129 Hobbies for Bored Moms + Money Making Ideas

Moms have a tough job.  Taking care of kids is not for the faint of heart.  We all need some sort of “Mom time” throughout the day.  

Having a hobby can be a great way to both enjoy some “mom time” and feel productive.  

If you are not sure where to start, I have included a hugely comprehensive free ebook of more than 200 of the best and most profitable hobbies for moms. You can download it below for free!

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No matter what your situation, whether you are a stay at home mom, a work at home mom, a full time working mom, a young mother, an older mother, a grandmother, you have small kids, older kids, or simply looking for things to do while pregnant and bored, there is a hobby that is right for you.

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Why Should I be Interested in Hobbies for Moms?

     Hobbies for Moms provide several benefits:

  •        Helps you unwind.
  •        Gives you a chance to express your creativity.
  •        Gives you a way to interact with other moms and make new friends.
  •        Helps you keep your sense of identity.
  •        Helps to stimulate the brain.
  •        Can be an additional source of income for the family.
  •        Gives something to look forward to in the stay at home wife schedule
  •        Eliminates boredom
  •        Can help you stay positive

How are Hobbies for Moms Different Than Other Hobbies?

       Hobbies for Moms are a bit unique because of one common factor…. We have kids!  It’s no secret that kids take a lot of time. Older kids don’t take as much time, but no matter how old the kids get, they still need their mommas.  

This also has a safety factor in it. There might be things, such as harmful chemicals or saws for woodworking that you don’t want your kids exposed to. As mothers, our children come first, so we have to fit our hobbies around that.

You might have a big block of time to devote to a hobby if your kids are in school. If you are chasing several little ones around the house all day, you might have to work in 15 minute (or 5 minute!) spurts.

Even if you feel like you have no time, if it’s something that you really love to do, you can find a way to work it into your day. It might be something that you involve the kids in. Or, it might be something inspired by the kids, such as publishing a kid’s picture book.  

How Should I Choose A Mom Hobby?

The biggest considerations for me when choosing a new hobby are:

  •        What sounds like it might be interesting to me?
  •        How much TIME do I have?
  •        How much money am I willing to invest in it?
  •        Is it something that I already know how to do, or am I interested enough to learn a new skill set?

There are times that learning a new skill set sounds like fun, but if I’m short on time, then it leads to more frustration than relaxation.

hobbies for moms

What Kind of Moms Need a Hobby?  

       Hobbies are brain-healthy and emotionally healthy activities for everyone of all ages.  All of us moms love our precious little blessings. However, making them your sole focus will drive you (and eventually them) bonkers.  

As moms, we need a creative outlet that helps us remember who our separate identities are.

Mom is an amazing identity to wear and I would not trade it for the world, but I’m glad it’s not the only hat I wear.  

Whether you are searching for hobbies for stay at home moms, hobbies for working moms, hobbies for moms in their 20s, hobbies for moms in their 30s, hobbies for moms in their 40, hobbies for moms with small children, hobbies for moms with bigger children, or even hobbies for grandmoms, there is something that is right for you.

Hobbies for Stay at Home Moms

       Stay at home moms are probably the ones that are most desperate for a hobby.  The decision to become a stay at home mom is a big one!    

Having a hobby really helped me keep my sanity.  I looked forward to my hobby time in my stay at home wife schedule.  It helped me to still feel like I had some purpose in my life. When I found a hobby that I enjoyed, I realized how desperately I needed one.  

I supposed I could have googled “bored stay at home mom ideas” or “hobby ideas for housewives,” but I didn’t. The first thing that I tried was going to Target and buying things that I didn’t need.  

That didn’t work out so well. I also tried refinishing furniture and several other things before I found blogging. Most stay at home moms are looking for hobbies at home.

Happily, that includes a lot of choices! It’s ok if you have to try several hobbies on for size as I did. Sometimes it just takes some trial and error to find what you really enjoy.  

Hobbies for Working Moms

       Most working moms that I know are stretched thin!  They love their job and they love their kids, so they are pulled in different directions at once.  

They are most interested in getting the most out of the limited family time that they have. For working moms, hobbies for families to enjoy together might be a better fit rather than something she simply does on her own.  A working mom might find their hobby in making and decorating a cake for their child’s birthday on a Saturday.

In doing so, she completes a useful task that needs to be done and gets some time for herself at the same time. She might also look for things other than screen time to enjoy with her kids.  

Screen time can be great, but there is much more connection that happens when families are doing an activity together.

