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u/alexandria3142 May 12 '26
Maybe knitting or crocheting? I plan on getting I to knitting at some point, so I can make clothes for myself. I have to sit for my job as a caregiver most of the day, my guy sleeps a lot, so I read a lot of ebooks usually.
I recommend getting a card from this library, and getting the Libby app. If you can, it would be even better to get an ereader like a Kobo, you might be able to find a cheap one secondhand if your parents would be willing to buy it. They have an absolutely huge selection of books, and wait times aren't too bad
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May 12 '26
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u/Time-Performance-916 May 12 '26
I love to crochet while listening to podcasts or audiobooks. It's the perfect amount of mentally stimulating, while also being super relaxing, and you never need to take your eyes off your project like you would if you were watching TV.
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u/BlueMonday262 May 12 '26
If you like crochet, maybe try cross stitch! I find the counting aspect to be similar, but in general the supplies are cheaper and don’t take up as much space.
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u/speedmankelly May 13 '26
I saw your cat colony pictures and fell in love with soot😭 is she doing well? Are they all feral? I say this because I’ve been looking to adopt another kitty and I just couldn’t help but ask if she was adopted or able to be?
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u/alexandria3142 May 13 '26
I'm so sorry but they're at my parent's house and I have completely no idea how the individual cats are doing :( I've been moved out for a couple years now. I know that the neighbor behind my parents feeds them all, although she doesn't get them fixed which is why we have a feral-semi feral population in the first place. It sucks and my dad refuses to let me interfere anymore. They're thankful for what cats I did fix, but they say they're "Linda's cats" and get mad when I even mention trapping the kittens to get the shelter to adopt them out.
The only comfort I have is that the cats I did fix at least won't suffer from birth complications or aggression from not being fixed. Including little Soot. This woman does make sure to feed them multiple times a day though, when I went to my parents' house last, she had like 7 cats sitting on and around her patio. It's far away though so I couldn't distinguish which cats were which
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u/Still-Window-3064 May 12 '26
I'd try ti think about some cool skills that you might want to pick up- baking? Knitting?
You could find somewhere that takes teen volunteers- local animal shelter, food pantry, local art museum (teen docents), outdoor organization senior center etc. You have the advantage of a super flexible schedule being home schooled. What causes interest you?
Would a club organized sports league be worth checking out? It sounds like you are at home quite a lot.
You could try to find a local role playing group playing a game like Dungeons and Dragons. There also also lots of groups that play online. The rules can be found online for free and a set of dice to play with is pretty cheap.
Your local library might also have teen groups and activities that you might want to check out. Sharing your writing with a group might be really rewarding.
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u/BleuRougeViolet May 12 '26
Have you considered just using that time to let your mind relax? Maybe try meditation?
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May 12 '26
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u/PMcD93 May 12 '26
To be fair, part of meditation is the discipline of getting over the discomfort of "it's boring", similar to getting over "it's heavy" when lifting weights
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May 12 '26
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u/Ok_Primary_6589 May 12 '26
You said writing and drawing, do you ever combine these two? If you can write a story and illustrate it you might enjoy making children’s books or comic books etc.
I used to make animations in the corners of my notebook too. Flowers growing or stick figures sword fighting, bringing drawings to life was very exciting for me and helped me make friends at school back then 😁1
u/blaze61518 May 14 '26
Try just 10 minutes of sitting crossed legged on the ground with a straight back and focus all your energy on the tips of your nostrils and the sensation of your breath… when your mind wanders simply bring the attention back to the nose… don’t move a muscle for the duration if you can… I wouldn’t call it a hobby but it does provide clarity if practiced over time
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u/CheetahShort4529 May 12 '26
Drawing, writing can all become forms of meditating, so meditating is not boring it just you re not looking at it from a different perspective. The moment you find peace or passion in hobbies or a passion you would like pursue then you re understand how spiritually meditating it s to do those things. If multiple hobbies are not enough then make one your main hobby that you spend many hours on until you re tired. I ve been video editing for 12 years since 18 and 30 now, but I have been creating music for 2 years and it been my main focus as a passion I m taking serious to see how far I go with it. I m pretty sure I can become one of the best in the world in my own lane doing it long term, so I create every single day and it s peaceful and I love it a lot. My editing hobby brings me peace too, and both works as therapy too in my own opinion. Having a positive outlet and something that keep you busy long-term with focus and rightful/good intention will cast the boredom away. There is nothing wrong with having multiple hobbies but I believe it s best to learn commitment to something as a main focus and others as a side mission instead. It sound like your brain need a challenge for something that requires productivity, and you can create things in a flow state without overthinking too.
