My husband took up gardening a few years ago, and now is a Master Gardener and provides plants and produce for people and also our local community outreach.
Where are you located? I'm working on a TV show and there may actually be an episode on gardening, so I'm looking for people who do it as a passion / hobby.
I garden at a community garden supported by my city. We start with a plot, donate half of our proceeds to local food banks. We have volunteers who trains new gardeners. We also have volunteers who can’t commit to taking care of a plot who come out to help weed, harvest when they have the time.
I'm diving into gardening and cannabis growing this year. I take whatever I do dead serious so I'm assuming I'll be a master gardener and cannabis grower in 2 years, haha.
Throw some mushroom growing into the mix as well. Super easy. Relatively low start up costs. I like growing a variety of oyster mushrooms because they’re easy and taste great. But you could basically get everything you need for under $100 and that’ll be enough to grow more mushrooms than you know what to do with.
My partner started growing cannibis almost a year and a half ago and this past harvest was like top shelf quality. I'm amazed at his progress and love to see the passion. Hope you enjoy the process!
Your state or county has a cooperative extension or something you take some classes and get certified then have to work like 200 volunteer hours a year to remain certified. ..
Google answered... to become a Master Gardener, you need to complete a training program and volunteer your time to share gardening best practices with your community. The requirements for becoming a Master Gardener vary by university, but generally include:Training: 40–75 hours of classroom training over 5–6 monthsVolunteer hours: 50 hours in the first year, 30 hours each year after thatContinuing education: 10 hours of continuing horticultural education each yearDocumentation: Annual documentation and required trainings
Before reading the comments I was gonna suggest this. We love gardening in our backyard. I wish we could join our local master Gardeners but everything they do is during office hours. All the local gardening groups are that way. Even their plant sales I have to take off work
Container gardening
Terrariums to give away
Crochet/knitting/Tunisian crochet
Rigid heddle weaving
Sewing
Quilting/hand or machine
Baking - be careful to not eat too much, lol!
Terrariums are so fun! I got hyper fixated on making terrariums a couple years ago and it was such a soothing process. I also finally got to use up a bunch of random glass jars I had laying around because “I might need them some day” 😂
And see, you did need them! I do the same my husband is always like why are we keeping this again? And then I’ll find a use or craft use and say this is why!!!
Baking! Lasagna Love. And knit or crochet caps and scarves for people who can't afford it! Mom does that, and she saw one of her baby blankets in town last week. So rewarding!
Volunteering is productive. I volunteer with the local friends of the library group. A friend volunteers with her local food pantry. It's easy to find groups needing help.
I love volunteering for our local watershed group! They have river sweeps, where we play in the river while cleaning trash, and I help them clean the limestone dosers (that treat acid mine drainage). I've also helped man events like the yearly bird count and the creek days event.
I actually volunteer for the friends group. I sort donated books for the annual sales and then work at the book sales. There are never enough volunteers it seems like so I probably sort books twice a month and at the sale in April I worked four different shifts. I really enjoy it and have met lots of very nice people. The money we raise goes directly to the library to help fund programs, etc.
I am slowly doing this. I have to admit. As much as I love this. It is so time and energy consuming. I feel so tired and lazy afterwards and I don’t have time for anything else
We do this in our little park here and its one of the tougher ones for vokunteers. They prefer clean up days and tree planting. What's been your favorite parts of removing invasives? Do you get to learn about them? The satisfaction of making a positive impact on the ecosystem?
Today is I fact invasive species day at my house and I feel like I’m gearing up to go into battle to save my beloved native friends who can’t fight for themselves 💪😤 To the park!! 🔪💚
I've seen some very creative furniture refinishing that involves painting some sort of graphic on the item .. like a dresser with mirror that had a flowering vine growing from the dresser bottom half way around the mirror frame.
Become a Master Gardener. You learn a lot, meet nice people, and interact with and serve your community. You also get to apply your knowledge to your own gardens.
It is a volunteer group but a class is required first.. You will have to get into contact with your local extension office. In Pennsylvania, it is Penn State Extension. Here, some signups are closing May 15th.
Each state has an Agricultural college and then each county will have a cooperative extension office affiliated with the college.* in NJ it is Rutgers, IN is Perdue, FL is UF etc.
These co-op will offer a 15 week Master Gardner course that meets once a week for 3 hours in the evening. Usually starting in January and ending in May. The price is for materials and went I went through about 20 years ago it was maybe $60? I really dont remember. The classes are (usually) taught by the professors that teach the respective class at the college. Idk how true this is for your state, but I did mine in Indiana and a lot of the classes were taught by Perdue professors. Some classes were led by local business owners (lawn care).
There is a test at the end and you will be required to volunteer a certain amount of hours for the relatively free education. Sometimes it's answering the phone at the extension office for a few hours, fielding questions about things you just learned about. Sometimes it's manual labor doing beautification projects in your community.
I definitely recommend. Lots of good people to be around.
*sparser states may only have one extension office located in the county seat.
