130 Mom Hobbies (Including Some That Pay)
- Hobbies are an important part of self-care for busy moms.
- There are health, social, parenting, and even monetary benefits of mom hobbies.
- It’s hard to find time for hobbies, but it can be done by asking others for help and prioritizing your mental health.
- You can find the perfect hobby by thinking back to what you enjoyed doing before motherhood and by experimenting.
- Ideas for hobbies fall into many categories—active, artistic, crafty, DIY, intellectual, kitchen, musical, outdoorsy, social, techy, and money-making hobbies.
Mom life is full of challenges, but one I was not prepared for had nothing to do with my son and everything to do with me—losing who I was before becoming a mom.
It happened before I even realized it, and it shook me to my core when my son was three years old and I was asked what I liked to do for fun or to relax. My mind was blank, and it was at that moment I realized all my interests and hobbies were replaced by my son’s.
That day, I made it my mission to reclaim my identity and find some mom hobbies—things I could do in my limited free time that were meant just for self-care. Throughout this journey, I discovered an added bonus (in addition to my sanity)—some hobbies for moms double as side hustles!
Mom Hobbies: Finding Balance in Motherhood
To busy moms, finding the time to do something for themselves seems impossible. Between cooking every meal, cleaning the house, keeping their children active, and all the other tasks they squeeze into each day, many moms forget that their mental health is just as important as all the other obligations on their to-do list.
Mom guilt is real. I feel it every time I leave my son at home with my husband rather than taking him with me. I feel it when I don’t spend every waking moment on the floor playing or coming up with Pinterest-worthy crafts. We shouldn’t feel guilty when we’re doing the best we can, but it happens regardless.
This is why mom hobbies are essential for many women, whether they’re stay-at-home moms or moms working outside the home. You do everything for your kids. You deserve a few minutes to yourself each day to do an activity that gives you joy.
If you don’t set aside time for yourself now, you’re at a huge risk of experiencing the all-too-common mom burnout. You’ve probably felt it already—the exhaustion, the anxiety, the urge to escape, the strong desire for just one moment’s peace. One way to treat or prevent mom burnout is by taking up a hobby.
You might be thinking to yourself that you don’t need a hobby or that you don’t have time for one. When you have kids, the never-ending list of chores becomes all-consuming. There’s a feeling pressed upon you that you have to stay productive and that your wants and needs come second. In actuality, nothing could be further from the truth.
When I decided to recover my identity and think of myself as something other than “mom,” my life and the lives around me improved in so many ways. Not only did I rescue my identity, but I also rescued my mental health and my overall mood. It was then that I could truly give my family the best version of myself.
Five Benefits of Hobbies for Moms
A great hobby provides so many advantages to busy moms. Check out some of the benefits of mom hobbies below:
| Benefit | How it Helps Moms |
| Improve your health |
|
| Improve your social life |
|
| Set a good example for your children |
|
| Bring in an income |
|
| They’re so much fun! |
|
How to Find Time for Hobbies as a Busy Mom
One of the biggest roadblocks for moms finding the perfect hobby is the perception that there just isn’t enough time for one.
The truth is self-care should be considered a high priority and be given the time it deserves.
If you take a good look at your schedule and daily activities, pay special attention to time that could be spent doing a hobby rather than doing something else, like watching television.
If you’ve scrutinized every minute of your day and you truly have no time to spare, there are solutions for that as well!
- Ask a family member or friend to babysit while you take some time for your hobby. You can even offer to return the favor another day if your friend or family member needs some self-care time of their own.
- If you have a spouse or partner, do your hobby while they are home and can handle the kids. Ignore the mom guilt and remind yourself that children need quality time with both parents, and this is your chance to give it to them.
- If a little background noise doesn’t distract you too much, do your hobby while your children play independently. You can set up an activity that will keep your children busy while you do your hobby nearby. If your kids usually have time each day for screen time, use this time for your hobby.
- Be a little selfish. Moms are generally selfless and often offer to help others. This is a beautiful quality unless you are running on fumes yourself. Have you been on an airplane and heard the flight attendant tell you to secure your own oxygen mask before helping others? The same rule applies here. If you feel like you’re drowning, it’s okay to say “no” to other people if it means you have time to recharge.
How Can Moms Find a Hobby That They Love?
Now that you’ve found some time for a hobby, you need to find the perfect hobby for you. Hobbies do not fit into the one-size-fits-all category. What brings one person pleasure may bring stress to another.
Personally, nothing sounds worse to me than putting on a pair of sneakers and running just for the pure sake of it. On the other hand, friends of mine swear that running helps them clear their minds and lift their spirits.
When it comes to my hobbies, I prefer them without the asthma attacks and sweat. I have always been creative rather than athletic. I prefer to get my hands a little dirty or create something I can hold in my hands.