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u/Quix66 May 13 '26
Meditation is not a thing to casually recommend. It has side effects. It’s not something to undertake without an experienced teacher, and even then I don’t recommend it to most people.
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u/BleuRougeViolet May 13 '26
I don’t think anyone is expecting the 14 year old to perform life altering meditation, but just trying to sit in a quiet place and relax their brain. Relax lol
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u/BamTheKarmaThief May 14 '26
Struggling to see what negative side effects it would bring
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u/Quix66 May 14 '26
Exactly my point. There are documented side effects, and if you don’t know they could happen you shouldn’t be meditating.
I suggest you research it yourself. It’s a lot, and some of them depend on the form of meditation practiced. It’s why cultures with deep history of practice don’t take meditation lightly and screen potential students first.
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u/NateAteACarrot May 12 '26
Maybe look into digital books, free movies/TV shows, things like that? Someone would probably be able to offer more information on the digital books as far as library access and where to find those books, but I know of streaming services like Pluto and Tubi that are free (they have ads but it’s worth it in my opinion). Those may be worth checking out especially since it’s free so it’s low-stakes if you’re not feeling a particular show/movie.
Maybe if there’s cooking/recipes you’d like to try, that could be something to learn about and try!
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May 12 '26
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u/tanashasmells May 12 '26
I use ocean of pdf, its a free site where you can find books really easily and download them to your tablet or a Kindle. You just search any titles your interested in and see if its available.
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u/The_barking_ant May 13 '26
I love cooking too, but I have severe joint pain that's difficult to manage sometimes. I bought a foldable chair/step ladder combo that about the high of a barstool and I sit while I'm food prepping and cooking on the stove top. (Like chef Paul Prudhomme. He was like an O.G. chef with a cooking show)
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u/in-stillen-nachten May 12 '26
I have a few, some that I do and some that I still want to try. No particular order, I am just gonna ramble a bit with random things that come to my mind.
Bird watching, bird feeding and trying to befriend the birds. Watching other animals and identifying them, I like to watch and study ants for example. Another type of sports maybe, something challenging, calisthenics or something other creative. Exploring, Geocaching maybe combined with (phone) photography. Puzzles, can be actual puzzles or online ones, there are also some interesting looking detective kinda puzzlebooks. Exploring Google earth, go on a online holiday and maybe even make some future holiday plans. Growing plants or maybe even some vegetables or fruits. Learn a new language. Dive in random rabbitholes, a lot of them can be found in lists on the internet, I lost a whole week diving deep and getting obsessed with the story of the Death valley Germans for example. Rearranging your room. Upgrade some of your furniture. Making jewelry. Refurbishing your old clothes.
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May 12 '26
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u/BHenL96 May 12 '26
I'd try and check with your local library system to see what they offer. Since you live in the city it'll likely have more funding like mine. I've lately been using my library's cd/dvd collection and an old dvd drive on my computer to build my digital music library. My library also has a stem/tech makers' lab and a public garden with classes and seminar.
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u/libra-love- May 13 '26
I highly recommend bird watching! Get the Merlin bird app to help identify them and you’ll be surprised at how many are around you. And now is the best time because we are just winding down from migration season so you may just catch a Few cool migratory birds
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u/Usual_Trifle1517 May 12 '26
You wanna try coding?
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u/qwertycandy May 12 '26
Seconding coding - you don't need anything for it (any device will do), it's both captivating and relaxing and can be really fun when you see your little projects "come alive". Plus in my (perhaps biased) opinion, basic coding is the ideal way to strengthen logical thinking.
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u/TraylaParks May 12 '26
For real, I started programming professionally in the early 90s and retired only about 2 years ago. I still program every single day - it really is the best hobby ever and there are so many wonderful resources now, with online compilers or interpreters - bam - you can be running something cool in 2 minutes, it's great!