Rockhounding!! It’s incredibly rewarding, you’re out in nature, you’re getting exercise, meeting new people (if you want, or it can be a solo hobby), and exploring your area more in-depth. It’s a little addictive once you start learning about all the various minerals and geological formations around you. I’ve found some pretty great rocks and fossils within a 3 to 5 mile radius from my home.
Edit: changed addicting to addictive
A great starting point is to google your state’s geological survey and geological map. This will tell you what types of rocks and minerals can be found. You can even narrow it down to counties. If you’re on FB I highly suggest joining as many rock groups as possible. Mindat.org is an excellent resource as well. Next, get out and start looking at the rocks below your feet. Whether it’s a trail, a creek, landscaping rock… there’s always something to find. Look out for any construction or freshly moved soil in your area. You’d be amazed at what can be unearthed! Be sure you know your county’s and state’s law about waterways though as they change from state to state and you don’t want to get hit with a fine for being on private property. But most importantly, just get out at start exploring!! The rockhounding community is both friendly and competitive. Don’t be surprised if people in your area don’t want to give away local hounding spots as we spend A LOT of time and energy scouting and researching and it’s a little disheartening to share and then find your spots wiped out by irresponsible collecting. I’m happy to answer any other questions for you. Good luck hounding!!!
Edit: words and spelling
I go out into the same natural area (known for its rock formations) 3+ times a week, so I'd love to learn more! Or just learn about the millions of rocks my toddlers collect 😆 Thanks for the tips and resources ❤️🪨
Productive hobbies are called work. lol.
Gardening is very productive and saves money. One year just off a few tomatoes plants I saved at least $5 a week on tomatoes for four months. And that wasn't even taking it to the level of being a hobby.
Working on cars can be too for some people. I have a friend that buys cars, fixes them up, drives them for a year or two and sells them for more money than he put into them. So basically drives a different cool vintage car every couple years... for free minus his time).
Eh, gardening doesn't necessarily save money. But... you get top quality fresh food from your own yard. Nothing beats a fresh tomato. Makes grocery store tomatoes taste like pinecones.
I will say that having herbs does save money though as it's so easy and they are very expensive to buy fresh.
I disagree- it’s work you enjoy and involves some leisure in that you aren’t reliant on it to survive but doing it materially enhances your life or you derive pleasure from it
Baking bread 🥖🍞🥐l love the process and giving it to friends family & neighbors . They are always grateful and enjoy real bread. I use a bread machine to make the dough then work it in many ways . Then I bake it in my oven . I did not like the way the machine bakes it . I’ve baked cinnamon rolls , cinnamon bread , dinner rolls , & regular loaves. ❤️ I’m still learning .
Bagels are really fun to make! You boil them in baking soda water before baking! There’s quite a few recipes out there, and I’ve yet to try my hand at it (my mom makes bagels often!) but definitely try for bagels next!
Maybe trying to make friends so that you could develop more hobbies? I really think friends taught me much since I really learnt a lot from them. And if you don’t mind, I think a Discord server called [Lightup](https://discord.gg/G27uzgyDSG) is a wonderful place for making good friends. It matches people based on the similarities of their posts, so you could share your hobbies with others and at the same time know what they are doing. I developed my ‘productive’ hobbies of boxing and dancing because some of my friends there recommended me to do so. If u also hope to know more, just try it! Hope you could develop more healthy and productive hobbies sincerely!
Gardening is the most rewarding and productive hobby I've had and you can container garden if all you have is an apartment.
I've tried numerous hobbies and still dabble in a few but nothing has been more productive than gardening.
I taught myself to sew and crochet. My favorite part about these hobbies is that I love gifting my creations to friends and family. It even turned into a very part-time side gig because my friends and family now direct people to me who want to buy similar items!
Hobbies are supposed to be self indulgent though. That's the point - doing something regularly just because you enjoy it. Hobbies don't always need an end result.
Anyway, since you asked...I do photography (either with a camera or phone) There are some photography challenges online you could be part of, or just choose a theme for yourself and follow that.
I became a Master Naturalist and do a lot of citizen science reporting. I report rain and snowfall that is used for flooding forecasts and even on news reports (which is kind of fun). I report seasonal changes. I report identified species via the iNaturalist app which is used by scientists to pinpoint changes in migration and species moving around and such.
i took up journaling recently and am obsessed. i have a creative journal for memory keeping and fun, and then a productivity journal for planning and note-taking. they come with me everywhere and i journal on the go, while travelling, sitting at cafes etc. feels productive to keep my thoughts organized!
I love gardening. I took up food preservation as a hobby. I do freezing, water bath canning, pressure canning, and some dehydrating. Except for the pressure canning it was pretty cheap to get started. If you ask on a local buy nothing group you can usually find jars, and sometimes canners, for free.
Lawn aeration.
Tree stumping
House and car repair, handyman
Hardwood floor installation
Airbnb
Dog walking
Travel guide
Renovating a vacation home
Growing microgreens for farmers market
Scratch cooking
Uber driving
3d printing is quite fun. Get a basic ender 3 and get to tweeking it. Along the way youll end up printing a bunch of fun little nick nacks you can give away to the children in the family.
