I moved to Spain almost 3 years ago for my husbands job and now I’m not working. I was most excited to to be a SAHW so I had loads of time for my hobbies, which are pretty much all granny hobbies. Quilting, sewing, baking/cooking, crafts, house plants, and some surprising things that aren’t usually “hobbies” but that I’ve grown to love like ironing. I still somehow don’t spend as much time on them as I want but I am loving honoring my inner 80 year old woman.
Basically ALL my hobbies are granny hobbies. Taking care of my cats; making cards; sending cards and postcards; doing jigsaw puzzles. I kind of love it. :)
I've consistently kept and used paper planners and journals since 2019 — stickers, washi tape, calligraphy, and all. My Gen Z friend said I was like a granny when I opened up my planner to a shopping list at the thrift store 😅
I have so many! Knitting, crochet, reading, puzzles, cooking and baking, cross stitch, and any kind of crafting really. Definitely enjoy being able to disconnect and be more in the moment with my granny hobbies!
I've collected stamps since I was about 6 years old, and postmarks since I was in high school. I'm all about curiosity, geography, and travel, so while most people would consider these hobbies "boring," to me they are what shaped me and what consistently bring me joy. My dad gave me the stamp collection, which was his father's, so I guess it truly is a grandpa hobby. I have other hobbies, too, which are probably all variations on the theme of travel or geography. No shame!
Hi John, I collect stamps as well. Mostly US and Queen Elizabeth II Machin series ones. I also collect paper currencies/bills from other countries. I don't buy them though only from travels I take or friends take. That way the bills have a history. I also have a small license plate collection. I love al things geography
That's awesome! I also collect currency (bills & coins), especially from places I travel. I have a big beer coaster collection as well as bottlecaps. I have tried to get a map of the world in a language of the country I visit, but many countries just use another language or I couldn't find anything. I do have world maps/atlas booklets in Bengali, Estonian, and Armenian for example, but couldn't find anything in Amharic, Quechua, or Tahitian. It's kind of fun trying to find them though! I never had too many license plates other than ones from old vehicles I had. Enjoy your hobbies!!
That is so cool! Thank you for sharing the link. I would have loved that as a geography nerd back in elementary school. By the time I was 8, I knew the capitals of places like Burundi, Tonga, and Malta but had no one to geek out about that knowledge with. :)
Oh yes! I embroider. It's like coloring but with thread. I also bought a sewing machine during the pandemic. When work means sitting on a computer all day, doing something with my hands is extremely therapeutic.
I am definitely a granny at heart! I enjoy cross stitching, bird watching, gardening, puzzles, and reading. I’m finally embracing my true self after processing some trauma. 🥰
I’ve gone over-the-top about a few things in my life and they were all granny hobbies. In college I spent a semester buying, studying and cultivating house plants instead of doing my school work. I got three out of four incompletes for my classes, but I know a lot about succulents now!
A few years ago I lost my mind about herbal tea and embarked on a “buy & try” plan. My house turned into a mini apothecary and many bags of herbs later, I know how gross I find calendula and blue vervain, and how delicately, earthily delicious burdock and red clover are.
I never thought about how these hobbies were enriching in part because of their “granny” nature—hands-on, sensory, and non-digital. Seen through this lens I feel a little less self-recrimination for how totally out-of-control I was about them!
I’m more in balance now, with only eight house plants versus the sixty I had in college, and maybe twenty herbs I keep in the house versus around fifty I had at my peak. But going all-in on a granny hobby gets you depth of knowledge fast and cements it into your life in a way that casually engaging with it might not. So here’s to full-on commitment to whatever granny hobby gives you joy!
Love this! I've fondly started thinking of my craft time as my "craft therapy." This year I've retrieved all the card stock, stickers, washi tape, stamps and goodies from where they've been gathering dust the last 10 years to work on altered books, junk journaling, and artist trading cards. (Something is so therapeutic about tearing books apart for the sake of art.) The amount of video tutorials out there is inspiring, and working on crafting helps me focus on something positive. There are also some great communities out there, and it's been great to trade and connect with others.
“Mud therapy” is spot on! At the end of the last group pottery class I was in a week ago, we all stood in line waiting to wash our hands in “the big sink” and commented how we all felt like kids again. Hands caked in mud, politely waiting our turn, and chatting quietly about our creations and future pottery ambitions. It’s a beautiful hobby that turns mud and dirt into lovely (and perfectly imperfect) creations.
I am a nana and yesterday afternoon I played Candy Land with my youngest (4) granddaughter. I was pretty stressed out about a course I am launching and it was fun to enter her world. So even nana needs a granny hobby. Mine are birdwatching and jigsaw puzzles.
Why is it that the first thing I thought of when you said “weilding physical object” was a sword? Not meditating enough I guess… and I’m at work… probably not a good time to hand me a sword :-)
Yes, I love gardening, cooking, baking, photography and journalling, among other things. (Is petting cats a hobby?)
