Oxford defines hobby as an activity done regularly in one’s leisure time for pleasure. These are taken up for relaxation or enjoyment. It can also be a sideline area of interest for professionals.
Pastime is an activity, amusement, avocation, diversion, entertainment, fun, game, hobby, play, sport, recreation, relaxation, leisure activity or occupation.
Hobbies and leisure have the similar meanings, as per their definitions. Leisure or free time is a period of time spent out of work and essential domestic activity."Whereas, "A hobby is a spare-time recreational pursuit." "Recreation or fun is the expenditure of time in a manner designed for therapeutic refreshment of one's body or mind. While leisure is more likely a form of entertainment or rest, recreation is active for the participant but in a refreshing and diverting manner."
Hobbies are a good pastime, as we can utilize our leisure time by developing a hobby according to our interests. By learning about various hobbies, we can decide which hobby appeals to us the most. Whether we engage our self in a hobby or not, it is still fun to read about the hobbies, how people involve themselves in variety of leisure activities, hobbies or interests.
Benefits:
Hobbies play an important role in our lives. Often we adopt a hobby to pass our spare time and get pleasure. When we are busy doing our favourite job or chore, it gives peace to our mind and relaxing our mind effects our health.
Hobbies are a way to keep us busy, in a condition of happiness and job. Because hobbies are the tasks, we do for self satisfaction. We enjoy doing our hobbies. This may be boring for someone, but it gives us joy and satisfaction. Another factor is that when we are busy doing our favourite hobby, we can save our self from depression and anxiety, which are the gifts of modern age. We can be more energetic, creative and healthy when we keep ourselves busy with our favourite hobbies.
We enjoy most things more when we share them, hobbies offer a reason to stay connected to other people with similar interests.
Hobbies that require expertise are more satisfying. That's because developing an expertise in something like photography or astronomy requires commitment, and commitment results in a higher level of engagement. Of course, hobbies that involve physical fitness, such as walking and outdoor games provide a physical benefit as well.
Hobbies can be thought of on three levels. The first is as a diversion. Hobbies help us pass the time. The second is as a passion. When a hobby becomes a passion, we become truly engaged in doing something we love. It not only helps us pass time, it makes us unaware that time is passing. We get satisfaction from being creative and making something. The third level is as something that creates a sense of purpose. We all need that. The ideal hobby combines all three levels. The final feeling of accomplishment is the greatest confidence building mechanism for kids.
When we are really engaged in a hobby that we love, we lose our sense of time and enter what’s called a flow state. At this time, our level of concentration is high; we have sharp focus, clear thinking and enhanced creativity. These in turn helps us to put in peak performance. We also become positive and motivated. Our self esteem and confidence are also high.
Types:
In the past, hobbies were mostly reading, cooking and listening to music for those who loved being indoors and playing outdoors, swimming, arts and sports clubs, social groups, movies, traveling, etc for those who preferred outdoors. Nowadays, the most common hobbies are watching television, playing video games, interactive CD ROMs, movies, or even blogging.
Children spent most of their free time playing with or talking to their friends. The next most time consuming activity for kids is watching television. Reading and using the internet comes next. So, sedentary activities occupy much time from a kids’ daily schedule. Doing homework, playing games and musical instruments are matters on which kids spent the least time, every day. Gradually reading becomes a must for children to help perform at school. They slowly become interested in the world around them also.
Internet is used for fun and to aid studies.
Childhood is mostly spent indoors, with television, internet or video games. When children are permitted outdoors, it is specifically under the watch and ward of elders; whether it is for a dance or music session or a TT or swimming chance- any scheduled event only. This is mostly because, parents are more afraid of letting kids roaming in a world of heavy traffic and reports of pedophiles and missing children. “The boundary for most kids is the frontcourt yard. A lot of kids are under house arrest," says Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, a book about how children have lost touch with nature.
Hobbies can be simply a pastime option or for stress relief. There are many who pursue their hobbies as their profession out of sustained passion or because of the confidence they gain in that over time from childhood.