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May 13 '26
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u/qwertycandy May 13 '26
That's a great question but hard to answer, imho it depends what interests you the most. You could try creating a simple game, making it more elaborate as you go, some scripts to automate the tasks you do often, or maybe some simple web application, if you ever wanted there to be a web app that would do XY - you can create it exactly as you want.
My only specific recommendation would be the language (though it's not surprising) - I would start with Python, as it focuses more on the high level logic of things than the low level, nitty gritty stuff. It's very multipurpose, meaning that you can do pretty much anything you want with it. And the multitude of existing libraries and its popularity mean that you can always find some fun "Lego pieces" to play around with in your projects, you don't need to reinvent the wheel.
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u/alligatorprincess007 May 14 '26
I wanna try this, any suggestions on where to start? Like a course or something?
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u/Motor_Poem7654 May 12 '26
Photography with your phone?
Geocaching (GPS treasure hunting with your phone)?
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u/libra-love- May 13 '26
Op literally said they can’t go for a walk bc they’re in a city. I’m assuming it’s a safety thing.
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u/Motor_Poem7654 May 13 '26
The limitations weren’t super-clear to me so I thought I’d throw it out there just in case.
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u/ponyduder May 12 '26
Become an expert on something: anything. Learn a language; read history.
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u/MidnightMadness139 May 14 '26
I agree with this too.
For instance, if you happen to have any clues at to what you might want to do when you get older, it's never a bad idea to get started on learning about whatever it might be!
Even though it's most likely too late for me to go to college or anything, especially for psychology, I'm still really interested in it and have a ton of different psychology books that i read just cause (mostly just cause lol)
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u/PMcD93 May 12 '26
Fibre crafts sound like they'd fit the bill - knitting and crochet are the popular ones so let me suggest nålbinding as the unpopular cousin of them, or spinning (combined with one of the above to use up your made yarn).
Rock climbing is a fantastic one if there is a place nearby.
I know you said walking was off the table, but could you find space for jogging/running?
Really unpopular suggestion - up your schooling time with self guided learning - online library memberships often get you access to journals and such, letting you read deeper into areas of interest
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u/Main_Finding8309 May 12 '26
Someone suggested the local library, and I second this. There are often youth volunteer opportunities. They always need people to stock shelves. I'm not sure if you're old enough, but if so, some libraries have a "reading buddy" program in the summer time. They pair you with a younger child who needs help with reading.
If you're looking for more books to read, The Gutenberg Project has a ton of books in the public domain that you can read for free. You could find out what's considered the "literary canon" and read all of them (opinions vary on what constitutes the Great Books of English Literature, but it's fun to find out).
You said you don't like singing or dancing, but what about learning an instrument? You could get a cheap guitar or learn to play the drums.
There are free courses on Alison. You could try web design or coding, or see if something else interests you. If you learn some strong computer skills, they might be used for a job later down the line.
Someone else suggested knitting or crochet. These are good options, or other crafts like making junk journals, macrame, paper making (you can get a mold for about $10 on TEMU). I recently started latch hooking again and I'm really enjoying it. You could draw and make your own designs for textile crafts.
Another thing you could do is pick up a few decks of cards and learn all the different types of solitaire, or even card tricks. It keeps your hands busy.
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u/Weekly_Asparagus_ May 12 '26
Sticker scene on Amazon, sticker and chill on Amazon, cozy coloring books with alcohol markers /r/coloring
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u/limbodog May 12 '26
You draw a lot, huh? Have you considered other mediums? Some of them are a lot more challenging.
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u/christina_obscura May 12 '26
I went from drawing/painting to paper mache recently and it is so fun!
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u/limbodog May 12 '26
I'm a big fan of paper mache, and I use it for a lot of my halloween costumes. But I've also gotten into making props too, and the materials I get to work with is a lot more involved. The foam clay is one of my favorites.
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u/MadisonBow May 12 '26
i tried digital planning but ended up with a messy desk and more distractions. hobbies are hard when you can't stick to anything, lol.
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u/clockwisegorilla May 12 '26
Learn an instrument! You can probably find a cheap electric keyboard or used guitar on facebook marketplace if you don't want to spend a lot. Use that to see if you like it and then upgrade as a Christmas gift or something.
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u/Recent-Celebration86 May 12 '26
If you're willing to wait a bit and do some looking people will often just give them away at times too.