Hobbies for Moms In Their 20s

           This is the time of your life where it will be easiest to start a more active hobby.  If you are interested in learning yoga, go for it while your body is most flexible. When I was in my 20s I was also concerned about lower cost hobbies because we had less disposable income.  

While I personally did not have an interest in yoga, I very much enjoyed walks outside with my babies. Moms in their 20s might also be more interested in a hobby that will supplement the family income. Many people start their families in their 20s, and with that comes big life changes.  

Whether you decide to stay home, work outside the home, or work from home I have not encountered a parent yet that did not agree that life changes when a baby joins the family. Hobbies for parents help to ease the transition and helps both parents keep their sense of identity.

Hobbies for Moms In Their 30s

           The 30s is kind of a transitional time and you may or may not have one or more children by this time.  You may have kids that are older and are in school, or you may be just starting your family.

For many women, their 30s is a time that they start re-evaluating who they are outside the “Mom” role.  It’s a perfect time to try new hobbies, get in shape, start hiking or camping or try something that’s entirely out of the box for you.

The 30s is also a great time to learn new skills, take a class, or pick up a hobby that you have always been interested in, but didn’t have the self-confidence to try when you were in your 20s.

Hobbies for Moms in Their 40s

   The 40s I don’t like to think about. I will have teenagers!  This includes things such as children learning to drive, starting work, possibly signing up for the military, or leaving for college.  

Scary stuff for a momma! Moms in their 40s need a hobby to help them deal with all this.

Kids are starting to test their wings, starting to fly and leaving the nest.  If your family started later in your 30s, this might not be the case, but in any event, the kids are getting older and gradually growing more independent.

        This leaves Mom in a bit of an identity crisis.  By this point, most of us have worn the Mom hat so long it feels weird to not have to devote so much time to it. This also makes your 40s the perfect time to find a new hobby and figure out something that you really love to do.  

You might try crafts that you have always wanted to try, or take up something creative like painting. You might try soap making or candle making, or even get a few backyard chickens.

hobbies for moms list

Hobbies for GrandMoms

   I remember my grandfather saying that if he knew how wonderful grandkids were, he would have had them first.. Grandmoms have the wonderful privilege of getting to spoil the grandkids and then send them home!  

This means that you do not always have kids under your feet so when looking for new hobbies, you can pick whatever appeals to you! Like the red hat ladies, by now you probably have the self-confidence to not care nearly as much about what other people think as you did when you were in your 20s.  You have the freedom of time.

This is a great time to share your expertise by volunteering somewhere. Some states even offer tuition-free classes for people over a certain age (Usually around 60) in their state-run universities.

This is the time that it’s very important to keep both mind and body in good shape. You have to be able to keep up with those grandkids, after all!    

Hobbies for Moms by Type:

           Enough talking, Let’s get to the hobbies!  I have divided them up into categories. Though some might fit into more than one category,  I have only listed them once. I have also included an approximate start-up cost.

Hobbies for Stay At Home Moms to Make Money (Or Anyone Else!)

  • Blogging – Cost to start: As low as $3.95/month with hosting from Siteground
  • Flipping furniture – Cost to start: $30 or so for a low-investment piece of furniture + paint and supplies
  • Freelancing – Free, unless you join a paid site
  • Proofreading- Free
  • Virtual Assistant – Free
  • Etsy Shop for Selling Crafts – $0.20 to publish a listing on the marketplace + 5% transaction fee
  • Create Online Courses – Free to start
  • Write a book or ebook – Free
  • Tutoring – Free
  • Decorate other People’s Homes for the Holidays- Free
  • Interior Design – Free
  • Graphic Design – Free, unless you invest in professional quality software or buy a membership to a site like picmonkey
  • Photography- Cost to start $250+ for a high-quality camera. Can do stock photography to sell or personal sessions.
  • Flipping Items and selling them on platforms such as Amazon, eBay, and Garage Sale sites/Facebook groups – Cost varies based on items.
  • Selling a product from home – Cost to start usually (but not always) $100+ because you often have to buy a package of the product that you will sell

– Makeup and skin care products (Roden and Fields, Limelight, Avon, etc)

– Essential Oils

– Health supplement

Fitness Hobbies

  • Yoga – Free
  • Zumba – Free
  • Pilates – Free
  • Kickboxing – Free
  • Running/Jogging – $35 for some running shoes
  • Swimming- Can be free or paid depending on where you go
  • Water Aerobics – typically there is a small fee for the class. Less than $50. Check the rates at your nearest local indoor pool.
  • Adult Swim Team – price varies by location, again check rates at your local pool.
  • Sports of your choice.- There are many adult leagues that are just for fun. The cost to start depends on sports choice and equipment   
  • Walking – Free
  • Weightlifting – $25 minimum for a set of adjustable weights
  • Bicycling –  $100 for an adult bike
hobbies for moms list