I recommend just jump to the ender v3 se at least. The auto bed leveling (even if it's not great) is a must for me. As a newbie. And it's cheap. (remember to update the firmware though so the manual bed leveling actually works...)
I’ve been learning how to do beading work, buying instructional kits from indigenous artists…I’ve learning how to do bead feathers and basic “medallions” and have been branching out into my own designs as gifts for people. Super low costs, takes a long time to finish each project and is very grounding / centering. If that idea intrigues you, may I recommend either of these from an indigenous artist and teacher:
https://moonstonecreation.ca/peyote-beaded-feather-kit/
https://moonstonecreation.ca/beaded-poppy-workshop
Web development. You learn to code and have the possibility of making money from building websites.
Whittling & or wood working. You can also potentially make money from this.
I used to do web development. Lost a ton of clients to the one-click-and-you’re-set website maker software and sites that have exploded since then. I’ve moved on, it’s not as fun or actively useful a skill as it used to be. 😔
Kendama! A Japanese skill toy. Improves hand-eye coordination, balance, growth mindset. Fun to play and challenging if you are into these types of things
One that ticks both boxes for me is reading. I can sit on my ass and do it and still feel I accomplished something when I close the book at the end. 💟💟It’s a great feeling. Sometimes it’s frustrating but mostly great.
I started a thing where I do the amount of reps equal to my age and challenge myself to do it daily. It makes exercising a little more fun. :)
Another one could be gardening, specific planting vegetables and fruits that you will actually eat. Like you can grow everything's to make you some bad ass salsa. :)
Ohh I like that! I fell out of my workouts and now that I’m older i feel it more trying to get myself motivated again! Thats a good idea if I do anything I’ll do my age if it! Its high enough that it could work but not so high I would destroy myself lmao
Fostering cats, kittens, puppies, dogs, rabbits for a local rescue/shelter. Five 3-week old kittens. Bottle-raised them. Most amazing experience of my life. Fostering truly saves lives, and there’s so many ways you can have a tangible reminder of the good you did ♥️
I read, write, garden, phone photography, and flight simulator, and truck simulators. I find them all producive. They keep me at my goals and mind active in retirement. Audiobooks, too. My brain is amped up all day.
Since you're looking for a hobby that's both productive and tangible, you might consider trying out cooking or baking. Not only is it a practical skill that you can use every day, but it also allows you to create something delicious and share it with others. Plus, you'll have something to show for your efforts – whether it's a beautifully decorated cake or a perfectly cooked meal.
Crochet is surprisingly easy to pick up, even if you're not a naturally crafty person. The first hour is the hardest, if you can learn to make rows and rounds of single crochet, you're golden from there.
I recently started solving jigsaw puzzles of beautiful landscapes, animals or pics of people I love, then glue and frame them to decorate my house and give as gifts.
I enjoy bullet journaling, jigsaw puzzles, photography and quilting. I have a garden too, I don’t enjoy it as much as the others but I enjoy the food production lol
Any I’d say, I paint, cross stitch, crochet and love plants (which of course need to be fertilized, repotted and pruned). I truly believe whatever you’re interested in is a great hobby. Astronomy, reading, writing, puzzles, drawing, DIY…. The list is endless and should be what you enjoy.
Here are my hobbies
Weightlifting
Camera stuff, photo or video
Making dumb videos and reels for fun
3D design and printing
Fpv drones
I kinda cycle them in and out depending on what seems interesting at the moment. It's nice having a few and getting decent gear so it never feels like a chore to do your hobby. Right now I'm designing car parts. Next week I might build a drone. Week after that I might go to the gym 6 days instead of my usual 3-4. Chase the dopamine.
Bodybuilding. But not like the competitors do it. Instead more like working out with weights and improving your strength, endurance, and flexibility. And refining your nutrition to mostly consume food for nourishment vs indulgence.
So just building your body to be strong and healthy. I think it's the best hobby personally.
I took up sewing. I started making quilts for the grandchildren. My husband was curious and now we do it together. He may even be better at it than I am.
Quilting. Go yo Pinterest to see the possibilities. A lot of people make them for veterans and shut ins. I don’t know where you live but there are quilt guilds all over the world.
Dumpster diving. If you’re judicious about what you take it can actually be quite beneficial. People are quick to deem it a pathway to hoarding junk (which, to be fair, it can be for some if you indiscriminately take things) but I’ve been able to supplement my income by doing it. Have sold perfectly fine clothing with tags still attached, party supplies, pet food, etc. all of which cost me $0.00 to procure.
Also have found perfectly fine food items. I only take things in sealed/uncompromised packages and, generally speaking, only shelf-stable products. But some people are brave enough to take perishables in the winter time when it’s cold enough outside in some places to preserve them. To each his own. Anyway, that takes a chunk out of my grocery bill.
Plus, it’s kind of fun/feels like stealing lol The next time you’re bored late at night, stop by the back of a store and take a peek!
Learn how to fix stuff.
It’s fun, you’ll amaze yourself with what you can do, and it will be wildly sexy to all members of your target romantic partner/gender etc.