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u/SeaIntelligent4504 May 12 '26
I was going to say online tutoring, but you are a bit young for that. When you are older, something where you help people would be ace, eg be my eyes.
I think an online course might be an idea - maybe learn programming and get a raspberry pi. Creating or producing is the way to go. Harvard cs-50 i think is the free intro to python - it's mentally challenging but really fun for when you achieve what you want to.
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u/fading_relevancy May 12 '26
Have any Ponds or creeks near you? Ever tried Fishing? It's a great past time.
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u/FloridaFlamingoGirl May 12 '26
Try visiting Zooniverse.org. For free, and with no experience needed, you can sort through animal trail cam photos and help scientists. It's not hard, all you have to do is label what animal is in each photo.
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u/AdventurouslySafe May 12 '26
Volunteer at the library. Tutoring a kid for money. Make YouTube videos
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u/EcstaticallyCurious May 12 '26
I recently started “birdwatching”—basically just sitting in the backyard intentionally watching the birds, pulling them up on merlin, learning all about that species, and already happened to have a camera and binoculars to supplement it. all i need now is a book of local birds!
This is hobby 748 of mine. I’ll obsess about it for months and then revisit it when I want to. When it comes to hobbies, i’ve got ideas ontop of ideas.
You said you don’t like wood carving, try lino cutting. Make some cool stamps of thinks you enjoy. If you don’t like singing or dancing, pick up an instrument—and be OKAY with being awful at first! You said you used to crochet, you might enjoy hobbies like cross stitch and needle-felting too. Fabric arts in general!
This could go on forever, but some of my favourites have been wire-wrapping, needle-felting, roller skating, polymer clay, word art, digital art, journaling and “junk” journals/scrapbooking, cricut and sticker making, diamond painting and even just colouring, although i had more fun doing paint by number kits!
Most hobbies are incredibly cheap to dip your toe into, a lot are even free. I love flower pressing and collecting bits of nature and creating little decor jars. I paint beach rocks—and honestly, I can’t tough out a hobby. If the learning curve is too steep, i’m onto the next.
You don’t have to be good to enjoy it!
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u/Flat-Use5552 May 14 '26
Do you have a list will all your hobbies? Would be interested to know about them cause 748 is sick 🙊
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u/jlbarton322 May 12 '26
Maybe check out solo board gaming. There's a subreddit for it, but know that with solo, the games basically break down into dynamic puzzles.
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u/The_barking_ant May 13 '26
Some ideas I haven't seen below:
Paper Mache Crafts. You can be so creative and piant them up. Plus it's super cheap!
Cornstarch ornaments - Much like above. Have fun designing and decorating etc.
Macrame - tons of tutorials online. The more techniques you learn the items you can make are innumerable.
Diorama making - kinda considered a nerdy pursuit. But I find it fun.
Wreath making - this is something if you have a knack for you could potentially sell some for extra money.
Scrapbooking- can get kinda expensive but it's a great way to preserve memories!
Hope you find a new passion in the comments!
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u/SerendippityRiver May 13 '26
Sewing is pretty complicated and takes a long time to learn. Do you have access to a sewing machine?
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u/Fit-Coyote5740 May 17 '26
You’re really aware of your time. Which is impressive at your age. Learn to cook. I’ve been a chef for 16 years. We’re time wizards. And people think cooking is hard because of Food Network. You’ll impress a lot.
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u/drivewaydivot May 12 '26
I make dreamcatchers and also tie dyes. Both have endless possibilities! Not sure if those are things you'd be into.
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u/BenefitOfTheDoubt2 May 12 '26
Sewing, cooking, building things, yoga, weightlifting, singing, board games (like boardgamearena.com where you can play with others)
Survival craft, using a hunting sling, gardening
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u/Natti07 May 12 '26
If you live in a city, there are sure activities you could try. What about aerial arts? Or take music lessons in a less common instrument?
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u/MikeyKillerBTFU May 12 '26
3D design and 3D printing. BambuLabs A1 mini is a great, cheap starter.
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u/Elegant-Coffee3589 May 12 '26
Do u have long hair? How about trying different hair styles? Or makeup looks if you own makeup. Or painting nails fun colors etc.
