The kids are gone! Now what?
If you’re like most Empty Nesters, you’ve suddenly found yourself with a ton of free time and are wondering what the heck to do with it.
As a Clinical Psychologist, I’ve noticed that parents who embrace the empty nest phase of life with an open mind by discovering new activities and hobbies struggle less with symptoms of Empty Nest Syndrome.
So, to help them - and to help you - I’ve created the below list of 179 activities for empty nesters to explore.
Let’s go!
Table of Contents
12 Weird Hobbies for Empty Nesters
About the Author - Dr. Angela Caveney
What Is Empty Nest Syndrome?
Empty nest syndrome refers to feelings of sadness, loss, and emptiness that most parents experience when a child leaves home for the first time. At this time, the parental role we've played for so many years suddenly changes, and many of us feel a profound sense of loss and uncertainty about our purpose moving forward.
To learn more about Empty Nest Syndrome, including the signs and symptoms, its impact on our adult children and ways to cope, check out my article entitled Empty Nest Syndrome: From Surviving to Thriving in a Quiet House.
If you are a single empty nester, you'll enjoy this article about the challenges and advantages of navigating this phase of life without a partner.
If you are in need of some great laughs, inspiration and a bit of comfort, my Quotes For Empty Nesters article is also worth a peek.
10 Most Common Activities and Hobbies for Empty Nesters
As humdrum as they may be, no list of things for empty nesters to do would be complete without the usual top 10. These are the hobbies that come immediately to our minds when we think about hobbies for midlife. They are the most common for good reasons. They are highly enjoyable, affordable and accessible...fantastic hobbies for “everyday life”.
The 10 most common activities and hobbies for empty nesters include:
1. Arts and Crafts
2. Cooking or Baking
3. Gardening
4. Learning/Playing a Musical Instrument
5. Meditation
6. Photography
7. Reading
8. Volunteering
9. Walking or Hiking
10. Yoga or Pilates
Ok, now that we’ve gotten those out of the way, let’s dig a little deeper.
20 Activities and Hobbies for Empty Nest Moms
This list of activity and hobby ideas for moms is neither exhaustive nor exclusive to women. Plenty of men enjoy these activities just as much as women. These hobbies are listed here simply because they, very generally speaking, tend to be more popular with women.
My list of the top 20 activities and hobbies for empty nest moms:
1. Aqua Aerobics
2. Astrology
3. Basket Weaving
4. Belly Dancing
5. Book Clubs
6. Calligraphy
7. Cooking Classes
8. Cross Stitch
9. Floral Arranging
10. Genealogy
11. Group Fitness Classes
12. Herbalism
13. Journaling/Writing
14. Knitting/Crocheting
15. Natural, Handmade Products
16. Pottery
17. Quilting
18. Soap Making
19. Tea Blending
20. Upholstery
20 Activities and Hobbies for Empty Nest Dads
Just as was true for the list of activities and hobbies for empty nest moms, our list of activities and hobbies for empty nest dads simply includes hobbies that are more generally favored by men.
My list of the top 20 activities and hobbies for empty nest dads:
1. Archery
2. Billiards
3. Car restoration
4. Drone flying
5. Fantasy sports
6. Fishing/Fly Fishing
7. Go karting
8. Golfing
9. Homebrewing beer
10. Hunting
11. Leatherworking
12. Metal Detecting
13. Metalworking
14. Model building
15. Motorcycle riding
16. Poker
17. Radio-controlled models
18. Stamp Collecting
19. Stock trading
20. Woodworking
30 Activities and Hobbies for Empty Nester Couples to Enjoy Together
Next, we explore some great hobby options for empty nester couples. Many of the above mentioned hobbies are, of course, also fantastic when done with people you enjoy spending time with. Here are a few more that are particularly great ways to spend time with your favorite person.
My list of the top 30 activities and hobbies for empty nester couples.
1. Antiquing
2. Astronomy/Stargazing
3. Badminton
4. Birding
5. Board Games
6. Bocce Ball and Lawn Bowling
7. Bowling
8. Canoeing
9. Chess
10. Community Theater
11. Craft Cocktails
12. Crossword Puzzles
13. Dancing (salsa, ballroom, so many options!)
14. DIY Home Projects
15. Geocaching
16. Hosting Dinner Parties
17. Jigsaw Puzzles
18. Kayaking
19. Learning Magic Tricks
20. Miniature Golf
21. Playing Cards
22. Qi Gong
23. Sailing
24. Sculpting
25. Snorkeling
26. Story Telling
27. Table Tennis
28. Tai Chi
29. Tennis
30. Wine Tasting
25 Empty Nester Travel Hobbies and Activities
Once the kids fly the coop (and before grandkids and older age arrive), many empty nesters take advantage of this unique time in their lives to explore the World.