Plus you’ll save a shitton of money and have a cool, beautiful looking place.
We started a bookclub in our neighborhood. We pick our 11 books in December for the next year. Meet monthly. 2 people host each month. It's been so much fun. I read things I would have never picked but enjoy my neighbors so much.
I like to make cordage with dogbane. -- I have to hike to harvest the dogbane, then process it down to the fibers and braid the fibers into rope. It's takes a long time to make.
I've used it to... hang pictures, make bracelets, tie a loop on my spotlight so I don't have to carry it - I can loop it on my field pack (I help close abandoned coal mine openings and have to peer in there to assess for bat habitat), as borders on mats for framed pictures, tie a bit around a flower vase gives a nice country aesthetic. Anything you'd use rope for..
This hobby does not allow idle hands and gets you out in the woods.
Rebuilding engines. I bought a boat with a cracked block and now and in a full blown engine rebuild! I’m so excited, there is so many things that can go wrong and so many hopes that if nothing goes wrong I’ll be cruising on my boat that I rebuilt! Great feeling:)
Beadwork. It can be productive as you can sell your items, but it’s more productive because it promotes fine motor skills. Those are very important lol
I love knitting! I learned to knit around 15 years ago through YouTube. I've made items for myself and for gifts. It's very relaxing and the projects can be either super complex or super simple so that you can stream a movie while you knit. The materials can also range widely from either chrap acrylic or cashmere, silk etc.
Mine started with cooking, which turned into baking, turned into sourdough bread baking, and now I’m getting into fermenting stuff (veggies ect). It’s nice because it’s for me mostly, but I can share my creations with friends and family.
My husband took up gardening a few years ago, and now is a Master Gardener and provides plants and produce for people and also our local community outreach.
Goals!! I've been wanting to become a master gardener. Love that for him.
Where are you located? I'm working on a TV show and there may actually be an episode on gardening, so I'm looking for people who do it as a passion / hobby.
North Western KY
Gah, dang. I don't think we'll be in that area this season.
What kind of show?
It's a new comedy unscripted show about hobbies!
I garden at a community garden supported by my city. We start with a plot, donate half of our proceeds to local food banks. We have volunteers who trains new gardeners. We also have volunteers who can’t commit to taking care of a plot who come out to help weed, harvest when they have the time.
Contact your county’s university extension office, as every state has a university extension that oversees the Master Gardener program.
I'm diving into gardening and cannabis growing this year. I take whatever I do dead serious so I'm assuming I'll be a master gardener and cannabis grower in 2 years, haha.
Or less! You got this
Im trying to germinate a seed i found in my medical dispensary stash lol
A seed heat mat is game changer. My seeds popped in two days. In a week's time I had full sprouts in dirt.
Throw some mushroom growing into the mix as well. Super easy. Relatively low start up costs. I like growing a variety of oyster mushrooms because they’re easy and taste great. But you could basically get everything you need for under $100 and that’ll be enough to grow more mushrooms than you know what to do with.
Such a good idea! Shitaki shrooms are simple to grow also.
Master liquid culture and never buy spores again. I’m actually doing my first batch of LC right now!
My partner started growing cannibis almost a year and a half ago and this past harvest was like top shelf quality. I'm amazed at his progress and love to see the passion. Hope you enjoy the process!
I love this!! 🩵
What makes someone a Master Gardener?
Your state or county has a cooperative extension or something you take some classes and get certified then have to work like 200 volunteer hours a year to remain certified. .. Google answered... to become a Master Gardener, you need to complete a training program and volunteer your time to share gardening best practices with your community. The requirements for becoming a Master Gardener vary by university, but generally include:Training: 40–75 hours of classroom training over 5–6 monthsVolunteer hours: 50 hours in the first year, 30 hours each year after thatContinuing education: 10 hours of continuing horticultural education each yearDocumentation: Annual documentation and required trainings
Thank you. That is very cool.
Before reading the comments I was gonna suggest this. We love gardening in our backyard. I wish we could join our local master Gardeners but everything they do is during office hours. All the local gardening groups are that way. Even their plant sales I have to take off work
My husband too! He grows, I cook, we share with folks.
Container gardening Terrariums to give away Crochet/knitting/Tunisian crochet Rigid heddle weaving Sewing Quilting/hand or machine Baking - be careful to not eat too much, lol!
Terrariums are so fun! I got hyper fixated on making terrariums a couple years ago and it was such a soothing process. I also finally got to use up a bunch of random glass jars I had laying around because “I might need them some day” 😂
And see, you did need them! I do the same my husband is always like why are we keeping this again? And then I’ll find a use or craft use and say this is why!!!
One of these things I've never heard of, and I'm a veteran of arts and crafts (love gardening too lol)
Yeah I haven't heard of baking either 😉
I, too, am only familiar with flaccid heddle weaving.
You need Heddle Weaving Viagra.
Rigid heddle weaving? I had to Google it. Turns out, I've done it before. Just didn't call it that.
