Hobbies enhance your life. They provide stress relief, engagement, and opportunities for personal growth.
Some offer even more, allowing participants to widen their social circle and meet new friends. Explore these social hobbies to try new things with new friends.
Hiking Club
Join a hiking group to meet other outdoor enthusiasts, learn the best hidden hiking gems, and boost your safety while out in the elements.
Although some people prefer solo hikes, a group can enhance the experience for unskilled hikers and give hikers a fun social boost.
Recreational Sports
Working together to achieve a common goal (like winning the community softball trophy) is a fantastic way to build a solid foundation for friendship.
Community sports allow you to engage in physical activity while meeting new people, a perfect recipe for an engaging hobby.
Community Theater
If you dream of comradery but dislike sports, consider volunteering at your local community theater.
You don’t need to be an actor. Community theater organizations need stagehands, set designers, make-up artists, and other skilled hobbyists to put on the perfect show.
Volunteer Work
Find a cause you believe in and join efforts to support it. For example, you can feed the homeless at a soup kitchen, build homes with Habitat for Humanity, or walk dogs at the local animal shelter.
Volunteer work allows you to interact with people who share your values while doing good in the world.
Dog Park
If you have a dog, consider making their playtime your hobby. Visiting a dog park lets you play with your best friend while meeting others committed to their furry friends.
Streaming
Making online friends via streaming allows you to be social without leaving the house. Hook your favorite game to your favorite streaming platform and showcase your talents.
Engage with other small streamers in the same niche to build a network of people who like the same games. Cooperate to win titles or battle against each other to see who’s best.
Dance
Get physical while meeting others who share a love of music by taking a dance class. Many dances require partnership, forcing you to get intimate with other learners as you all master the moves.
Climbing
Climbing forces you to build trust as you hold each other’s lives in your hands at the bottom of the wall.
Start by finding an indoor climbing gym, learning to belay, and offering your assistance to others, and you’ll make a great group of climbing friends in no time.
Toastmasters
Ground Picture via Shutterstock.com.
People join Toastmasters to master the art of speaking to a group. Participating allows you to finetune your public speaking skills while meeting the most interesting people in your area.
Groups usually dine together while taking turns critiquing each other’s speeches. It helps you build a vital skill while engaging with an eclectic group. You’re sure to make a new friend.
Book Club
Book people build communities through book clubs small social circles that allow them to dive deep into their favorite stories.
But they don’t have to stick to fiction. Some book clubs stick to self-help, science, or business books, allowing club members to discuss their biggest takeaways.
Pickleball
Pickleball courts are popping up nationwide, allowing people to play a game far more accessible than tennis and more enjoyable than racquetball.
Pickleball clubs allow solo players to join the fun. Join one to rotate through teammates and matches, meeting cool new people who love the sport.
Dungeons & Dragons
Comic book shops across the country burst with table space, allowing people to pop in and try their hand at iconic games like Dungeons & Dragons.
Find your local store and head out on beginner’s night to learn the game. You’ll meet folks who can show you the ropes and share your interest in all things Geeky.
Pool
Pool isn’t just a silly bar game. Many cities have a thriving subculture of billiards teams that compete in different places each week.
If you love pool, check out your local dive bar and ask if it hosts a team. Show off your skills while meeting others who share your love for the game.
Run Club
It’s tough to find the motivation to run on your own. Run clubs give you the extra boost you need to get out the door and get fit.
Running clubs connect you with others dedicated to getting fit and keeping each other accountable.
Martial Arts
Learning martial arts is about more than fighting postures. Many programs also teach mindfulness, wellness, and self-confidence.
Join a dojo and get fit while learning to be the best version of yourself. Befriend your fellow students as you all take the life journey together.
Craft Clubs
You can turn a solo hobby into a social hobby with craft clubs. Join a sewing circle, quilting club, or knitting nook, or start your own if there isn’t one available in your neighborhood.
Craft clubs allow people with similar interests to get together, sharing knowledge, patterns, and laughter as they create their treasures.
Amateur Radio
A radio hobby allows you to engage with others from the comfort of your home. Put your tinkering hat on and ride the airwaves with an old ham radio.
My grandfather was an amateur radio enthusiast. He loved repairing old models to get them to work and communicated with people around the country well before the internet.
Fitness Classes
Workout classes make exercising more fun. The energy in the room motivates you to keep up as you learn fun new strategies for keeping fit.
The classes also provide ample opportunity to meet others on similar fitness journeys.
Cosplay
Although cosplay usually involves hard work in private, the effort pays off in public. Cosplayers craft fabulous costumes based on their favorite characters and then attend fairs and conventions to showcase their work.
Convention-goers swarm the best cosplayers, hoping to get a great photo, and it’s always a fantastic conversation starter.
Bonus: Find Makerspaces
Many communities realized that people need third places to enjoy their hobbies and maintain social connections. They’ve created Makerspaces, places designed specifically for creative hobbies.
Makerspaces offer the much-needed space for hobby fun, and since they’re public, they also offer opportunities to engage with other creatives. Many also offer classes and workshops, helping people excel at their new trade.
Check your community to see if they’ve hopped on the makerspace trend.
Cheap Hobby Ideas
Do you want to try a new hobby without spending a ton of money?