Hobbies for Women in Their 30s: Look at Your Childhood Years
Updated: Sep 18
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TL;DR for my fellow skimmers 💕
If you're a woman in her 30s struggling to find a hobby, stop Googling lists and look back into your childhood! The games you played, the shows you watched, the things that made you lose track of time lead to your ultimate roadmap. Childhood hobbies have adult equivalents too (Barbies → The Sims, disposable cameras → photography, mud pies → real baking). And if you have a tendency to go all-in and buy everything before you're sure you love it? That's not a flaw, that's just how some of us experience excitement. This post is your permission slip to explore without the guilt-trip. My curated Amazon list of my favorite hobby items can be found here too!
A lot of women in their 30s struggle to find a hobby they actually enjoy...
The good news is the pathway to finding yours might be closer than you think, and that pathway is your childhood memories!
How to find a new hobby as an adult - go back to basics:
Did you like building with LEGOs?
Playing Barbie dolls with the dollhouse, cars, and different outfits?
Playing sports like soccer, basketball, or softball?
Or something creative like drawing, coloring, or painting?
And there's no need to worry if your childhood wasn’t great or you don’t remember much of it. Think instead about the movies and TV shows you loved. What were the characters doing that you wish you could do it too? Maybe there was ice-skating in your favorite film or someone was horseback riding.
That quiet little “I wish I could do that” feeling? That’s data. Pay attention to it and run after it.
For me, it has always been gaming. I’ve been a gamer since I was a kid and my love for it has never gone away, it simply evolved as time went on. I even went down the rabbit hole of monetizing this hobby (which was an entire ordeal in of itself). And if what's keeping you from exploring is that you're in a funk right now, this post is for you and you can take the quiz to see exactly which funk you're in.
The all-in hobby spiral: Why we do this (and why it's fine)...
Here’s something I do that might sound familiar: the moment I find a hobby I think I’ll love, I go completely all-in. I’m talking about buying every single accessory for the hobby then two weeks later I’m completely over it.
It happened with diamond painting. I bought so much for it after a few days of doing it. The backlight stand, pens with the attachments, extra putty, all of it. Fast forward 1 month and the diamond painting materials I was so excited about are just sitting there gathering dust. But I know I'll come back to them in about 6 months because I always do!
What I eventually realized about this vicious cycle is that part of my joy isn’t the actual hobby itself.
It’s the buying. The collecting. The curating and set up process.
This is something I see a lot of women in their 30s shame themselves for. I used to do this too, but eventually decided to stop feeling bad about it and embrace it. That’s just how I experience excitement, and working with that instead of against it changed everything.
Remember, hobbies are meant to be fun, not a part-time job with arbitrary rules or time constraints!
Adult hobbies that match your childhood favorites...
A fun thing I've noticed is the hobbies you loved as a kid often have adult equivalents that are just as fun and fulfilling. For example:
If you spent hours playing with Barbies, you might find joy in games like The Sims, Paralives, or writing stories where you can create and design entire worlds.
Liked playing outside, especially in the dirt? Try landscaping or growing your own veggies.
Loved playing with toy cars? Try your hand at racing video games (like Need for Speed, The Crew, Forza, etc.), collecting mini models or car restoration.
If you were always baking mud pies or using the Easy Bake oven, maybe it’s time to explore real baking or cake decorating.
Did you love having a disposable camera on you at all times? Try photography.
If you loved playing dress-up, maybe sewing or cosplay would work for you.
Always found yourself wanting to help others? Volunteering may be absolutely perfect for you.
The essence of what you loved as a child can easily guide you toward hobbies that fit your adult life. And as you explore these adult equivalents of childhood hobbies, you’ll also discover something very interesting.
What finding a hobby in your 30s actually teaches you...
Finding a new hobby you love doesn’t have to just be about the activity. You also get to learn more about who you are and what you do and don’t like during this process.
Maybe you loved art as a kid but drawing by hand doesn’t appeal to you anymore. That doesn’t mean you’re not a creative person, it might just mean the medium changed. Perhaps you’ve moved from sketching to digital art, photography, or even crafting!
Like for me, I went from drawing by hand to digital art and then to other creative outlets. But the through-line was always creativity. The form just kept changing and I embraced each new venture.
Each attempt, even the ones that don’t stick, teaches us something valuable about our preferences and passions. If you're doing this inner work, you'll love to read what self-concept rampages did for my mindset → Read more here!
A few things worth remembering as you explore...
Don’t buy everything before you’ve actually tried it for awhile.
Find the free or cheap versions first. Borrow, rent, or try a beginner kit. Give yourself the chance to find out if you actually like the doing of it before you invest.
Stay open-minded within the hobbies you already have.
Some of my favorite games are ones I was convinced I’d hate. For example, I never thought I’d enjoy certain games, but they opened up entirely new genres for me. The thing you think you’ll hate might be the thing that surprises you most.
Embrace the journey, not just the outcome.
Whether you're rediscovering a childhood passion or trying something completely new, focus on the journey. Each attempt, even the ones that feel like a failure, teaches you something valuable about yourself.
Let your hobbies evolve with you.
Just as you’ve grown, so have your interests. A childhood love for playing in makeup might now translate into becoming a true makeup artist. Be flexible and allow your passions to adapt to your current self.
Remember, you’re going to figure out what’s yours. It might take a few false starts and a couple of unopened craft kits, but that’s all part of the journey. Approaching this with a playful and light mindset will not only make the process more enjoyable but also shape the whole experience for the better.
Your journey to a life that you truly love doesn't have to stop here!
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