Baking! Lasagna Love. And knit or crochet caps and scarves for people who can't afford it! Mom does that, and she saw one of her baby blankets in town last week. So rewarding!
Volunteering is productive. I volunteer with the local friends of the library group. A friend volunteers with her local food pantry. It's easy to find groups needing help.
I volunteer at a museum and get into exhibits for free 🤓
I love volunteering for our local watershed group! They have river sweeps, where we play in the river while cleaning trash, and I help them clean the limestone dosers (that treat acid mine drainage). I've also helped man events like the yearly bird count and the creek days event.
Highly recommend this one.
What do you do as a library volunteer?
I actually volunteer for the friends group. I sort donated books for the annual sales and then work at the book sales. There are never enough volunteers it seems like so I probably sort books twice a month and at the sale in April I worked four different shifts. I really enjoy it and have met lots of very nice people. The money we raise goes directly to the library to help fund programs, etc.
Your neighbors might need and love some help.
Make it a mission to achieve the best physique you possibly can, multiple hobbies stem from it -Cooking -Lifting -Cardio Etc
Damn, this hits all the spots.
Happy cake day!
🥳🤗
Impressed that you put cooking first. That is the most productive one! Also saves money.
Diet is the largest contributor to your physique by far
Great idea! 🤩
I am slowly doing this. I have to admit. As much as I love this. It is so time and energy consuming. I feel so tired and lazy afterwards and I don’t have time for anything else
Gardening and composting a large pile is good cardio. Plus, you get to eat the healthy foods you grow.
I would change that to *healthiest* because being healthy doesn't necessarily mean six pack abs.
Gardening…grow your own healthy food!
One that keeps you off social media far more.
That's why I crochet. It keeps me off my phone and it helps me be a better role model for my kids.
Hiking with a group that removes invasive plants from park land 👍
I remove trash
I also pick up trash
We're not talking about your dating life.
I went for a litter walk today.
I got my dog poop bags on every walk with the pup and any trash goes in there.
We do this in our little park here and its one of the tougher ones for vokunteers. They prefer clean up days and tree planting. What's been your favorite parts of removing invasives? Do you get to learn about them? The satisfaction of making a positive impact on the ecosystem?
I love ripping stuff out the ground personally. Gets the rage out. You need to find more pissed off people and fewer peace lovers for this task.
Today is I fact invasive species day at my house and I feel like I’m gearing up to go into battle to save my beloved native friends who can’t fight for themselves 💪😤 To the park!! 🔪💚
I do that just on my own lmfao people look at me crazy when Im trail ripping. YOU DONT KNOW WHAT THIS IS LOOK AWAY
Damn you want to remove some from my yard for me lol
I’d love that! How did you find a group like that?
I saw a promoted post on Instagram for the friends of my local park
Refinish furniture. Find it in the cheap at thrift shops, garage sales, etc, them sand it down, repaint it, change the hardware and resell it
This is so fun. My problem is after all the tender loving care and creativity I put in I want to keep everything LOL
What are some examples. Do you only buy things that are solid wood?
I've seen some very creative furniture refinishing that involves painting some sort of graphic on the item .. like a dresser with mirror that had a flowering vine growing from the dresser bottom half way around the mirror frame.
Become a Master Gardener. You learn a lot, meet nice people, and interact with and serve your community. You also get to apply your knowledge to your own gardens.
Never heard of this! Is there a class and/or a certification?
It is a volunteer group but a class is required first.. You will have to get into contact with your local extension office. In Pennsylvania, it is Penn State Extension. Here, some signups are closing May 15th.
Each state has an Agricultural college and then each county will have a cooperative extension office affiliated with the college.* in NJ it is Rutgers, IN is Perdue, FL is UF etc. These co-op will offer a 15 week Master Gardner course that meets once a week for 3 hours in the evening. Usually starting in January and ending in May. The price is for materials and went I went through about 20 years ago it was maybe $60? I really dont remember. The classes are (usually) taught by the professors that teach the respective class at the college. Idk how true this is for your state, but I did mine in Indiana and a lot of the classes were taught by Perdue professors. Some classes were led by local business owners (lawn care). There is a test at the end and you will be required to volunteer a certain amount of hours for the relatively free education. Sometimes it's answering the phone at the extension office for a few hours, fielding questions about things you just learned about. Sometimes it's manual labor doing beautification projects in your community. I definitely recommend. Lots of good people to be around. *sparser states may only have one extension office located in the county seat.
Mycology
Are you a fun guy? 🤣
I like to think I am!! ;)
Morel or less?
🤣🤣🤣
Oh gosh I just got it lmao
He's always talking about his cologies...
Knitting
Music
You mean producing or listening?
Either but I more meant producing Or playing an instrument Really, anything more than casual listening
Art! Pen and paper = 2 bucks and you're set!
Useful for a lot of other hobbies too — I also crochet and sew and embroider and knit and I draw out my project designs
No pen No paper And yet you still draw my attention
Rockhounding!! It’s incredibly rewarding, you’re out in nature, you’re getting exercise, meeting new people (if you want, or it can be a solo hobby), and exploring your area more in-depth. It’s a little addictive once you start learning about all the various minerals and geological formations around you. I’ve found some pretty great rocks and fossils within a 3 to 5 mile radius from my home. Edit: changed addicting to addictive
How do you get started?
