23 Great Hobbies for Teachers

Are you a busy teacher looking for a hobby to engage in outside of school hours? First of all – good idea- and secondly, you’re in the right place. There are so many interesting, fun and hobbies for teachers that can enrich your life.

Having a hobby that you enjoy is good for you in a number of ways:

• It’ll give you a break from thinking about work, and encourage work-life balance
• It can make you feel fulfilled from doing something that you enjoy
• It will even make you a better teacher in the long run

You may be surprised by the last point – but its true. Studies show that workers who take breaks to engage with something different outside of work are more productive at work in the long run. I was reading about this in the book Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things by psychologist Adam Grant.

As a single-parent teacher for many years, I didn’t always find it easy to engage with my hobbies – but I’m so glad I made time for them. They helped me destress, and gave myself a break from thinking of my job constantly.

Here is a list of hobbies – I hope that you find one that sparks your interest!

Great Hobbies for Teachers

Remember that the goal of a hobby is to engage with something you’re interested in. Not all of these will spark any interest in you, but if they do – then they might make a good hobby

1. Playing an instrument

Learning or practicing a musical instrument as an adult is challenging, but also very mindful as requires you to focus. It takes your mind off of everything else.

I learned how to play basic piano as an adult, and found it to be such a fun, relaxing and rewarding activity.

The best part is – there are so many instruments to choose from; it doesn’t have to be piano. Some other popular instruments to play are ukelele, guitar, violin or even flute.

2. Playing adult team sports

There are lots of sports time for adults in most communities. I’m not a team sports person, but there are so many options for those who are interested:

• baseball, or slo-pitch leagues for adults (some co-ed, and some gendered)
• soccer, football
• curling
• darts

3. Baking and cake decorating

You could bake tasty treats for fun, or even get into decorating them, which is a form of art and takes some experimentation.

You could share your treats with social gatherings or at work, or even enter them into fairs to win prizes.

I know someone who started a cake business purely from learning the talent from YouTube.

You could bake for fun just for family and friends, and even turn it into a side hustle.

4. Scuba diving

Scuba diving makes a good hobby for teachers, because (in the northern hemisphere at least) its most popular during the summer months, when we’re off work.

You don’t need to live in a tropical area to scuba dive. Where I live in Ontario, we commonly dive to explore sunken shipwrecks in the Great Lakes.

I enjoy the challenge and the thrill of learning scuba diving and advancing through the certifications and levels.

In addition to scuba diving, there’s also snorkelling (much easier) or free-diving (much harder.)

5. Fitness

Even if you don’t have any particular fitness goals, getting involved in fitness and weight lifting is a fun way to stay healthy. There are so many health benefits, both physical and mental.

Plus, it’s fun. Many people say that fitness and exercise become addicting once you get into it. This keeps them on track of staying healthy.

To get into fitness and excersizing, there are a number of ways you could do it. Some are :

• get a gym membership to attend group classes held there, or simply work out independently at the gym
• Invest in some workout equipment, such as some 5 -10 lb weights, matt and a treadmill for home workouts. You could do home workouts independently or on YouTube
• hire a personal trainer if you’re serious about losing weight, or toning up
• enter fitness competitions and challenges, such as races, triathlons, and other challenges like Tough Muddler

Like with any teacher hobby, you would need to find the best time to fit in the exercise. I know some teachers who go early morning before work, but I usually prefer going immediately after work.

6. Reading

There’s never been an easier time to start exploring all the great books that are out there. A number of great ones have come out just in the last couple years.

Now that audiobooks are so popular, you can listen to books if you find it hard to hold a physical copy.

You could simply get into books by reading on your own, or even join (or start) a book club so that you can be a part of a group of people all reading the same book.

Starting or joining a book club

Being a part of book clubs is a side hobby to reading, and one of my favourite hobbies (I’m currently in two book clubs.) It gives you a chance to read books you never would have picked yourself, and to have fun discussions and healthy debates with others about the the topics you read about.

Some teachers at my school started a book club as a morale booster and it has worked really well.

You could start a staff book club at your school, or look for one (or start one) in the community where you live.

7. Dance

Dance is a fun, focused and energizing way to have fun outside of work. There are tons of adult dance classes:

• Latin dancing or ballroom for couples (but you can choose to go with a friend, or on your own)
• Adult ballet classes
• Zumba, which is a cross between cardio and dance

I’ve done all of them, and they’re a really fun way to move your body and focus on something non-work-related.

8. Boardgames

Boardgames go beyond just Monopoly and Scrabble (while those can be fun too.) My husband is an avid board gamer and opened me up to the world of boardgames and all the possibilities.

You could play simply at home, or even be a part of a social group that gets together regularly, biweekly or monthly for a board game night.

While most board games that I played as a child were luck-based – there are so many games I never would have heard of that are based more on strategy. This might appeal to people who are methodic, and strategic and like to plan their moves in advance.

This also makes board games a fun hobby, as you start to learn the mechanics of games and get better at them.

