, or go online and see if an idea of your own has any followers. You never know. But whatever your interest, you shouldn’t hesitate to get out there and give it a try!