I only ever really knew one grandmother - Nanny. She used to keep hard candies in a crystal bowl in her breakfront. I now own that crystal bowl.
Swordplay? well, after fencing foil at college almost 40 years ago, I joined a fencing club and started epée a couple years ago. I am gradually training away the previous ingrained strategy, staying fit and having fun. Plus, my grandfather would have loved this!
Not as sharp, but definitely better to use as a blunt instrument! (Disclaimer - I do not/would not use swords or gold clubs as weapons…unless seriously provoked :-)
I love the term “Granny Hobby” and will gladly own and promote it! I have fond memories of both of my grandparents. In the summer I’d pick apples from my grandmother’s gorgeous garden and before Christmas she and I had a tradition of wrapping all of the gifts she’d buy for grandchildren and then playing scrabble and making fudge. My grandfather was a farmer who loved to sing and dance and invent things (maybe an original upcycler :-)). But now my most dominant granny hobby is quilting - it’s a creative outlet, form of therapy or medicine and great way to meet new people all in one!
My two grandmothers worked their entire lives so were not role models, i.e., "granny hobby." What they taught me instead is that I could make my own life, my own way. Which is why I paint shoes to relax. Then there's puzzles, cards, and board games. And reading is a daily habit to learn, not play.
I am a granny and I have several of those hobbies. My knitting and crochet ground me and my hands in the dirt is like nothing else on this earth. I read, cook, bake, journal as well. I really have too many hobbies and have to decide each day which get neglected.
Yes! I crochet. A previous boyfriend used to tease me and call me grandma about it. Recently it is making a comeback though with these cute little amigurumi kits for kids. My son is now making a crochet dinosaur. We also garden and do family game nights.
That's cool, I have been hearing about a lot of guys who are learning to knit or crochet (or similar) lately. I haven't made the leap myself yet but I like the idea.
I moved to Spain almost 3 years ago for my husbands job and now I’m not working. I was most excited to to be a SAHW so I had loads of time for my hobbies, which are pretty much all granny hobbies. Quilting, sewing, baking/cooking, crafts, house plants, and some surprising things that aren’t usually “hobbies” but that I’ve grown to love like ironing. I still somehow don’t spend as much time on them as I want but I am loving honoring my inner 80 year old woman.
Basically ALL my hobbies are granny hobbies. Taking care of my cats; making cards; sending cards and postcards; doing jigsaw puzzles. I kind of love it. :)
I've consistently kept and used paper planners and journals since 2019 — stickers, washi tape, calligraphy, and all. My Gen Z friend said I was like a granny when I opened up my planner to a shopping list at the thrift store 😅
I have so many! Knitting, crochet, reading, puzzles, cooking and baking, cross stitch, and any kind of crafting really. Definitely enjoy being able to disconnect and be more in the moment with my granny hobbies!
I've collected stamps since I was about 6 years old, and postmarks since I was in high school. I'm all about curiosity, geography, and travel, so while most people would consider these hobbies "boring," to me they are what shaped me and what consistently bring me joy. My dad gave me the stamp collection, which was his father's, so I guess it truly is a grandpa hobby. I have other hobbies, too, which are probably all variations on the theme of travel or geography. No shame!
Oh I love that. I was into collecting too, but never got into stamps. Cool grandpa hobby for sure.
Hi John, I collect stamps as well. Mostly US and Queen Elizabeth II Machin series ones. I also collect paper currencies/bills from other countries. I don't buy them though only from travels I take or friends take. That way the bills have a history. I also have a small license plate collection. I love al things geography
That's awesome! I also collect currency (bills & coins), especially from places I travel. I have a big beer coaster collection as well as bottlecaps. I have tried to get a map of the world in a language of the country I visit, but many countries just use another language or I couldn't find anything. I do have world maps/atlas booklets in Bengali, Estonian, and Armenian for example, but couldn't find anything in Amharic, Quechua, or Tahitian. It's kind of fun trying to find them though! I never had too many license plates other than ones from old vehicles I had. Enjoy your hobbies!!
The maps in different languages is a great idea. I may have to start that. :)
I also help run a national geography competition for students 1 through 12 grade, https://www.iacompetitions.com/our-competitions/#usgeographychampionships
If you know anybody who may be interested in participating, feel free to forward the link above.
That is so cool! Thank you for sharing the link. I would have loved that as a geography nerd back in elementary school. By the time I was 8, I knew the capitals of places like Burundi, Tonga, and Malta but had no one to geek out about that knowledge with. :)
I collect stamps, too - France and Germany
If only I were able to narrow my collection down like that. I just collect everything except US. LOL.
I have a U.S. collection but I’m not really active.
Oh yes! I embroider. It's like coloring but with thread. I also bought a sewing machine during the pandemic. When work means sitting on a computer all day, doing something with my hands is extremely therapeutic.