Some empty nesters love to follow their favorite music artist or visit beaches all over the world and collect the amazing colors and textures of sand. My husband, being the cultured guy that he is, likes to try out McDonalds in every country we visit to see what's different. 🤦🏼
My list of 25 things for empty nesters to do and types of places to visit around the world:
2. Art Exhibitions
3. Beach Walking
4. Botanical Gardens
5. Camping
6. Cave Exploring
7. Culinary Tourism
8. Cultural Festivals
9. Film Festivals
10. Food Tastings
11. Ghost Town Exploration
12. Historical Sites
13. Hot Air Ballooning
14. Learning a New Language
15. Music Festivals/Concerts
16. National Parks
17. Scuba Diving
18. Spelunking
19. Sporting Events
20. Theaters
21. Train Journeys
22. Wildlife Photography
23. Wine Tasting Tours
15 Cooking and Baking Hobbies for Empty Nesters
Food related hobbies deserve their own section simply due to their popularity and the sheer number of things for empty nesters to do that fall into this category. Loved by women, men and people of all ages, food hobbies can be enjoyed alone or with others, making them perfect solo or social hobbies.
My list of the top 15 cooking and baking hobbies for empty nesters:
1. Bread Baking
2. Cake Decorating
3. Canning and Preserving
4. Cheese Making
5. Chocolate Making
6. Ethnic Cuisine Exploration
7. Food Photography and Styling
8. Food Writing and Blogging
9. Grilling Pizza
10. Handmade Pasta
11. Latte Art
12. Mixology
13. Smoking Meat/BBQ
14. Sous Vide Cooking
15. Wine Making
30 Unusual Hobbies and Things for Empty Nesters To Do
The hobbies in this list range from simply uncommon to truly unusual. Here, we dive into the unexpected, celebrating the unconventional passions that make us all unique individuals
My list of the top 30 unusual hobbies and things for empty nesters to do:
1. Beekeeping
2. Blacksmithing
3. Bonsai tree cultivation
4. Bookbinding
5. Cheese making
6. Cosplaying
7. Cow tipping
8. Dumpster Diving
9. Extreme Ironing
10. Falconry
11. Fencing
12. Fire Poi
13. Ghost hunting
14. Glassblowing
15. Heli-Skiing
16. Ice sculpting
17. Insect collecting
18. Jar terrarium crafting
19. Lawn Mower Racing
20. Lock picking
21. Miniature cooking
22. Mushroom foraging
23. Origami
24. Sand art
25. Sandcastle building
26. Snail racing
27. Soap carving
28. Stone skipping
29. Toy Voyaging
30. Yodeling
17 Funny Hobbies and Things for Empty Nesters To Do
Putting this list together was easily the most fun I've ever had researching for a section of a blog article. (Look some of these up on YouTube!) These gems range from quirky to ridiculous to flat out unbelievable, but they ARE all real...and each has its own special subculture of followers. Perhaps you'll be the next to join in the fun.
My list of the top 17 funny hobbies and things for empty nesters to do:
1. Beetle Fighting
2. Cheese Rolling
3. Collecting Navel Fluff
4. Collecting Potato Chips that Look Like Famous People
5. Competitive Air Guitar
6. Competitive Banana Peeling
7. Competitive Dog Grooming
8. Competitive Duck Herding
9. Competitive Endurance Tickling
10. Competitive Puddle Jumping
11. Competitive Worm Charming
12. Ferret legging
13. Hobby Horsing
14. News-Raiding
15. Ostrich Racing
16. Pea Shooting
17. Toe Wrestling
12 Weird Hobbies for Empty Nesters
Alright, buckle up! We're about to dive into the wild world of offbeat, and just plain WEIRD hobbies. Some are just a bit out of the ordinary, while others are flat-out wacky. But hey, we're all about celebrating what makes us unique, right? So, let's roll with it and jump right in!
My list of the top 12 weird hobbies for empty nesters:
1. Bagel head body modification
2. Bee wearing
3. Bog Snorkeling
4. Chess Boxing
5. Cow Impersonating/Mooing
6. Eggshell Carving
7. Fork Bending
8. Growing Giant Vegetables
9. Knitting Tiny Hats For eggs
10. Paint drying observation
11. Underwater Hockey
12. Volcano sledding/surfing
Final Thoughts
As I bring this exploration of a whopping 179 hobbies and things for empty nesters to do to a close, I cannot stress enough the importance of embracing this new chapter of your life with an open mind and adventurous spirit.
The empty nest phase might initially seem daunting or even lonely, but, with a proactive approach, and keeping your core personal values in mind, it CAN be a period ripe with midlife reinvention and purpose.
Stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new activities not only combats the symptoms of empty nest syndrome but also enriches life in unexpected ways. So, whether it's painting or rolling a giant ball of cheese down a hill, just remember - it's never too late to explore new hobbies and reignite your zest for life!
About the Author
Angela Caveney, Ph.D. is a Clinical Psychologist, Neuropsychologist and Founder of The Trybe Women's Social Club. Her absolute favorite things to do are to help women find their people, rediscover themselves and thrive throughout midlife. She can be reached directly at angela@the-trybe.com.
(*Note. If The Trybe Women's Social Club is not in your location, reach out to Dr. Caveney to start a conversation about creating a club where you live. Even if you don't know a single person in your new city, don't worry! This is a great way to start to meet new people fast. We'll provide the framework to get you started.)
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