There are 2-people board games, and ones that can go up to 6-8 people. Some of our favourites are:

• Ticket to Ride (multiple versions, spanning many areas of the globe)
• Photosynthesis
• Clank (pictured above)

9. Photography

Photography is a fun hobby that involves a combination of artistic expression, technology, and being able to spend time outdoors (as that’s where a lot of photography takes place.)

The sky is really the limit though -you can choose your subjects, and what kinds of things you want to photograph.

You can start with simple equipment (even a modern smartphone these days as great resolution) and learn some techniques online.

As you get better and want more challenge, you can invest in some more sophisticated equipment to be able to do more things with it. Many people also get into photo editing and photoshop which can be a fun (and sometimes necessary) way to edit photos.

Similar to baking, photography could also be turned into a side hustle if you get confident at it and want to go that route.

10. Volunteering

You could volunteer for a variety of things – causes you care about, or even community events, or children’s extra-curricular activities.

Some examples are:

• Girl Guides or scouts
• A women’s shelter
• Children’s sports teams, like soccer or hockey
• The humane society or another animal rescue organization

Volunteering is an act of service, but it’s also a hobby as many people engage with it for enjoyment and personal fulfillment. It’s a great way to get involved with the community and meet and collaborate with others that share similar values to you.

11. Hiking

Hiking is a rewarding hobby, because it gives you exercise and brings you closer to nature – great for physical and mental health.

Hikes can range anywhere from very easy, to very challenging. If you get really ‘into’ hiking, you may invest in some gear and plan multi-day hikes that are off the beaten path.

But you can also practice hiking like I do – stick to trails that are 10 km (6.2 miles) or less – which allows you to see quite a lot of beauty that some people hardly ever get a chance to see.

12. Art

Art is a broad term, so hear me out. There are lots of ways to get started on some kind of artistic expression if the desire is in you (even if you don’t think you were good at art in school.)

Photography, which I mentioned earlier, is one form of art.

Here are some other examples:

• Sketching. Pretty simple – get a sketchbook and pencils from the dollar store and see what you come up with
• Scrapbooking. Fun way to document your memories. you could listen to music while you scrapbook, or even create a social scrapbooking night with other people who are into it. Scrapbooking can get expensive if you’re buying lots of pretty supplies, but they look great and it’s so much fun
• Painting – watercolour, acrylic or oil (oil takes the longest to dry.) It’s harder to get this set up, because you will need a canvas, and paints can be messy.
• Adult colouring – much more intricate than kid’s colouring; very mindful and calming. All you need is an adult colouring book, and some pencil crayons

13. Content creation

Content creation is a broad term that describes creating any kind of content that you create (and often, make available to others).

Content creation can be:

• blogs
• articles
• printables
• books or e-books
• a YouTube channel
• podcast

The content you can create can be for just you, or you could put it online for others to see. This can be a possible remote job for teachers to focus on in the summer time, or even just earn a passive income.

If there’s a certain topic that you’re very passionate about and see yourself writing quite a lot about, you could also consider starting a blog. A blog can help.

Keep in mind that writing in itself can be a hobby. I love writing, and as a teacher, I would often work on different stories and articles just for fun – which I kept in a Google Doc on my computer. No one reads them but me.)

14. Having a penpal

Having a penpal is something that I’ve tried a few times as a teacher. It’s a fun way to learn about another person and possibly, a lifestyle in a different country. It’s also fun to get mail that is personally written to you.

You could write either hand-written letters, typed letters that are mailed, or even just email.

There are several places online where you can find a penpal, and start the correspondence process. Both you and the pen pal would agree on how to proceed.

Some penpal relationships can work out, if both people are committed to making it work. I still have one email penpal in France that I’ve been writing back and forth with for years. I found her on Pen Pal World.

15. Learn another language

Learning another language is more easily accessible than it’s ever been before. Not only that, but learning a language is fun and good for your brain.

If you’re completely new to a language, then I recommend starting with a simple book, such as the 10 Minutes a Day series, (offered in 12 different languages) that will teach you the basics.

Learning another language can take anywhere from 2 to 12 months, depending on many factors. Find out more about how long it takes to learn a language here.

After you know some of the most basic words and phrases, you can move on to either apps such as Duolingo, or get an online tutor.

I have taken many language lessons from Italki – French, Spanish, Swedish and even Sanskrit. It’s fun to learn from native speakers all over the world.

Plus, as a teacher, you could apply to become a teacher on italki too – I’ve been teaching on italki since 2012. Payments to you can either be sent to your bank account, or transferred to your student wallet for you to buy more language lessons.

16. Yoga

Yoga is similar to fitness, but it has more of an element of mindfulness and even some spirituality.

Through yoga, you can foster a deep connection with your body and soul – whatever that means to you. Some people prefer yoga for purely the exercise element and that’s ok too.

You can join a yoga class in your community, and do yoga online (there many yoga YouTubers.) There are also many yoga retreats offered in settings of nature all over the world – Costa Rica, India, Canada, and more.

If you enjoy yoga and get to point where you feel confidant in your abilities, you could even get certified to teach it yourself.

