Read time : 2 mins
Level : Intermediate
Melanie Allen | Wealth of Geeks undefined
Americans spend more than five hours every day on leisure activities and hobbies, ranking second only to sleep in the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2023 time use survey.
Though we all love leisure time, we don’t spend it the same way. Some pastimes are far more popular than others.
America’s Favorite Hobbies
A Statista survey of more than 60,000 Americans determined which hobbies we love the most. Discover something new to try as we explore America’s favorite pastimes. Because respondents could choose more than one hobby, reported percentages surpassed 100.
Cooking/Baking
Cooking and baking top the list of America’s favorite hobbies. Two in five respondents (41%) spend their free time in the kitchen.
Tiffany McCauley of The Gracious Pantry explains why she loves cooking so much. “Cooking is therapeutic for me,” she says. “To be able to tune out the world and all its problems, turn on some music, and just let myself have 30-60 minutes of creativity with my food simply soothes my soul.”
McCauley adds that sampling her creations is an added bonus. “Ending up with a dish that tastes amazing is a whole new level of comfort on top of the stress relief. The entire process is basically an escape with a delicious finale.”
Reading
Americans love relaxing with a good book — 37% of respondents report reading as a pastime. Good reads come in many forms and can transport audiences to new worlds, educate, motivate, enlighten, and excite.
Reading has immeasurable benefits: it enhances creativity, reduces stress, and provides much-needed stimulation as we age. Additionally, increased internet and library access means reading comes at little to no cost to many.
Pets
Americans rank spending time with pets among their favorite hobbies. Around 35% spend free time caring for furry friends. These figures are unsurprising as 95% of pet owners consider their pets family.
Interacting with animals isn’t just a fun hobby; moving and exercising with a pet positively benefits animal and human health and wellness. Animals provide companionship, reduce stress, keep humans active, and stimulate the production of feel-good chemicals like oxytocin.
Video Games
About one-third of all Americans unwind with their favorite video games.
Gaming provides a fantastic escape from real life. Players can be the hero one day and an evil villain the next. Some games build critical life skills, like team building, problem-solving, and enhanced focus.
Outdoor Activities
More than 30% of survey respondents said they engage in outdoor activities. In 2019, the National Recreation and Parks Association surveyed people to learn what “outdoor activities” they prefer.
The survey found that most (58%) consider outdoor gatherings with family and friends — playing games, barbecuing, or having a picnic — their favorite outdoor activity. Nearly half (48%) said they enjoy going to the pool, while 45% reported hiking as their favorite outdoor activity.
Shopping
Nearly one-third of Americans spend their free time shopping.
Critics may say shopping isn’t a hobby, but for many, activities performed to relax count as hobbies, which means shopping fits the bill.
Unfortunately, unmanaged retail therapy can lead to overspending.
Traveling
Around 29% cite travel as their preferred hobby, though this and other more expensive interests would likely attract more people if they weren’t as cost-prohibitive. A 2023 travel study says more than 50% of non-travelers report they can’t afford to travel or can’t take time off work.
Traveling is a fantastic hobby because it allows us to visit bucket list destinations, learn about different cultures, and experience the world from a fresh perspective.
Arts/Crafts/DIY
Around 25% of respondents report enjoying arts, crafts, and DIY activities in their free time, such as sewing, woodworking, drawing, painting, and other hands-on tasks.
Photography and writing scored high enough to merit their own categories, with 19% of respondents saying they spent time on each activity.
Arts and crafts are ideal hobbies for those with little time, money, or space. Anyone can start drawing with just a pencil and paper, crochet with a needle and yarn, or make paper mâché crafts with old paper and flour.
Socializing
Friendships are crucial to health and happiness. Studies show that people with thriving social lives are happier, healthier, and live longer than those who spend time in solitude.
Despite its importance, only 26% of respondents reported socializing as a hobby.
Board Games
About 26% of respondents enjoy playing board games during downtime. Tabletop games span several genres, including traditional offerings like Monopoly, solo games like puzzles, trading card games like Magic: The Gathering, and roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons.
Playing board games has many benefits, including education, cognitive improvement in older adults, and improvement of ADHD symptoms in children.
More Favorite Pastimes
Americans enjoy a wide variety of activities. Approximately one-fifth of survey respondents participate in hobbies like gardening, meditation, working on old cars, fitness, photography, and writing.
Health Benefits of Hobbies
Engaging in fulfilling hobbies is crucial to health, happiness, and overall life satisfaction. Many of America’s most popular hobbies have well-documented impacts on health and wellness. Hobbies, in general, tend to reduce stress, decrease loneliness, and promote overall well-being.
There’s no greater time than the present to start a new hobby and inject more happiness into your life.
This article was produced by Media Decision and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.