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Back in March, facing two or more weeks off of school, work, and life in general, many people saw this newfound free time as an opportunity to explore some new hobbies that they hadn’t tried before. For some it was working out; for others, baking bread; others binged Netflix. There were countless ideas that people utilized to fill the time, and they took to them with the utmost motivation and enthusiasm.
Few could have predicted that those two weeks would turn into nine months of restrictions and counting. However, some people still stick to the hobbies that they started at the beginning. Others abandoned them months ago, but it still left them with some new skills.
So what were the most popular hobbies that people tried out?
1. Working Out
When people are looking to change their life for the better, one of the first places they start is with a new exercise routine. Of course, most gyms had just closed down, so people turned to online guides and YouTube videos. One exercise guru, Chloe Ting, was particularly popular. Her two-week-ab program attracted hundreds of thousands of people looking for a short-term plan with good results. Other people turned to running as a way to get out of the house safely and stay active with minimal equipment.
2. Art
Many people took this new time to learn how to paint or draw. Paint-by-number kits, which are perfect for beginners, were an easy way for people with no experience to have a place to start. Online tutorials also provided a great way to learn. Homemade crafts, like jewelry-making, putting together photo collages, or scrapbooking, were also a great way to tap into your creative side.
3. Puzzles and Board Games
Puzzles in particular provided hours of entertainment to sharpen your skills. Board games brought families together who now had to spend most of their time with only each other as company. It’s always a ton of fun to crush your siblings at Monopoly or guess what your parents are acting out in Charades. And online versions of these games let people connect with their friends or family members who they couldn’t see in person.
4. Journaling
Writing was a great way for people to pass the time. Some people started bullet journals, which are a way of organizing your schedule by incorporating art with it. They choose a theme for the month and stick with it, such as ‘fall’ for autumn months or ‘Christmas’ for December. Journaling allowed people to put their thoughts down in a single place. It can also help you keep track of the many online school assignments you have due!
5. Sewing
Lots of people learned how to make homemade masks. This was a great way to keep yourself and others safe while showcasing your personality with fun colors and designs. Or, you could express your support for a political cause. Some people also tried knitting or tailoring their own clothes when they couldn’t go to the store to buy any.
6. Baking
Baking and cooking soared in popularity in the first few weeks of quarantine. Bread in particular was an interesting new culinary stable that people tried out. There were many recipes for people who found themselves stuck at home with extra time to prepare food. Instead of getting takeout every night, people had time to actually make a nice meal. Making cookies and other baked goods were a great way to spend a few hours with your family.
7. Netflix
Perhaps the most popular of all, lots of people took this time to catch up on the shows that they had been putting off. With lots of newfound free time, people binged dozens of shows and watched countless movies. Some series, such as Tiger King, notably gained lots of notoriety at the beginning of quarantine. While many shows halted production to abide by COVID guidelines, there were hundreds of series already offered on a variety of streaming services.
What was your favorite quarantine time-passer?
My favorite hobby I have picked up over quarantine was exercising and working out. It has been very easy with all of the free time you have since many places are continuously closed down without many things to do.
I found myself looking for a lot of new hobbies or doing things that bring peace to my mind. For me, it was working out. It mentally and physically made me feel great and I think a lot of people feel this way with working out during quarantine. It is a way to get outside and out of the pandemic craze.
I can attest! I started working out over quarantine, and my mom started sewing. I’ve found that since I have so much more time for the things I love, I can only improve! My Tetris high score has more than doubled, and my max in all workouts is climbing higher!
Baking was definitely one of the hobbies that I found a lot more time to actually do during quarantine!! The amount of times that was opened up by being at home 24/7 really allowed for me to try out new hobbies.
During quarantine, I did many of these things. My family binged Tiger King, as well as baking some things we’ve never heard of, and going on many walks together for exercise.
With so much free time during quarantine, it was easier for people to pick up new hobbies that they did not have time to do prior to quarantine. I know many people who picked up fishing and golfing because of how easy and safe they were to do during the pandemic.
With so much free time during quarantine, I know so many people who picked up new hobbies. My friends and I began to go fishing and golfing often because so many places were not open.
I’d agree! My hobbies had amplified over quarantine since there was much more free time just laying around. My family and I started bingeing a lot of Netflix too, it became a habit now to watch evening movies together.
At some point during quarantine this year, I took part in all of these activities. My family binged Tiger King together and spent a lot of time working out and building a puzzle (that we never finished). I think it is so interesting that so many people found joy in the same things and I feel that these similarities really brought the global community together in a time of isolation.
During quarantine, I did almost all of these things. It is so cool to see that the things my family and I did, other families were doing as well. I think it was so easy for people to try new things because they had so much time.
During the pandemic, I did almost all of these things. It is cool to see that what my family and I did over the past few months other families were doing as well. I think that it is cool to learn that I am actually decent cook and it was good to spend time with my family.
I think this article captures the activities made popular by the pandemic very well. I think that so many of us can relate to at least one of these hobbies.
These hobbies picked up during quarantine are very accurate! I spent a lot of time on Netflix and building puzzles too.
I would definitely say that working out was a big thing I did over quartine since I didn’t have a season and it helped me keep active and distracted.
I find that these hobbies are probably the most common that have been picked up due to the lockdowns. I have spent a lot of time watching videos and movies and playing video games, but I have also started reading more and exercising more.
Over quarantine, I have pretty much-tried everything to keep myself entertained. But by far my Netflix hobby has grown immensely and I have definitely watched way too many shows.
I totally agree that these have been the most common source of entertainment for almost a year now. Netflix and working out kept me sane while in quarantine!
I found myself binging Netflix early on, but I soon became distracted with my job. I worked through a majority of the pandemic. Before I knew it, school –online– started which became the main consumer of my time. I loved your article; I remember and notice all of these hobbies that others around me have picked up.
During the pandemic, we all had so much free time since we were not able to go anywhere. We had to find new ways to spend time and I think that this list captures that. I know that I did a lot of the things mentioned on the list.
By early May, I had tried just about everything on this list, besides baking. Needless to say, my house was filled with baked goods after a week.
I took up running at the beginning of quarantine, but when my junior year rolled around, I just kind of voluntarily became a vegetable lol