Outdoor Hobbies

  • Horseback riding – $30 for a 1-hour ride at a trail ride place, or more if you purchase your own horse or go to a riding stable.  (Horses are fun, but not cheap.)
  • Camping – $60 for a tent, more for other gear + campsite fee. It really depends on where you go, how you do it, what you bring, and how long you are there.
  • Fishing – $30 for pole and tackle set + $15 for an in-state fishing license
  • Hunting – $250+ for gun and license
  • Boating – $250+
  • ATV riding – $500+
  • Geocaching – Free
  • Birdwatching – $55 for a pair of binoculars
  • Backyard Chickens – contact your local extension agency for chicks in season
  • Gardening – Hard to pin down a cost to start for this one. Depends on how you do it, how big it is and what you grow, however, they nearly always save more than they cost to start.

Technology Hobbies

  • Video Gaming – Free
  • Twitch Channel – Free
  • Moderating an Online Group– Free
  • Youtube channel – Free
  • Pinterest – Free

Classes for stay at home moms

The startup cost for these varies with where you take your classes from.  You might find them free, or as much as $300+. You can find online classes at Teachable.com, Udemy.com, local Universities, or even YouTube.  I have listed a variety of classes here, but the type of classes are only limited by your imagination. Some private individuals may offer classes from time to time as well based on their areas of expertise, like cake decorating, or make-up.  I found that my local library could also be a source of finding continuing education, such as a foreign language site that they pay for that’s free for users.

  • Photography
  • Painting
  • Video editing
  • Professional skills (such as freelancing, virtual assistant, transcription, accounting, etc)
  • Blogging
  • Keeping a More Positive Outlook
  • Life Coaching
  • Musical Instruments
  • Cake Decorating
  • Make-Up
  • Foreign Language

   As an additional resource, my students have come up with some very interesting and low-cost courses.  They include things like:

 

Music Hobbies

  • Playing a Musical Instrument – varies depending on the price of the instrument. For most, expect $200+ for an instrument
  • Singing – Free
  • Listening to Music – Free
  • Compiling Playlists – Free
  • Songwriting-Free
  • Giving lessons on a musical instrument, singing, or teaching someone to read music – Free

Volunteering Hobbies

The cost on all of these is free. They just need your time and most places are very grateful for it. You get to get out and meet people and do a bit of good while you are at it.

  • Hospital
  • Library
  • School
  • Nursing Home
  • Senior Citizens Center
  • Foster Care Organizations
  • Domestic Violence Shelters
  • Church
  • Equine Therapy
  • Meals on Wheels
  • Mentoring
  • Special Interest Organization such as Suicide Prevention, Cystic Fibrosis Awareness, Komen Foundation, etc

journaling for moms as a hobby

Brainy Hobbies

  • Journaling – $10 or less will get you a basic journal, or you could just use a notebook
  • Reading – free with books from the library or kindle free books
  • Crossword puzzles – $2 for a book of puzzles
  • Sodoku-$2 for a book of puzzles
  • Join a club such as gardening, chess club, fitness, homemakers, etc – Free
  • Magic/Illusions – Free! Check youtube to get started
  • Puzzles -$15 for a 1000 piece puzzle to put together
  • Genealogy – Free!  You can access a lot of information online and courthouses have free public information about specific people.
  • Astronomy/Stargazing – Free if you lay out on a blanket. $75 if you want a telescope.

Crafting Hobbies

Other Hobbies

  • Flea Marketing/Garage Sales – Low cost. Free if you go to browse
  • Shopping  
  • Couponing
  • Building Projects – $100+ depending on what you are building and what tools you have.
  • Board Games -$10-20 or use one you already have
  • Canning/Food Preservation – $11 for canning tools + jars and food.

Conclusion

I hope that by reading through the list that you now have a better idea of an idea for a hobby.  Hobbies are a great way to connect to other moms and to help you get a little bit of “Mom Time” during your day.  

If you don’t know where to begin, that’s ok. Just take something and try it. You might have to “try on” several different hobbies to find what you like and that’s ok!  

If you need more ideas, here are 50+ ways to make money as a stay at home mom, and here are 70+ stay at home mom jobs.

Hobbies help us to continue our personal growth, as well as making us feel like we are being productive. What are your favorite hobbies?

Leave me a comment below. I’d love to hear from you!

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