17. Cooking or food prep

If you love to cook, or prepare food – then getting into the food industry might be a fun hobby too.

I already mentioned baking and cake design which ties in with it. But there are so many other ways to get into food as a hobby.

You could:

• Try cooking some of your favourite dishes, but make tweaks and develop your own unique recipes
• Attend cooking classes in your area – which is fun to do on your own, with friends, or a date
• Make charcuterie boards. (I make vegan charcuterie boards as a hobby. I initially intended for it to be a side hustle to teaching, but then decided to keep it as a hobby
• You could even move in the way of beverages and start mixing your own drinks, which could be spirits and cocktails, or even smoothies and coffee

18. Plants and gardening

Plants are fascinating once you start learning about them. I have a friend who not only gardens and knows a lot about plants, but she sketches them and writes interesting facts about them too.

Having plants around is good for your mental health. Some are ideal for indoors and some for outdoors.

Gardening can be about growing food, or home improvement (there are certain plants that keep bugs away) or just to keep your yard looking pretty and welcoming – or all of the above.

19. DIY

I’ve seen many people get into DIY. DIY is a broad term that can involve many things:

• home improvement and interior design; updating and fixing furniture, making home decor items, making accent walls and many other things
• woodwork and crafting
• making cosmetics and beauty products
• making, updating or upcycling clothing

There’s a whole world of ideas on Pinterest and Google for DIY, and it can be fascinating once you learn how much you can do from the comfort of your home.

20. Travel

One of the most obvious hobbies for teachers is travel – teachers have more time off than average salaries professions, which is one of the perks of the job.

While summer, spring break and Chrismtas are often the busiest times to travel – it’s for a reason.

The weather’s great at those times of year in the places we often want to travel to, and its when kids are out of school (which works well if you have your own family.)

Travel has always been a huge hobby of mine; I’ve been to over 30 countries now. But I don’t think you need to go abroad to travel. I go abroad about once a year, but I enjoy just exploring hidden gems and small towns in my area.

21. Gaming and technology

Gaming and technology is a fun hobby because it’s something you can pick up and do if you can only spare 5 minutes, but you can also dive deep into other worlds that you can explore and use problem-solving skills to navigate and advance in the game.

There are a number of ways to get into gaming and technology as a hobby:

• Pick up the latest console, like a Nintendo Switch
• Dive into retro handhelds to re-live older games from the 80s, 90s and 2000s. (or get an emulator and play them on a big screen.)

22. Needlework

Needlework I mean knitting, crocheting and cross stitch. All of these activities are a lot of fun; very mindful as you focus on what you’re doing.

You can do them in front of the TV, or in a quiet space. Its can even be something you do on your breaks at work.

You feel so accomplished when something is done. Knitted and crocheted items also make nice gifts for others, or to sell.

23. Beauty and skincare

Beauty and skincare is definitely a hobby. Skincare is a fascinating area of interest for many people who enjoy learning about certain ingredients and products that are good for their skin, or even making them themselves (a form of DIY.)

Pursuing skincare and beauty as a hobby could mean:

• learning how to apply makeup, or do hair
• making your own home remedies for makeup, skincare or hair care
• going to spas
• having fun at-home spa nights with friends or a spouse

Getting involved with skincare and body wellness and making your own products can be a great self-care gift for you or other teachers

24. (Bonus) Magic

By magic, I mean two different things that are fairly different from each other.

• Magic tricks, that a magician would perform. This could be just for fun, or a way to entertain kids or even other adults. (I knew a teacher who was also a magician and he would perform magic tricks in his class as a reward for the class)
• learning about tarot cards, ouija boards, palm reading and crystal healing
• reiki (doesn’t really fall under magic, but is often connected to crystal and spiritual healing)

Many towns and cities have magic shops. The magic shop in our town has events that people can get involved with, such as tarot reading nights.

Hobbies for Teachers FAQ

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about hobbies for teachers

What is your hobby as a teacher?

As a teacher, some of the hobbies I’ve had while teaching are: travelling, learning languages, reading, book clubs, cooking, scuba diving, skiing, beauty and skin care, having a penpal and fitness. I had many hobbies that I was engaged with as a teacher, but it made my life feel richer.

Can I say teaching is my hobby?

A hobby is something you do out of interest, and that you can improve at over time. So, yes teaching can be a hobby. Like many hobbies, it can also be a job for many people. Professional teachers who make their living from teaching can still do teaching or tutoring on the side either on a paid or voluntary basis simply because they enjoy it.

How do you write hobbies for teachers on a resume?

For teacher hobbies on a resume, I would focus on hobbies that communicate a transferable skill to teaching, or say something about you as a person.

Final Thoughts on Hobbies for Teachers

I hope that this article on hobbies for teachers has inspired you on all of the different things there are to do outside of the classroom as a teacher.

Taking part in the things that interest you allows you to take breaks from work, avoid burnout, and make life more fun when you can do something that you enjoy.

Whether it’s a hobby, dating, or spending time with family or friends – always make time for the things that make feel whole, outside of your job as a teacher. These activities will add value to your life, and only enhance your role as a teacher.