A great starting point is to google your state’s geological survey and geological map. This will tell you what types of rocks and minerals can be found. You can even narrow it down to counties. If you’re on FB I highly suggest joining as many rock groups as possible. Mindat.org is an excellent resource as well. Next, get out and start looking at the rocks below your feet. Whether it’s a trail, a creek, landscaping rock… there’s always something to find. Look out for any construction or freshly moved soil in your area. You’d be amazed at what can be unearthed! Be sure you know your county’s and state’s law about waterways though as they change from state to state and you don’t want to get hit with a fine for being on private property. But most importantly, just get out at start exploring!! The rockhounding community is both friendly and competitive. Don’t be surprised if people in your area don’t want to give away local hounding spots as we spend A LOT of time and energy scouting and researching and it’s a little disheartening to share and then find your spots wiped out by irresponsible collecting. I’m happy to answer any other questions for you. Good luck hounding!!! Edit: words and spelling
I go out into the same natural area (known for its rock formations) 3+ times a week, so I'd love to learn more! Or just learn about the millions of rocks my toddlers collect 😆 Thanks for the tips and resources ❤️🪨
I absolutely love rockhounding, it is very addictive.
I'm learning a language, or two or three. Right now I am just focusing on one. Useful from time to time.
Espanol
Baking! You get to eat it after all the work lol
Productive hobbies are called work. lol. Gardening is very productive and saves money. One year just off a few tomatoes plants I saved at least $5 a week on tomatoes for four months. And that wasn't even taking it to the level of being a hobby. Working on cars can be too for some people. I have a friend that buys cars, fixes them up, drives them for a year or two and sells them for more money than he put into them. So basically drives a different cool vintage car every couple years... for free minus his time).
Eh, gardening doesn't necessarily save money. But... you get top quality fresh food from your own yard. Nothing beats a fresh tomato. Makes grocery store tomatoes taste like pinecones. I will say that having herbs does save money though as it's so easy and they are very expensive to buy fresh.
I disagree- it’s work you enjoy and involves some leisure in that you aren’t reliant on it to survive but doing it materially enhances your life or you derive pleasure from it
Baking bread 🥖🍞🥐l love the process and giving it to friends family & neighbors . They are always grateful and enjoy real bread. I use a bread machine to make the dough then work it in many ways . Then I bake it in my oven . I did not like the way the machine bakes it . I’ve baked cinnamon rolls , cinnamon bread , dinner rolls , & regular loaves. ❤️ I’m still learning .
Bagels are really fun to make! You boil them in baking soda water before baking! There’s quite a few recipes out there, and I’ve yet to try my hand at it (my mom makes bagels often!) but definitely try for bagels next!
Maybe trying to make friends so that you could develop more hobbies? I really think friends taught me much since I really learnt a lot from them. And if you don’t mind, I think a Discord server called [Lightup](https://discord.gg/G27uzgyDSG) is a wonderful place for making good friends. It matches people based on the similarities of their posts, so you could share your hobbies with others and at the same time know what they are doing. I developed my ‘productive’ hobbies of boxing and dancing because some of my friends there recommended me to do so. If u also hope to know more, just try it! Hope you could develop more healthy and productive hobbies sincerely!
Gardening is the most rewarding and productive hobby I've had and you can container garden if all you have is an apartment. I've tried numerous hobbies and still dabble in a few but nothing has been more productive than gardening.
Native gardening!
Gardening is a great hobby that gives you a useful skill and something you can pratice if you need extra cash.
I have always wanted to garden. But I am so terrible at keeping potted plants from their imminent death 😢
Look at outdoor opportunities like community gardens or practicing on landscaping. It is really relaxing!
Excellent suggestions, thank you!
I’m learning to sharpen knives by hand
Crochet, knitting, model building, sewing, weaving, gardening, wood carving
meditation
I taught myself to sew and crochet. My favorite part about these hobbies is that I love gifting my creations to friends and family. It even turned into a very part-time side gig because my friends and family now direct people to me who want to buy similar items!
What kind of items do you sew?
Glass art Stained glass Warm glass Blown glass Torch work
Hobbies are supposed to be self indulgent though. That's the point - doing something regularly just because you enjoy it. Hobbies don't always need an end result. Anyway, since you asked...I do photography (either with a camera or phone) There are some photography challenges online you could be part of, or just choose a theme for yourself and follow that.
Could I just google “photography challenges”, or could you suggest a site?
I like this site.... [https://shotkit.com/photo-challenge-ideas/](https://shotkit.com/photo-challenge-ideas/)
Embroidery bc I can be creative or just follow a pattern
Sewing is fun! Even just mending things. You either get to make a new item (plush/clothes) or fix something.
I became a Master Naturalist and do a lot of citizen science reporting. I report rain and snowfall that is used for flooding forecasts and even on news reports (which is kind of fun). I report seasonal changes. I report identified species via the iNaturalist app which is used by scientists to pinpoint changes in migration and species moving around and such.
