19 Hobbies For Moms In Their 30s (Naptime Compatible)
People don’t talk much about hobbies for moms. Stay at home moms should be looking after the kids, the house, occasionally themselves, and that’s it, right?
WRONG!
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Google “stay at home moms” and you’ll see mostly results on how to work from home or how to battle depression. But not every stay-at-home mom wants to be a work-at-home mom. Or needs to be for that matter. And staying at home doesn’t need to be depressing either.
That’s why I’ve decided to compile a list of hobbies for moms in their 30s that you can practice at home during naptime or when you put the kids to bed.
Practicing a new hobby can relieve you from the stress of staying alone with the baby all day and make you look forward to their daily naps.
So if you want to keep the stress from raising kids and managing a home away, read ahead and try one (or several) of the hobbies for moms listed below.
1. Drawing/Painting
Painting is probably one of the most common hobbies and the first thing that comes to mind to many people. But what if you can’t draw at all?
Don’t let this stop you! There are plenty of online sources that could guide you from showing you the very basics to completing your first painting. Plus, you only need a pen and paper. Or an acrylic paint set if you feel more enthusiastic.
Additionally, what’s great about painting is, that it doesn’t have to be during naptime only. After all, kids love to draw as well.
2. Calligraphy
While it’s not something you’ll probably use often, it still is a beautiful skill to learn. All you need is a calligraphy pen for beginners, a steady hand, and a lot of patience.
If you’re looking at where to start, try SkillShare. They offer plenty of tutorials from masters of calligraphy and you can join SkillShare for free for 1 month before deciding if you want to dive deeper into it. By the way, SkillShare does offer some pretty neat drawing lessons too.
3. Knitting/Crocheting
Ok, so I know absolutely nothing about knitting. What I know, however, is that it has millions of fans all around the globe.
I imagine it to be somehow tranquil. A bit like meditation but with open eyes and moving hands.
You can even get a starting set that includes patterns so you don’t have to spend countless hours online looking for them. Oh, and guess where you can find all the basics to get you started.
4. Gardening
You don’t have to have a garden to take up gardening. All you need is some pots, soil, and seeds. Well, if you’re a complete beginner you may prefer to exchange the seeds with something that has already started to grow.
While flowers are the all-time classic, you could also try growing your own fruits or veggies, even fresh herbs. Imagine picking the basil for the pasta right before you need to put it on the plate.
What’s more, gardening is a great way to spend some time away from screens, since you don’t really need an online tutorial to water your plants.
5. Meditation
Talking about stress relief, there is hardly anything more appropriate than meditation. If you’ve never done it before, don’t worry. You don’t have to sit with your legs crossed and chant Om.
Sit comfortably, close your eyes, deep slowly, and focus on your breath going in and out. If you need help, there are plenty of guided meditation resources all around, including my favorite SkillShare.
Don’t get discouraged if you’re unable to clear your mind blank. Meditation is about being conscious of the current moment and forget about the worries of the past and future.
6. At-home fitness challenges
I’ve always loved starting different challenges. Right before I got pregnant I started a 30-days fitness challenge. Unfortunately, my OB made me quit but I intend to start over as soon as possible.
When it comes to fitness challenges, I like the mobile apps from Leap Fitness Group. Most of them are free, focus on a specific body part, and offer easy-to-follow instructions.
And they only take about 15 minutes a day.
7. Learn to cook
Most stay-at-home moms know how to make their way around the kitchen. But have you tried making something really fancy or gourmet? How about mastering baking?
I spend hours in the kitchen every single day and yet I have never tried to make homemade pasta.
And if you’ve never come close to an oven before, even better. Just be prepared in case something catches on fire. Kidding! Sort of…
8. Candle making
Candles go great with meditation. And I can guarantee that the satisfaction will be even greater if you have created them yourself.
So if you’re a DIY fan eager to up your game, grab some soy wax, candle wicks, and your favorite fragrance oil, and get started. Or get a complete candle-making starter kit to save some time.
9. Soap making
Since we’re looking at DIY hobbies for moms, a similar idea is creating your own soap. I am a member of several Facebook DIY groups and making your own soap (and other pampering products like bath bombs, scrubs, lotions, etc) seems to be quite trendy.