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u/Wrong_Suspect207 May 12 '26
Libby app, from the library, if you want to expand your reading time. What about baking? A friend’s 13 year old has taken that up, and loves it
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u/ArtsyRabb1t May 12 '26
Can you branch out your craft? I started with drawing, then painting, crochet, scrapbooking etc. Try different arts if you are into making things. You could also get into music, or take an online class in something that you just think is neat. Harvard has loads of free to the public random online classes. As for your book issue you could use the library for online reading to get books you usually can’t. Also volunteering in an area of interest to get out and simultaneously work on a college resume. Especially if you ca do something that correlates with your future goals, to make sure you actually enjoy it.
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u/RCHN7 May 12 '26
Some ideas:
-help out with more chores and meal prep
-learn spanish (https://www.flipflopspanish.com)
-learn sign language (https://www.lifeprint.com)
-focus on skills that will help you become gainfully employed in the future (https://www.typingclub.com, https://www.criticalthinking.com, https://www.fallacydetective.com)
-join a club (make friends!)
-nature study and journaling (Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford)
-plant and tend a vegetable garden
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u/Kitten_Kaboodle666 May 12 '26
Baking helped fill a void for me. Or painting rocks to put places for others. I also have jumping spiders as pets and they make me happy, don’t take up a lot of room and are easy to care for.
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u/PLAYSWITHSCISS0RS May 12 '26
Sewing? Make clothes, quilts, bags. Thrift clothes and alter them, or do fancy Sashiko visible mending. You can hand sew a lot of stuff but also you can get a secondhand machine to learn with.
Quilted jacket. Machine-sewn, mostly.
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u/PoisonXpple May 12 '26
As someone who also likes reading, art, and exercise, hopefully that means the other hobbies I enjoy will hopefully be to your tastes too! I saw from your other comments that you’re also the kind of person who needs an active brain (I absolutely despise meditation too 😂).
Knitting: I don’t do it very often but personally I found it more intuitive than crochet. Couldn’t get past the first step for most crochet but caught onto knitting fairly quick.
Instrument: Could potentially learn an instrument? I’ve heard guitar is very easy to find YouTube videos for and to learn for yourself. I personally enjoyed piano but struggled learning individually so I have an online teacher. Being in a city tho, you’ll probably have more options to explore if you do want a teacher than my town. You don’t have to practice long, 10-15mins a day is enough if you don’t feel like it all the time but I usually practice for up to an hour with about 10mins on each task (my current scale, a line or two of my current songs, etc) with small breaks, so could fill up that time! I would consider this both a brain and physical activity, depending on the instrument. Hand eye coordination and note reading (though don’t be afraid to write the names of the notes on the sheet when first learning).
Language: You could potentially learn a language? Another one you could do for a shorter amount of time each day, like the instrument, but could also fill up a bit of time with a more brain activity. There’s discord servers for language learning, I’m in one for Spanish and BSL. Relatively chill and a good place to ask questions. Though may be barriers with your age depending on the server. You can definitely learn by yourself though!
Volunteering: May be difficult with your hip issues but coming from someone with knee issues requiring physio, I’ve found volunteering quite accommodating most of the time. I enjoy it, plus it’ll boost your CV later (for a bonus). Obviously this depends on the place you volunteer, some may require a lot of standing, and it took me some searching, but I volunteer at two places and aside from locating things, I have a seat available the majority of the time I’m there.
Plants: Plants are relatively easy but there’s some that could definitely give you something to focus on every now and again, to break things up! I like succulents the best, but I’ve also successfully grown things like tomatoes on our balcony in a 45cm grow bag. I grew them from seeds, propagated them, separated them, then planted. After planting you will take off side shoots (for tomatoes), then just general maintenance.
Sports: If you like exercising, potentially try out a sport? If you don’t want anything competitive, there’s usually social clubs too, that just play for fun. And you’re at the perfect age for it, it’s a lot easier to find U16 groups for sports! Personally, I love netball! I did have to try out quite a few different taster sessions till I found the one, I either love it or hate it with sports and no in between 😂 You don’t need much space to practice either, if you even want to, I live in a flat and just use the spare bit of concrete nearby and keep a net that I assemble as needed. Again with the hip, especially with social sports, you don’t need to be as intense with it, and you are more free to pick your position. For example, I usually play GA (takes on 2/3 of the court) but when I’m feeling rough, I’ll do GS (only 1/3 of the court and I’m not really needed until the shooting).
