The winter winds are trying to freeze your brain, the snow is getting too much to handle, and all you want is to curl up and stay indoors and … not be bored.
Yes! Cold weather is perfect for all things cozy, but what about doing something interesting with your free time? Today, you get to explore a list of 30 uncommon and common indoor winter hobbies that will be your boredom busters while the winter does its thing outside.
They are sorted from most uncommon to most common, so if you feel weird about the first few, keep scrolling; things are getting more familiar. Some of these hobbies can be done at home, but some of them require you to perform a small online research and see where you can take up that hobby.
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Winter Hobbies to Do Indoors
1. Digital Music Composition
Suppose you love music and even play or used to play an instrument. Why not try composing your digital music for fun? Tons of online software will help you get started for free. You can always upgrade or grab a course later when you know it’s something you wish to explore further.
Great free places to start are Soundtrap and Noteflight.
2. Creating Digital Art
Any artsy person would have already thought of that hobby as an option. Creating digital art has become more and more popular nowadays, especially with the evolution of AI tools. However, making your unique designs is still the best way to express your creativity and work with your potential.
Imagine you cozy yourself up on the sofa, sipping hot cocoa, listening to winter jazz, and drawing your charming designs on your iPad. That’s the ultimate winter hobby I would go for… if I could draw, of course. But I can’t. So, I move on to the next idea.
3. Terrarium Building
For people living in small spaces and being restricted with their home gardens, this could be the best winter thing to do, and it will keep you busy and obsessed with it.
Terrariums are a lot of work for how small they are. But it is rewarding work because you get to express your creativity and learn new things almost every time you get to work on it. The options are practically endless, but if you are a complete beginner, this kit can get you started.
4. Indoor Rock Climbing
For the sporty individuals who need that extra spice of adventure, rock climbing is usually easily accessible in most places. This hobby will keep you fit, meet you with new people on a regular basis, and entertain you. But you have to leave your house, though. So that’s a hard no for me, lol.
5. Learn Magic Tricks
I know we aren’t five years old, but neither was Houdini when he was performing his tricks. I wouldn’t encourage you to try something risky, but learning magic tricks is okay at any point and age. Actually, it’s a really cool and unique hobby people know about but don’t have. Shuffling cards and pulling them out of people’s shoes might come in very handy in springtime when you have to meet other beings and explain what you did all winter.
6. Candle Making
There are hobbies everyone should try at least once in their life. Candle-making is one of those. You can grab a very inexpensive beginner kit and dive into the basics of this art. Mixing essential oils, using dry flower petals, and turning your home into a sanctuary-looking winter cave is just a bonus.
7. Virtual Escape Rooms
This is a fun game you can play by yourself or with friends, but with the bonus of not seeing each other until the winter’s over. Puzzle-solving games are great for boosting your brainpower and provide a fantastic team experience. Here is a good list of games you can start with.
8. Virtual Museum Touring
There is a vast number of museums you can explore while sipping tea, petting your dog, and cooking dinner. Online museum tours are becoming such a trendy thing you’d be surprised. This indoor hobby is perfect for you if you love history and art, and even if you’re curious to check if you can add a certain museum to your travel list for the summer.
Want to start simple? Start with the virtual tour and exploration of the art in the Musée d’Orsay, Paris.
9. Online Learning (Courses)
Did you know that most courses on Masterclass are about two-three hours long (more or less)? If you dedicate your free time to going through one course weekly, you will cover 52 online courses in one year. It’s simple math but a mind-blowing reminder of how much one can do if one decides to do something productive and beneficial for oneself.
That would mean that going for the yearly Masterclass membership would cost you only $3 per course! That’s a hobby for people who want to work on their mindset and learn new skills (such as storytelling or makeup).
10. Puzzles
Grab a 10,000-piece puzzle and compete with the snow outside: Can you solve it before spring arrives? All jokes aside, puzzles can be enjoyable indoor activities you can do by yourself or bring your kids into it.
11. Cooking Ethnic Food
Many people enjoy spending time in the kitchen, and if you are one of them, why not spice things up by trying different cuisines this winter? Maybe you will discover a new favorite meal to add to your home cookbook.
12. Reading
Duh, you didn’t really need me to remind you that reading is an awesome, cozy hobby that would keep you occupied while the blizzard dances around your neighborhood. Why not take it further and go for a book challenge of your own? Here are a few ideas:
- Read all the books your favorite author has ever published in one season.
- Read ten classics you’ve never read in your life (and you’re kind of ashamed to admit it)
- Read a specific number of pages every day.
- Read five books you wouldn’t usually pick for yourself so that you can step out of your comfort zone.