This is very cool!
Go fishing and then cook what you catch
Gardening and hiking for my body then pottery and home improvements for my mind.
i took up journaling recently and am obsessed. i have a creative journal for memory keeping and fun, and then a productivity journal for planning and note-taking. they come with me everywhere and i journal on the go, while travelling, sitting at cafes etc. feels productive to keep my thoughts organized!
I love gardening. I took up food preservation as a hobby. I do freezing, water bath canning, pressure canning, and some dehydrating. Except for the pressure canning it was pretty cheap to get started. If you ask on a local buy nothing group you can usually find jars, and sometimes canners, for free.
Lawn aeration. Tree stumping House and car repair, handyman Hardwood floor installation Airbnb Dog walking Travel guide Renovating a vacation home Growing microgreens for farmers market Scratch cooking Uber driving
Canning!
3d printing is quite fun. Get a basic ender 3 and get to tweeking it. Along the way youll end up printing a bunch of fun little nick nacks you can give away to the children in the family.
I recommend just jump to the ender v3 se at least. The auto bed leveling (even if it's not great) is a must for me. As a newbie. And it's cheap. (remember to update the firmware though so the manual bed leveling actually works...)
Have you considered watercolor?
I’ve been learning how to do beading work, buying instructional kits from indigenous artists…I’ve learning how to do bead feathers and basic “medallions” and have been branching out into my own designs as gifts for people. Super low costs, takes a long time to finish each project and is very grounding / centering. If that idea intrigues you, may I recommend either of these from an indigenous artist and teacher: https://moonstonecreation.ca/peyote-beaded-feather-kit/ https://moonstonecreation.ca/beaded-poppy-workshop
Web development. You learn to code and have the possibility of making money from building websites. Whittling & or wood working. You can also potentially make money from this.
Or game development. Try Godot.
I used to do web development. Lost a ton of clients to the one-click-and-you’re-set website maker software and sites that have exploded since then. I’ve moved on, it’s not as fun or actively useful a skill as it used to be. 😔
dress up like dolly parton and wave at truck drivers....perhaps rock collecting
That’s very specific. 😂
I lost count of all the Dolly Parton lookalikes when I saw her in concert several years ago.
u/oddlyspecific
Kendama! A Japanese skill toy. Improves hand-eye coordination, balance, growth mindset. Fun to play and challenging if you are into these types of things
Sewing, knitting or crochetting
Carpentry
Photography
Veggie garden
Birdwatching
If you’re able, run. Into the sunset. Nothing else like it,
One that ticks both boxes for me is reading. I can sit on my ass and do it and still feel I accomplished something when I close the book at the end. 💟💟It’s a great feeling. Sometimes it’s frustrating but mostly great.
I am a happy planner. I stay budgeted, scheduled and I dump.all the crap in my brain out. Anddd there's stickers so that's a huge plus
Guitar, gardening and working out five hours/week keeps this boomer happy.
Self care
Time to hit the gym!
I started a thing where I do the amount of reps equal to my age and challenge myself to do it daily. It makes exercising a little more fun. :) Another one could be gardening, specific planting vegetables and fruits that you will actually eat. Like you can grow everything's to make you some bad ass salsa. :)
Ohh I like that! I fell out of my workouts and now that I’m older i feel it more trying to get myself motivated again! Thats a good idea if I do anything I’ll do my age if it! Its high enough that it could work but not so high I would destroy myself lmao
Fostering cats, kittens, puppies, dogs, rabbits for a local rescue/shelter. Five 3-week old kittens. Bottle-raised them. Most amazing experience of my life. Fostering truly saves lives, and there’s so many ways you can have a tangible reminder of the good you did ♥️
I love quilting. Joining my local guild allowed me access to a lot of charities I can work with
I read, write, garden, phone photography, and flight simulator, and truck simulators. I find them all producive. They keep me at my goals and mind active in retirement. Audiobooks, too. My brain is amped up all day.
Since you're looking for a hobby that's both productive and tangible, you might consider trying out cooking or baking. Not only is it a practical skill that you can use every day, but it also allows you to create something delicious and share it with others. Plus, you'll have something to show for your efforts – whether it's a beautifully decorated cake or a perfectly cooked meal.
I don’t think I saw cooking and baking on here.
Perhaps try some simple house projects (whatever is feasible) and gain household skills if possible.
Gardening, cooking, any kind of needlework.
Look into making stuff out of Kydex. It's a fun and reasonably inexpensive hobby.
What is kydex?
It's a thermoplastic. I make mainly knife sheaths, but it works for holsters and all sorts of things.
Thank you! I learned something new!
1) Cooking 2) Any sport.
Magic the Gathering or other strategy card games. It keeps your mind sharp and if you go to tournaments you can make a bunch of friends.
Crochet is surprisingly easy to pick up, even if you're not a naturally crafty person. The first hour is the hardest, if you can learn to make rows and rounds of single crochet, you're golden from there.