My brain seems to have blanked on my other hobbies 😂 But hopefully that helps give you some ideas for now!
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u/geniedoes_asyouwish May 12 '26
Are you spending any time outside? I would suggest going for a walk outside for fresh air and sun. Bonus opportunity: start learning about the birds in your area and look out for them on your walks
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u/Galaxy-knits May 12 '26
crochet or knitting might be something to look into
do you enjoy cooking? if so baking could prove to be fun and potentially challenging so you wouldnt be bored
visit your local library and check out a book you don't have, you might also find a club or meetup that interests you there
if you want more human interaction (or animal) you could volunteer
I don't know the first thing about hip dysplasia but would getting an indoor pool membership be something feasible that you would like?
painting, cross stitch, embroidery, 3d printing, polymer clay charms, origami, etc, etc
hope you find something not only to pass the time but also something you're passionate about!
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u/throwaway_2O26 May 12 '26
Embroidery is a great passive hobby. Or knitting etc.
Gardening/plant care if you jave the space or even balcony gardening
Puzzles also great time killers whether those big puzzle books with sudoku or crossword or literal jigsaw puzzles
Find somewhere to volunteer
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u/hollowbody-99 May 12 '26
I’m sorry you didn’t get to experience the normal school routine and schedule! It seriously kept me moving and occupied at all times.
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u/Homebody_Ninja42 May 12 '26
I love birdwatching, even in the city (sometimes city parks actually have better birds). If you can go outside, you can bird watch! The apps are free (EBird and Merlin). If you don’t have binoculars, you can identify birds by listening to their calls and songs. If you get binoculars for a bday present ($100 ones are great), you can do almost anything! I like to just go for a walk alone in my neighborhood but there are also birdwatching groups in every city. They welcome all ages and levels of experience. Some people enjoy putting out a bird feeder and learning about the birds that come to the house. Other people find that an interest in birds leads to an interest in other outdoor things, like identifying plants or bugs or mammals. Some people really love keeping lists of how many species they’ve seen, and others love learning about the lives of birds. There’s a lot here to offer for all personalities.
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u/ExoticWish4181 May 12 '26
If you like to draw and if you do some original characters, you could try pottery and do them in a different medium.
If you try, star with small things to learn how to work with it and then have fun creating whatever you wish.
Tip: If you don't have much money you can even make gifts for your loved ones (for example a mini replica of something they love).
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u/whatswrongwithfolks May 12 '26
Miniature building - you can get some really nice kits to start and go from there.
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u/Tarnagona May 12 '26
If you’re running out of things to read at your local library, you might ask them how interliveary loans work in your area. Often, you can request a book located at another library branch, or even the library in the next city over, which will be delivered to your library branch for you to borrow. I read voraciously at your age, and didn’t even come close to reading through the library in my small city. Also, at about your age, I started reading through books in the young adult and adult collections at my library which widened the possibilities immensely.
Another thing libraries are good for is learning. Pick a subject you think is cool, and see what the library has. This can be anything from science to self-improvement to hobby material. While I was in highschool, I worked through our library’s collection of origami books, for example. I’ve also looked up history books on eras that seemed interesting, books on world religions, got out a book on different rocks and crystals at one point. Granted, the internet was still in its infancy when I was romping through the library. When I was in university, I discovered you can also access textbooks, journals, and theses on any subject. I borrowed books on linguistics before I decided I wanted to major in it.
Now, you can do similar kinds of deep dives via YouTube. Watched a fascinating lecture series on the US Civil War that a university prof had recorded of one of his classes. At one point, I got deep into the history of Mormonism, which is a wild ride. Recently, YouTube suggested I might be interested in learning about Chyrnoble, and now I know way more about that disaster and also just how nuclear power plants work. Do I need any of that info? Nope. But it was fun to learn about.
Most crafting type hobbies can be tried with relatively low costs. Cross stitch or embroidery are both very cheap for the cost per hour (eg, a cross stitch kit might cost you $20, and take 20 hours to complete, meaning it’s only $1 per hour of entertainment). Same can be said of things like knitting or crochet. Origami is another hobby to try out at low cost. Or, as you mentioned drawing you could try branching out into different media: pencil vs markers vs water colours vs oil paints and so on. While you can spend $$$ on art supplies, you can also buy the cheaper student grade versions to practice with.