Finding a great hobby isn’t as easy as it may seem. As I mentioned earlier, I spent so many years focusing entirely on being a mom that I forgot everything I did for fun before motherhood.
To find a hobby you love, you need to think back to what you enjoyed doing before having kids. You may need to go as far back as what you enjoyed doing when you were young. If you liked to doodle on the edge of notebooks or took pleasure from always coloring inside the lines, you could try adult coloring books.
Another way to find a hobby you absolutely love is by thinking about things you’ve wanted to learn to do. Maybe you can’t get enough of cake decorating shows, and you decide to take up cake decorating as a hobby. You will get satisfaction out of learning a new skill, and your family will complain less about your time away from them when they get a slice of cake in return!
Finding a great hobby can take time and experimentation. You might start a new hobby and realize it’s more trouble than it’s worth. If your new hobby isn’t bringing you enjoyment and leaving you feeling more relaxed and recharged after doing it, it may be time to try something else.
Don’t give up on figuring out the perfect hobby for you. It’s out there—you just need to find it!
130 Enjoyable and Rewarding Hobbies for Moms
If you’re feeling stuck on where to start when it comes to finding a mom hobby, check out the hobby ideas below. These hobbies for moms range from creative to athletic, outdoorsy to techy, and even include hobbies that pay! Many hobbies fit into more than one category, so make sure to check out all the categories before deciding on one for yourself.
Active Hobbies
- Learning self-defense (including martial arts and kickboxing)
- Dancing (salsa, hip hop, ballroom, country, tap, ballet, zumba)
- Spinning
- Weight lifting
- Doing yoga
- Doing pilates
- Running
- Ice skating
- Riding an exercise bike
- Power walking
- Doing barre
- Roller skating
Artistic Hobbies
- Coloring in adult coloring books
- Drawing
- Painting (use stencils if you’re not confident in your skills right away)
- Taking film photos and developing them
- Sculpting
- Creating pottery
- Making ceramics
- Glass blowing
- Making mosaics
- Making items like keychains and pens using polymer clay
- Squeegee painting
- Using resin to make jewelry, coasters, and ornaments
Crafty Hobbies
- Making candles
- Making soap
- Scrapbooking
- Making handmade cards
- Origami
- Knitting
- Crocheting
- Hand lettering/calligraphy
- Making pressed flower art
- Painting coffee mugs and wine glasses
- Making jewelry
- Making hair accessories
- Making wreaths
- Felt needling
- Sewing
- Quilting
DIY Hobbies
- Chalk painting furniture
- Woodworking
- Refreshing rooms with new paint
- Upholstering old furniture
- Creating wall art for your home
- Making signs
- Making stained glass windows
- Gardening
- Making bird feeders
Intellectual Hobbies
- Reading
- Doing jigsaw puzzles
- Doing crossword puzzles
- Doing sudoku
- Learning a new language
- Taking an online class
- Writing poetry
- Writing a novel
- Bullet journaling
- Investing
- Meditating
- Doing word searches
Kitchen Hobbies
- Baking
- Cake decorating
- Testing Pinterest or TikTok recipes
- Food photography
- Canning
- Cookie decorating
- Making chocolates
- Pickling
- Making homemade pasta
- Bread making
- Beer making
- Wine making
- Wine tasting
Musical Hobbies
- Songwriting
- Playing an instrument
- Singing (for the social aspect, join a choir)
- Listening to local live music
- Doing karaoke
Outdoorsy Hobbies
- Rock climbing
- Hiking
- Paddleboarding
- Kayaking
- Swimming
- Skiing
- Leisurely walking
- Bird watching
- Fishing
- Cycling
- Surfing
- Snorkeling
- Horseback riding
- Geocaching
- Composting
Social Hobbies
- Joining or starting a book club
- Playing cards with friends
- Playing board games with friends
- Doing trivia contests
- Playing billiards
- Taking a class to learn a skill
- Mentoring
- Volunteering
- Playing chess
- Playing a team sport
- Taking paint and sip classes
Techy Hobbies
- Taking up digital photography
- Listening to podcasts
- Learning graphic design or how to use Canva
- Writing for a blog
- Starting a parenting social media account
- Digi scrapbooking
- Researching your genealogy
- Making YouTube videos
Money-Making Hobbies
- Selling items on eBay, Craigslist or Marketplace
- Selling homemade items on Etsy
- Selling graphics and printables on Etsy
- Writing for a blog
- Designing and selling t-shirts and other clothing
- Selling your baked goods (just be sure to check into local rules and regulations)
- Selling your photos as stock photos
- Walking dogs
- Gardening or landscaping for others
- Providing calligraphy services for weddings and other events
- Altering clothes
- Doing makeup for others
- Reviewing books
- Tutoring or teaching a skill
- Doing focus groups or completing surveys
- Becoming a brand ambassador
- Flying drones for real estate or photography
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