I recently started solving jigsaw puzzles of beautiful landscapes, animals or pics of people I love, then glue and frame them to decorate my house and give as gifts.
I enjoy bullet journaling, jigsaw puzzles, photography and quilting. I have a garden too, I don’t enjoy it as much as the others but I enjoy the food production lol
3D printer go brrrrrrrrrr; way better than wood working in my opinion
Gym, yoga, creating, gardening, handy man
Any I’d say, I paint, cross stitch, crochet and love plants (which of course need to be fertilized, repotted and pruned). I truly believe whatever you’re interested in is a great hobby. Astronomy, reading, writing, puzzles, drawing, DIY…. The list is endless and should be what you enjoy.
Learning a language. Playing an Instrument. Hiking, trail running, gardening, cooking
Gardening
Find a glass studio and learn how to do stained glass. I got gifted a couple lessons and it's been pretty fun.
Here are my hobbies Weightlifting Camera stuff, photo or video Making dumb videos and reels for fun 3D design and printing Fpv drones I kinda cycle them in and out depending on what seems interesting at the moment. It's nice having a few and getting decent gear so it never feels like a chore to do your hobby. Right now I'm designing car parts. Next week I might build a drone. Week after that I might go to the gym 6 days instead of my usual 3-4. Chase the dopamine.
Bodybuilding. But not like the competitors do it. Instead more like working out with weights and improving your strength, endurance, and flexibility. And refining your nutrition to mostly consume food for nourishment vs indulgence. So just building your body to be strong and healthy. I think it's the best hobby personally.
Coding
Bikram yoga - you can show off flexibility and inner peace/relaxation
I took up sewing. I started making quilts for the grandchildren. My husband was curious and now we do it together. He may even be better at it than I am.
I'm 60yo, took up knifemaking, fire, shape steel, grind. Learn more everyday
Quilting. Go yo Pinterest to see the possibilities. A lot of people make them for veterans and shut ins. I don’t know where you live but there are quilt guilds all over the world.
Yoga
Beekeeping, cooking, baking, woodworking.
Music. Pick any instrument. It grows your brain in new ways and is a beautiful thing to do.
woodworking? It's a hands-on hobby that allows you to create practical and beautiful items for your home
Dumpster diving. If you’re judicious about what you take it can actually be quite beneficial. People are quick to deem it a pathway to hoarding junk (which, to be fair, it can be for some if you indiscriminately take things) but I’ve been able to supplement my income by doing it. Have sold perfectly fine clothing with tags still attached, party supplies, pet food, etc. all of which cost me $0.00 to procure. Also have found perfectly fine food items. I only take things in sealed/uncompromised packages and, generally speaking, only shelf-stable products. But some people are brave enough to take perishables in the winter time when it’s cold enough outside in some places to preserve them. To each his own. Anyway, that takes a chunk out of my grocery bill. Plus, it’s kind of fun/feels like stealing lol The next time you’re bored late at night, stop by the back of a store and take a peek!
Learn how to fix stuff. It’s fun, you’ll amaze yourself with what you can do, and it will be wildly sexy to all members of your target romantic partner/gender etc. Plus you’ll save a shitton of money and have a cool, beautiful looking place.
Beach clean up
We started a bookclub in our neighborhood. We pick our 11 books in December for the next year. Meet monthly. 2 people host each month. It's been so much fun. I read things I would have never picked but enjoy my neighbors so much.
Beekeeping.
Book club!!
Paint by number. There are some beautiful sets out there, and you don’t have to be accurate for them to be pretty.
I like to make cordage with dogbane. -- I have to hike to harvest the dogbane, then process it down to the fibers and braid the fibers into rope. It's takes a long time to make. I've used it to... hang pictures, make bracelets, tie a loop on my spotlight so I don't have to carry it - I can loop it on my field pack (I help close abandoned coal mine openings and have to peer in there to assess for bat habitat), as borders on mats for framed pictures, tie a bit around a flower vase gives a nice country aesthetic. Anything you'd use rope for.. This hobby does not allow idle hands and gets you out in the woods.
my dad finds broken lawn mowers, fixes them, and sells them for about 100 dollars. It's a great deal
Rebuilding engines. I bought a boat with a cracked block and now and in a full blown engine rebuild! I’m so excited, there is so many things that can go wrong and so many hopes that if nothing goes wrong I’ll be cruising on my boat that I rebuilt! Great feeling:)
Gunsmithing maybe
Beadwork. It can be productive as you can sell your items, but it’s more productive because it promotes fine motor skills. Those are very important lol
I love knitting! I learned to knit around 15 years ago through YouTube. I've made items for myself and for gifts. It's very relaxing and the projects can be either super complex or super simple so that you can stream a movie while you knit. The materials can also range widely from either chrap acrylic or cashmere, silk etc.
With knitting, crochet, or other needlework you can make stuff for yourself/others and its very relaxing to twirl the thread
Mine started with cooking, which turned into baking, turned into sourdough bread baking, and now I’m getting into fermenting stuff (veggies ect). It’s nice because it’s for me mostly, but I can share my creations with friends and family.