By the way, if you are into challenges, here are 50 monthly challenge ideas to choose from.
13. Baking
My favorite winter hobby is baking bread. I do this only in winter because the smell of a freshly baked loaf of bread on a cold winter afternoon is heavenly good and reminds me of my childhood.
14. Playing Board Games
My sister’s family loves board games, and it’s my easiest go-to gift idea when I want to get something for the kids. Board games are an excellent get-together winter activity that would keep the kids away from the blue screens, and you and your partner can spend quality time together. There are plenty of board games you can play even by yourself if no one can join you.
15. Writing or Journaling
Journaling is a great habit for any season, but there is something so soothing about sitting in your favorite armchair, covering your legs with a fluffy throw, resting a cup of warm tea next to you, and opening a leather journal for the first time… today. Here are a few creative writing prompts to get you started if you always run out of ideas on what to write (printable included).
16. Photography “Views Through My Window”
Pick a window in your house and take one single photograph every day this winter, standing in the same spot. By the end of the season, you will have a great collection of how the season has changed the scenery. You will love it so much that you will go into spring or even summer with this project.
17. Knitting or Crocheting
Both knitting and crocheting are winter hobbies you can combine with watching TV, conversing with your family, listening to music, and even taking online courses.
If you’re a beginner but wish to give knitting a try, here is a beginner’s guide you will love.
18. Indoor Gardening
You can plant so much in your indoor garden, and if you’re dedicated to nurturing it, you can enjoy plenty of herbs and produce even while the snow is piling outside your front door.
19. DIY Home Decor Projects
Here’s a list of just a few DIY home projects you can do as a hobby this season:
- Decoupage a key holder;
- Pick a wall in your home you can clutter with family photos;
- Creating clay trays for jewelry;
- Candle decoupaging;
- …and many more.
20. Candle Decoupaging
I know I just mentioned it as a DIY home decor idea, but it is the perfect standalone winter hobby, too. It’s easy to start and fairly easy to learn and do with minimal equipment.
21. Poetry Writing
Experimenting with words to create a beautiful short piece of text that rhymes and carries a bouquet of feelings is a great hobby for the literate people out there. Are you one of them?
22. Pyrography
Wood burning and creating beautiful patterns on a wood slice is such a great way to spend the winter evenings. You can get all the tools you need fairly cheaply, and YouTube has plenty of tutorials for beginners. Just be sure safety comes first when operating with the tools.
23. Start a Social Media Channel
YouTube, Instagram, TikTok… and any other social media that is popular where you are right now. Open a social media channel that isn’t about You but about the knowledge you can share or the passion you can explore. Examples of that would be a YouTube channel on creating a terrarium at home or a TikTok account on favorite books and book recommendations.
24. Watch Documentaries
This is the best way to learn new things and not move from the sofa. Watching documentaries, especially if you have a favorite topic, can be extremely educational and turn you into a walking encyclopedia by the end of the season.
25. Learn Calligraphy
This is a fun winter hobby that will teach you patience and give you a very cool skill in return for that patience. It takes a lot more work than you can imagine learning calligraphy, but it is one of the perfect projects you can try this season. Here’s a handy starter kit for you.
26. Read Tarot Cards
I recently got a deck of old Tarot Cards (not too old, don’t go crazy), and it’s been such a learning curve. I believe Tarot teaches you to listen to your intuition and inner voice, and for that, it is a great winter hobby you can pick for this year.
27. Indoor Workouts as a Hobby
Staying fit in wintertime is an especially tough task for people who believe walking their dog is enough to consider themselves active. I am that person! I’ve been walking my pup for up to an hour every day, and that’s a good start, but it isn’t nearly enough to stay physically healthy. How about both you and I think of more winter workouts such as yoga, Zumba, and HIIT workouts, or maybe alternate them every week? Does it sound like a hobby?
28. Model Building
Plains, battleships, pirate ships, Harry Potter book nooks, miniature houses, and so much more… model building is definitely a hobby you can do by the fireplace all winter.
29. Learn a New Language
Imagine learning one new language up to an intermediate level every winter. You can call it your seasonal hobby, and once the first winter winds decide to blow your windows off, you can log online and start learning a new language. Every. Year. It’s fun!
30. Home Improvement Projects
My last winter hobby suggestion is to actually dedicate the season to improving your home. Once the days get warm, you will most likely get busier. With three seasons to go, things can pile up by the time winter arrives. Upgrading your pantry room, re-decorating your bathroom, or creating an accent wall in your bedroom are all awesome indoor winter projects you can call a “hobby”
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