And if they turn out to be good, it could convert into a great business too. After all, people love buying handmade stuff.
10. Other DIY projects
Pinterest is an endless source of inspiration for DIY projects and new hobbies for moms. Whether you are bored with the color of your kitchen cabinets or want to create a handmade gift for the birthday of a friend, you would surely find both an idea and a solution there.
And if you catch the bug, you could take this hobby outside of nap time since there are plenty of projects to do with your kids as well.
11. Mixology
Ok, I admit this hobby is more suitable after your kid’s bedtime rather than during naptime but still… Spending the evening enjoying a fancy cocktail that you mixed yourself sounds pretty stress-relieving to me.
You can even get a stylish bartender kit to make it even more fun.
12. Learn an instrument
Have you ever wanted to learn the piano or another instrument? Well, it might be too late to make a career out of it, but YouTube has plenty of videos to show you the basics and teach you how to play a popular melody at your next party.
Still, it will require a bit of investment to buy the instrument. And try not to wake up the kids or naptime will be cut a bit short.
13. Learn a new language
Do you have a favorite tourist destination abroad? So why don’t you start learning the language and practice what you’ve learned the next time you visit.
Or take the extra mile and try something exotic like Japanese, Greek, or Finnish. Just for the fun of it and to challenge yourself.
14. Learn Photoshop
Photoshop could be both fun and useful.
As a SAHM you probably have to figure out a million ways to entertain the kids every day. Grasp the basics of Photoshop and with a little imagination, you’ll be able to create all kinds of printables for the kids including flashcards, games, coloring pages, and much more.
Or if you prefer some ready to download and print, check out my Resource Library. All printables are available for free after you sign up for the newsletter.
15. Watch documentaries
Do you think you’re going crazy raising three kids? Did you know that a mom octopus lays 56,000 eggs at a time? Imagine that! If you find this fascinating, just think about how many other interesting facts are waiting for you.
You could also forget about the TV. There’s probably nothing on right now anyway. Still, YouTube has tons of interesting videos on all kinds of subjects. Or, for a more premium experience, try Amazon Prime for free for 30 days.
16. Start collecting something
A few years ago I started collecting coins partly as a hobby, partly as an alternative investment. I have to say, today I am totally addicted. I could honestly spend hours just browsing my collection looking at the sets and individual coins.
And if coins are not your thing, there are plenty of other things to collect. Here are just a few popular examples:
- Stamps
- Postcards
- (Rare) Books
- Bookmarks
- Wine
- Coasters
- Autographs
- Maps
- Paintings
17. Read, read, read
Now is the time to start reading all these books that you postponed for someday. Well, someday is today so grab the first one from the pile and dive in.
I’ve always wanted to start a book reading challenge and keep a reading diary about it. Unfortunately, I haven’t got the time to do it so far. But maybe you could do it for both of us.
If you want to start the reading challenge, a Kindle Unlimited subscription pays off big time in the long run.
18. Practice journaling… or even writing
Putting your thoughts into words is a great way to take the daily stress off your shoulders. You can get a simple notebook or a writing journal. Who knows, it may even turn into a great eBook someday.
Alternatively, you could also start a bullet journal. It will not only give you a place to share your thoughts but could also help you organize all parts of your life. Personally, I’ve been keeping bullet journals for the last 3 years and I have to say I no longer know how to live without them.
19. Start a blog
Blogging is definitely one of my favorite hobbies for moms. After all, that’s why you’re currently reading this post.
Most bloggers talk about the extra income opportunities blogs provide. But blogging doesn’t have to be a business. It could also be a great place to share all the things that have been bothering you, help others, and even find support when you need it.
You could start with a budgeted plan so you don’t burden the family budget or you can even start blogging for free if you’re sure you won’t catch the money bug soon. Either way, you could always switch if you change your mind.
Would you try any of these during one of your kid’s next naps? Or do you believe in the “sleep when the baby sleeps” mantra? Tell me how you like to spend nap time.
What are your favorite hobbies for moms in their 30s or in any age? Give me more ideas in the comments. And while you’re here, share your favorite pastime hobby.