I am definitely a granny at heart! I enjoy cross stitching, bird watching, gardening, puzzles, and reading. I’m finally embracing my true self after processing some trauma. 🥰
I’ve gone over-the-top about a few things in my life and they were all granny hobbies. In college I spent a semester buying, studying and cultivating house plants instead of doing my school work. I got three out of four incompletes for my classes, but I know a lot about succulents now!
A few years ago I lost my mind about herbal tea and embarked on a “buy & try” plan. My house turned into a mini apothecary and many bags of herbs later, I know how gross I find calendula and blue vervain, and how delicately, earthily delicious burdock and red clover are.
I never thought about how these hobbies were enriching in part because of their “granny” nature—hands-on, sensory, and non-digital. Seen through this lens I feel a little less self-recrimination for how totally out-of-control I was about them!
I’m more in balance now, with only eight house plants versus the sixty I had in college, and maybe twenty herbs I keep in the house versus around fifty I had at my peak. But going all-in on a granny hobby gets you depth of knowledge fast and cements it into your life in a way that casually engaging with it might not. So here’s to full-on commitment to whatever granny hobby gives you joy!
Love this! I've fondly started thinking of my craft time as my "craft therapy." This year I've retrieved all the card stock, stickers, washi tape, stamps and goodies from where they've been gathering dust the last 10 years to work on altered books, junk journaling, and artist trading cards. (Something is so therapeutic about tearing books apart for the sake of art.) The amount of video tutorials out there is inspiring, and working on crafting helps me focus on something positive. There are also some great communities out there, and it's been great to trade and connect with others.
“Craft therapy!” I love it!
I offer pottery workshops, I call them “mud therapy” 😉
“Mud therapy” is spot on! At the end of the last group pottery class I was in a week ago, we all stood in line waiting to wash our hands in “the big sink” and commented how we all felt like kids again. Hands caked in mud, politely waiting our turn, and chatting quietly about our creations and future pottery ambitions. It’s a beautiful hobby that turns mud and dirt into lovely (and perfectly imperfect) creations.
I am a nana and yesterday afternoon I played Candy Land with my youngest (4) granddaughter. I was pretty stressed out about a course I am launching and it was fun to enter her world. So even nana needs a granny hobby. Mine are birdwatching and jigsaw puzzles.
“Nana needs a granny hobby.”
I’m going to look for an occasion to use this line on my mom.
Why is it that the first thing I thought of when you said “weilding physical object” was a sword? Not meditating enough I guess… and I’m at work… probably not a good time to hand me a sword :-)
Yes, I love gardening, cooking, baking, photography and journalling, among other things. (Is petting cats a hobby?)
I only ever really knew one grandmother - Nanny. She used to keep hard candies in a crystal bowl in her breakfront. I now own that crystal bowl.
I should have put swordplay on the list ... why didn't I think of that. ⚔️ 🙃
Swordplay? well, after fencing foil at college almost 40 years ago, I joined a fencing club and started epée a couple years ago. I am gradually training away the previous ingrained strategy, staying fit and having fun. Plus, my grandfather would have loved this!
A golf club, to reference the quintessential “grampy” hobby, is a kind of suburban sword, isn’t it?
Not as sharp, but definitely better to use as a blunt instrument! (Disclaimer - I do not/would not use swords or gold clubs as weapons…unless seriously provoked :-)
I love the term “Granny Hobby” and will gladly own and promote it! I have fond memories of both of my grandparents. In the summer I’d pick apples from my grandmother’s gorgeous garden and before Christmas she and I had a tradition of wrapping all of the gifts she’d buy for grandchildren and then playing scrabble and making fudge. My grandfather was a farmer who loved to sing and dance and invent things (maybe an original upcycler :-)). But now my most dominant granny hobby is quilting - it’s a creative outlet, form of therapy or medicine and great way to meet new people all in one!
Puzzles of any kind, gardening, board games, reading, playing with my kid and dog…painting my furniture or walls …these are my favorite things
My two grandmothers worked their entire lives so were not role models, i.e., "granny hobby." What they taught me instead is that I could make my own life, my own way. Which is why I paint shoes to relax. Then there's puzzles, cards, and board games. And reading is a daily habit to learn, not play.
I am a granny and I have several of those hobbies. My knitting and crochet ground me and my hands in the dirt is like nothing else on this earth. I read, cook, bake, journal as well. I really have too many hobbies and have to decide each day which get neglected.
Yes! I crochet. A previous boyfriend used to tease me and call me grandma about it. Recently it is making a comeback though with these cute little amigurumi kits for kids. My son is now making a crochet dinosaur. We also garden and do family game nights.
When I was 16 I taught my then boyfriend to crochet, he made a whole blanket and took it to college with him. It’s a great (soothing) hobby.
That's cool, I have been hearing about a lot of guys who are learning to knit or crochet (or similar) lately. I haven't made the leap myself yet but I like the idea.