Fun, Cheap (or Free) Hobbies to Try This Summer

Summer is here, and for the majority of us, things are looking up compared to last year.

You might have a vacation planned that had been postponed, perhaps a party or wedding that was put off until a later date, or just want to try venturing out into real life, rather than living everything through Zoom and FaceTime. If you are looking for some ideas to try new things with family and friends this summer, then now is the time to do them. If the past year and a half have taught us anything, then it is to seize the day and try new things, because we never know when we’ll get the chance to try these things again.

Of course, money can be tight, and there is no point spending all of your savings on trying new things over the summer. So here are some fun things to try, that are free or cheap, to help you make the most of your summer.

Make (or find) a walking tour of a city

There are so many cities that have free walking tours that you can find online to print out and then try yourself. If you can’t find one for your local city or a city that you are visiting, then get a map out and plan one yourself, taking in some of the most famous spots and landmarks, or including parks or bakeries. Every town and city will have something for you to enjoy and try, so why not grab a friend and get walking?

Get outdoors and try fishing

If you have not ever been fishing before, then it is definitely something that you should try! Not only is it a calming way to spend the day, but you can really get to enjoy the outdoors and see the wonderful nature that is on offer. You could cook what you catch, or catch and release, depending on the rules of where you go to fish. Just make sure that you have something like jerkbait to take with you, and a good quality fishing rod. These can be hired if need be, just check your local fishing pond.\

Try Sewing

It’s a great hobby to start because it is a creative activity that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. “Sewing is a versatile hobby that can be used to create everything from your very own clothes, to simple dust ruffles and elaborate quilts” says Jane Kallinger from Sewing From Home. “It also allows you to customize your projects to suit your own unique style” she says. “Plus, it’s a relatively inexpensive hobby, so you won’t need to set aside a huge budget for this”

Get into photography

Why not try a new hobby this summer? If you are someone who loves Instagram but want to get more creative with your images, then how about trying to perfect your photography over the summer. There are so many free tutorials on different shots, on blogs and sites like YouTube, so you can watch, read, and learn, and then get out and practice. It can be a good way to spend time, and you never know, it could become something new and exciting for you to pursue.

Upcycle furniture

With some spare time over the summer, have a look at your local thrift stores and find some furniture that you could upcycle. It might be a wooden table that just needs to be sanded down and varnished or painted or perhaps a chair that needs to be reupholstered. You could make it and keep it or make it to sell on. Either way, it can be a lot of fun to create.