Summer is almost upon us, which (hopefully) means you will have some more free time for things you don’t normally have time for during the school year. It’s hard to fit hobbies fully into the time you have at school — between classes, work, clubs, and hanging out with friends, it can almost seem impossible. But, during the summer, students’ schedules aren’t as completely jam-packed as they tend to be during the school year. So, this means that you’ll likely have time for some hobbies.
But, it can be hard to try out some new hobbies when it feels like you need a ton of new (and expensive) supplies to even start. You go out, buy everything you think you need, and then discover you don’t even like the hobby anyway, which is a major bummer. And even if you’re sure you’ll like it, it isn’t always realistic to be able to spend all of your hard-earned part-time job paycheck on classes, supplies, or even just participation in your hobbies. But fortunately, there are some completely free hobbies! So, if you are looking for new and exciting hobbies to start this summer, but don’t want to actually be spending a ton of money, here are some new things to try.
Hiking (Or Even Just Walking)
Going on hikes or walks (especially during the summer, when the weather is nice) can be such a great addition to any day. You can explore your neighborhood, or try and find some cool trails around where you live. There are probably a lot more than you think to explore. Put a podcast or some music on, and get out there!
Reading
If you love to read, or are trying to get more into it, hit up your local library and get a library card. They’re completely free, and then you can check out physical copies of books to read whenever you want. Libraries can also be a great reading spot if you just want to get out of the house. Also, many libraries will also offer other services when you get a library card, such as subscriptions to news outlets, e-books, or even discounted or free tickets to museums and other events in your community.
Junk Journaling
If you haven’t seen this trend on social media before, junk journaling is basically just using random bits and pieces from everyday things (like the paper coaster or napkin from a restaurant you went to, a receipt, random notes you’ve saved) to make cool collages. Journaling and scrapbooking have a reputation for requiring expensive supplies but in this case, that really isn’t true at all. You can still make some cool spreads using only supplies you already have at home.
Coding
Coding is such a good skill to have, and the only thing you need to learn is a computer that is able to download the software of whatever programming platform you want to try your hand at! There are a bunch of options out there, and once you pick one, there are so many different tutorials and videos online that can give you the basics, and then teach you how to code games, puzzles, or apps!
Volunteering
Volunteering is a rewarding — and free — way to give back in your community. Check out the organizations in your community to figure out what you would be interested in working with, or think about what you’re passionate about and then find an aligned group to volunteer with. For me, I love going to the beach, so I’ll often volunteer with groups that throw beach cleanup events. They’re super fun, you get to meet a ton of new people, and it always feels good to know that you have given back and made a difference in your community.
Writing
All you need to write are supplies that you already have at home, so this is a great option for easy at-home hobbies! There is so much variety in what you can write, from poems to short stories to screenplays, so the options are really unlimited! There are a ton of cool writing prompts you could find online to try and strike some inspiration as well if you are having trouble thinking of something right away.
Exploring Nature
Nature is all around us, even those of us that live in urban areas, but sometimes it’s just easy to miss when it’s not the focus of why you are outside. So, try and make it your focus. Go outside just to see how many different plants or animals you can spot (apps like iNaturalist are super helpful for figuring out the names of species). You could even make it a game with a friend and see who can find a certain number of insects or who can name the most flowers.
Making Playlists
Making playlists for super specific moods, or for a certain person, is really fun, but it takes a lot of time to find the right songs. So, if you’ve got some time on your hands this summer, this could be a good way to fill it. You could also go through all of the playlists you have already made and add new songs (or delete the ones that are no longer the vibe), or you can add fun pictures to all of the playlist covers to match the vibe of each one.
Learning A New Language
If you’re anything like me, one of your major goals in life is to learn a new language. Luckily, there are a ton of free language-leaning platforms out there that can help you learn in your free time! This would be a super cool hobby to practice this summer, and it would really help you out in the real world as well.
Home Workouts
There are a ton of different creators on YouTube who post so many different styles of workout videos, from pilates to yoga to dancing. They can be super fun, and much less expensive than actually going out to take a class in person. These can be a great option to still get a fun workout in without breaking the bank.
Journaling
I love to journal, and wish I had time to do it everyday, but when I get super busy during the school year, it really easily just falls to the wayside. So, if you have some more free time this summer, I definitely recommend trying to journal, as it can really help to work through some emotions, or also just serve as a cool collection of memories of what your days have looked like in the past.