Collectibles always formed a major hobby. This depends on the interest of the person. Many are fond of stamps, coins, small statues, dolls, pens, pencils, bangles, and so on. Some people collect even electronic equipments. However most of these items are of non perishable nature.
Gardening is another favourite hobby for many. A good lawn, colourful flowering plants and shade trees add to the beauty of our home as well. Some gardens are landscaped to include bird baths, ponds for fishes or swans, waterfalls, small streams and even a grotto.
Floral designs and flower arrangements: Growing cut-flowers, making bouquets and arranging in vases are becoming more and more popular. Flowers are natural mood enhancers. Very sight of colourful flowers placed ideally makes everyone happy, irrespective of age.
Pets form the most common pastime. It relieves boredom from loneliness for aged and gives a responsibility feeling to kids. The range varies wide from birds, fishes to dogs, cats, rabbits, ducks, swans and even horses and elephants…
Drawing and painting is the most common hobby among kindergarten children. Those who have a passion for colouring initially use so much of crayons, pastels and acrylic colours. Slowly they start using canvas and oil paints. Some of them go into fabric painting, glass painting etc…
Many children love working with their hands. They use clay to make various forms. The creative and passionate ones may later turn to sculpture or architecture. Dismantling of toys and trying to rearrange the broken parts together is a puzzle and hobby worth pursued by many intelligent fellows…even a ball of dough makes them happy!
Cooking is another hobby for many. Some of our great chefs are those youngsters who loved food and cooking, as boys and have grown up to pursue their hobby passionately as a profession. Catering is now a professional field and best suited for those who love cooking and experimenting in the kitchen.
Hosting parties or organizing events are utmost simple for some children. These are the born leaders with good planning and coordination skills. They take up voluntary activities for children’s programmes in their neighbourhood and school.
Home Décor: Decoration of interiors is a passionate hobby for those who can continuously work on the minor details. They enjoy arranging furniture and utensils, painting and colouring, use of suitable- matching or contrast curtains and upholstery, tools for enhancements and so on. Many start it first as a hobby expand to cover their friends and relatives and sometimes unknowingly, they gradually expand to become a professional…
Designing is another good pastime. Some take up tailoring or embroidery, designing dress for kids, ladies, teenagers and may even end up running a few boutiques. Some others take up jewellery design, making personalized cards for seasons and festive occasions, creative design of websites, and so on. All of these are good business as well.
Traveling and writing travelogues are favourite pastimes for the adventurous and active people. Some prefer to do it alone or with friends or family. Some are addicted drivers while others depend on public modes. They are always in need of something new…Some are good photographers also.
People who have real patience with children and adore them most are seen to run craft workshops or creativity sessions on weekends and summer camps. This helps improve holistic development of children and the enjoyment gained is beyond mention.
Origami-paper craft: Making of paper airplanes is a cherished activity. More than a hobby, it is a creative activity. This fun to do paper folding activities can help in skill development. Using old newspapers or colour papers, either as such or decorated with designs drawn by them and helping them use it by selves leaves kids proud of themselves. The efforts in making of boat, aero planes, kites and balls are very common.
Other most common hobbies are:
Literature- writing poems, songs, stories…
Theater arts- acting out various plays, stories…
Music- Vocal and instrumental…
Indoor games: board games like ludo, snake and ladder, chess, carom board,Chinese checkers, scrabble or monopoly.
Dancing- folk, cinematic, western, salsa, classical and so on…
Wood works
Ceramics
Pottery
Bird watching/Nature study
Graffiti
Candle making
If you're just starting a hobby, remember that it takes time to realize the benefits. Don’t start something which doesn’t appeal to you. Don’t select a hobby because it may be remunerative. Don’t settle on something because you have basic necessities readily available. Similarly, after finalizing on your hobby, work at it regularly; gradually you become more engaged. Over time, you find yourself getting more and more involved. If you stay with it, and make an effort to meet others who do the same thing, you'll eventually develop a passion for it.
