Families Who Hobby Together
How do you do hobbies in your family?
Whether you love to read, run, swim, write, fish, play video games, sew, scuba dive, paint, sculpt, remake old furniture, walk dogs, hike, climb mountains, or something else (the list could go on forever), we all have our hobbies. Some of us pick up our favorite hobby when we have a little time on our hands or when we need something to feed our souls, while others of us seem to be addicted to them, turning our hobbies into a career or a lifestyle, making time and space for the activities we love every single day.
Whichever type of hobbyist you are, have you ever tried sharing a hobby with your whole family - or even just one or two people at a time?
When I was in college, my dad took up biking, and he invited me to try it with him. He bought a couple of road bikes, practiced on his own for a while, and then somehow convinced me to train and start doing long rides with him. I loved it. I had never shared a hobby long-term with my dad before, and our relationship deepened in those days when we were training together or off on a bike trip together. We did a 36-mile ride, then a 50, and then we attempted a 100-mile trek together too. A couple of years into it, I got married and started having babies, and I hung up my biking shoes, but he kept going and got my mom into biking, and they had some adventures together too. I never forgot those moments with my dad, and I never will.
The task can seem daunting - right? Finding something you really enjoy doing as an entire family might not be easy in your house.
You may have to try a few things and let them fizzle, or you may have to break off into pairs for some hobbies and come together for others, but sharing a hobby with the people you share life with can be a huge way to boost togetherness in your family.
Recently, my husband and I decided to try a whole bunch of new hobbies together with our kids and turn them into a new part of our traveling lifestyle. Sailing, spearfishing, freediving, paddleboarding, snorkeling, and saltwater swimming and fishing were the new family hobbies on our collective agenda for the new year. But as we started trying to enjoy them, we quickly learned that some hobbies are harder to learn than others, and maybe - just maybe - we should take them one at a time.
We also learned that some hobbies take on like wildfire and create great family experiences, while others really don't. So, we're slowing down a bit and trying them one by one for a little while. We've never been a family to start small, but we're seeing the beauty of it right now.
The truth is you don't have to do every single thing together (we all need our space and personal hobbies too), but if you're searching for a way to connect with someone in your family, or a way to bring your whole family a little closer, sharing a hobby is worth a try.
If you're running low on ideas, here are a few we love:
Nature walking
Listening to audiobooks
Collecting stamps, coins, etc.
Writing stories
Photography
Gardening
Cooking
Drawing
Birdwatching
Pottery
Archery
Playing the guitar
Beekeeping
Remember: Start small and go slow, and if something doesn't work, try something new.
I've met couples who love to kayak and go birdwatching together and couples who love to run together. I've also met families who love to hike together, bike together, and ski nonstop together, so I know this can work.
If you want to meet a family who does hobbies together like rockstars, I hope you were able to listen to this week's podcast interview with Alyssa Erickson. Her family is so good at sharing hobbies with each other, and they've inspired our little family in so many ways. If you haven't heard it yet, check out the interview here. And be prepared to be inspired!
Let’s go after those family adventures you’ve been dreaming of together.
How do you do hobbies in your family? Hop into the email group and join the discussion.