Many leisure activities in summer take place outdoors. Pursuing hobbies in winter comes with different requirements. On the one hand, it gets dark very early in winter, which means it's too late for outdoor activities. On the other hand, not everyone likes the cold. But besides activities in the cold air, there are also many indoor games to play in winter!
- Hobbies in winter: How to find the right one for you!
- Here you will find leisure ideas for winter – for outdoors and indoors!
- Winter hobbies can be a lot of fun. We offer tips for the cold season.
The 16 best hobbies for winter
If you are still looking for a suitable hobby for the cold season, take a look at the following leisure activities. You are sure to find something you enjoy! For those who dislike the cold, there are some ideas for indoor activities. For lovers of cold weather, there are lots of ideas for outdoor activities.
Outdoor hobbies for winter
In winter, it's bitterly cold outside, and we often tend to hide away indoors and spend far too little time outside. That's when it's good to have a hobby that gets you out into the fresh air!
We have put together a few very nice outdoor hobbies for you here:
1. Winter photography
Winter has its own magic. Winter photography is a wonderful hobby that gets you out into the fresh air. You can find beautiful photo opportunities by hanging up a bird feeder, for example. This will attract your photo models to a place where you can lie in wait.
Plants in winter also make good photo subjects, especially when they add a touch of color to the snow—such as red rose hips.
2. Winter hiking
Enchanted landscapes under snow, snowflakes falling in the sun, and a tranquil winter wonderland: what looks like something out of a postcard can also be enjoyed in real life during a heavy snowfall.
There are many trails in the Harz Mountains and the Alps that are particularly suitable for winter hiking. If the destination is a hut or farm where you can stay overnight, you can even hike for several days despite the cold.
3. Bird watching
Do you love nature and birds in particular? Bird watching is a wonderful hobby for winter. It's also particularly easy in winter. You can choose a pretty birdhouse at the hardware store or even build one yourself.
Make sure that the feed is placed in such a way that the birds cannot get in and then stand in their own dirt and eat. Bird watching can also be combined well with photography:
Colorful birds in the snow make beautiful photo subjects.
4. Organize your own historical nature or city tour
When we go on vacation, we usually know everything about the vacation destination:
- When it was created,
- which is the most beautiful church,
- which is the oldest street
- We also visited the castle at the top of the mountain.
Do you know your hometown just as well? You can inquire about the history of the town and specific places at the local council and organize your own guided tour with friends and relatives.
5. Ice skating
Ice skating has one advantage: it can be done both outdoors and indoors. Some ice rinks are open-air, while others are located in large indoor arenas. Of course, you still need to dress warmly for the arena, but at least you'll be spared from snow or rain.
By the way, you don't have to be a pro to have fun on the ice. After some initial difficulties, gliding forward usually comes naturally!
Indoor hobbies for winter
In winter, it gets dark early and the evenings are very long. Since many outdoor hobbies are no longer enjoyable in the dark, it's always nice to have an indoor hobby in winter. Some of the best hobbies in winter include:
1. Crafting and building
Do you prefer to stay cozy indoors during winter and keep yourself busy there? No problem— crafting and building are wonderful activities for winter. For example, you can build with Lego. You don't need much equipment and you can get started right away.
If you have a workshop or the necessary basic equipment and a little space, building with wood can also be a lot of fun. Model making is another hobby that is ideal for long winter evenings. Crafting with a wide variety of materials is also a great activity for the winter.
Feel free to browse ourMagicHolz —you'll find some inspiration here. For example:
2. Take a language course
Learning a new language has several advantages. Not only is it practical and good preparation for your next trip abroad, but learning languages also keeps you mentally fit. That's why "learning languages" is a particularly enjoyable hobby to do at home.
3. Cooking or baking new recipes
Especially in winter and during the Christmas season, much revolves around delicious food. Baking for Christmas and cooking Christmas dinner is a tradition. However, even beyond Christmas, cooking and baking can be an enjoyable hobby for long winter evenings. Trying out new recipes is particularly enjoyable!
4. Painting or drawing
If you're looking for a relaxing hobby to do at home, painting or drawing could be just the thing for you. Even if you have no experience or think you're not creative enough, just give it a try! There are lots of good step-by-step guides on the internet or in drawing books to help you get started.
5. Puzzles
Puzzles are also a particularly enjoyable hobby for relaxation. Puzzles can take on a meditative character and combine the interplay of colors and shapes with the need to create and assemble things.
Concentration ensures that we can switch off properly after a stressful day or after work, for example. Puzzles come in many different varieties. Click on the button and discover the fascinating world of wooden puzzles.
6. Learn to play a musical instrument
Music not only relaxes us, it also has many positive effects on our health. Music can influence our emotions and release energy. Learning to play an instrument also trains your fine motor skills and your hearing.
Making music is most enjoyable when you play with others from time to time. This allows you to tackle compositions with multiple voices. You can find sheet music with different levels of difficulty in music stores. If you also enjoy singing, an accompanying instrument such as the guitar might be right for you.
7. Knitting or crocheting
Handicrafts are in—and have been a perennial favorite for several years now. The soft wool feels wonderful even as you're choosing it, and you can select wonderful color combinations for your own project. If you
- Scarves,
- cuffs
- If you want to tackle a sweater as a project, knitting is the better method.
Knitted items are elastic and soft. Crocheting is particularly suitable for bags, tablecloths, or smaller projects such as the "bookworm" bookmark.
Both activities have a meditative quality: the constant repetition of the same small movements induces relaxation and improves fine motor skills in the hands.
8. Learn calligraphy
Handwritten cards have fallen out of fashion with the advent of email, cell phones, and other modern technology. When we look at old films or photos of original documents from our ancestors' time, we are often amazed by their neat handwriting—and beautiful scripts!
What was possible back then can still be learned today. Calligraphy is a relaxing hobby that, like painting and drawing, you can easily do on your own at home. As a bonus, you can surprise your relatives and friends with beautifully written Christmas and birthday cards!
9. Organize book clubs with friends
Do you have your own extensive library, or do your friends have one? Or do you each have an e-reader and can borrow books from each other? Organizing a book club is fun. You read individual chapters together and then discuss how you understood the section.
This usually broadens your horizons, because in a book club, everyone gets to choose a book—so you also get to read books that you might not otherwise have picked up.
10. Acting in a theater group
Another really enjoyable hobby is acting in a theater group. Not only is it fun to slip into the role of different characters and "dress up," but acting also offers a number of other benefits. For one thing, the group does various exercises together, and acting itself also brings people closer together—you'll rarely find better team spirit and camaraderie in other groups.
What's more, acting keeps you mentally fit. Not only do the exercises usually promote improvisation and associative thinking, but memorizing lines also contributes to mental fitness.
11. Virtual museum visits
Do you enjoy visiting museums, but the exhibition you're interested in is too far away? Museums can also be visited virtually . This allows you to "check out" museums in all cities without leaving your own four walls.
Conclusion
While swimming and barbecuing are popular activities in summer, winter offers opportunities for beautiful hikes in the snow or finding special photo motifs in the winter landscape. Indoor hobbies such as puzzles or painting are ideal for long, dark evenings.
If you're looking for a hobby in winter, it would be a good idea to choose one for outdoors and one for indoors. Fresh air and exercise are important in winter too—but warming up and coming home to a cozy house afterwards is just as important.
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