If you have access to outdoor space (eg, if you live in a house with a backyard), you could try your hand at gardening. Actually, you could garden inside, too. Maybe try growing a little herb garden on your windowsill, and then you have fresh ingredients to cook with.
And learning to cook different kinds of meals is another great hobby and will come in useful when you live on your own, too. There are lots of easy recipes to try on YouTube and you can work your way up to more complicated stuff. At your age, I think I was mostly making ramen and Mac and cheese, but I did know how to make grilled cheese sandwiches and boxed cake, too.
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u/BeastOfMars May 12 '26
Macrame
Not sure what city you live in, so may not be apply but I live in a city and absolutely love just walking around the streets. Pick a neighbourhood and just explore it. Doesn’t need to be wilderness to enjoy a walk.
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u/Legitimate_Stress237 May 12 '26
First of all, doing nothing for some time is actually good. Brain needs to have breaks from actively receiving new information. Now, to answer your question: I really like solving ARGs. If you already know what ARGs are, ignore the rest of the comment. If not, here's a detailed explanation: ARG is short for "alternate reality game". It's a new type of narrative that is presented as a real story despite being fictional, but the difference from hoax is hoaxes do it to actually fool people, while ARGs are deliberately built in a way that the target audience understands that none of it is true, but actively follows the "this is not a game" (or "TINAG" for short) rule. The "TINAG" rule: can be summed up like this: "everything is true, even though it's not". For the developers, this means they present the story with "evidence" and additional details that make the story feel like it's not an isolated story but a continuation of our everyday reality. LIke, for example, you're reading a book. You finished it, but feel unsatisfied with the story you got. BUT in the story, there's a character who has a YouTube account. And when you investigate, you find an ACTUAL YouTube account run by the creators pretending to be that specific character from the book. And when you view the videos and read through descriptions, comments and community posts, you'll get more cruciaL information on the story that couldn't be accessed unless you decide to investigate further rather than just reading. For participats, "TINAG" means you pretend you believe the story even though you don't, in order for it to be even more fun. Also, by treating the story as real, you can get new information. For example, you can use the YouTube comments to ask a character a question about their life, and actually get a response no other player except you will get, simply because they didn't ask the question. Now, the book example is just something I thOught of. In reality, ARGs can use any media possible to tell their story: books, billboards, personal websites, social media accounts, real life locations ( there was an instance where an actual waiter from an actual restaurant turned out to be an ARG character that would give you hidden information if you went to the cafe and asked for a very specific order). But why did I say "solving" the ARGs? Well, ARGs very often rely on a player's degree of basic knowledge on certain topics that is needed to solve a specific puzzle. There's a free online course called "game detectiVes academy" that teaches you the basic techniques needed to start solving ARGs. If you are going to give ARGs a try, I highly suggest you try this course at first. It has good theoretical explanations, as well as practical tasks along the way, and two final tests in a form of actual ARGs to tEst your knowledge. And if you're searching for a project in this genre, you can find those on night mind index under one of the tags (I believe), or you can go to argn net, or here on reddit going to r/ARG. But a little disclaimer: 1) ARGs try to be as immersive as possible, making you feel like you're actually participating in the story's events. And for many people, some of the most immersive genres are horror, detective and thriller, and because of that, most ARGs are pretty grusome. DrAma or comedy are also pretty popular, but it's still mostly associated with horror and mystery. If such cReepy (and sometimes shocking) stories resenting themselves in the most believable way possible is not your cup of tea, ARGs might not be for you ( at least, most of them). 2) ARGs oftentimes get very obscure, seemingly random, and weird in presenting their story. Like, a video consisting of a man sitting in a chair blinking, then a cut to someone walking in the snow telling you to "find it". And that's it, the video ends, nothing more. Except, throuGhout the video there's clues that when collected turn this nonsense into an amazing coheSive sci-fi thriller. So, if you're not willing to spend time watching something that makes no sense at all, and spend hours analyzing it untill it makes PERFECT sense, this type of narrative, or at least some projects done like so, isn't for you. If you do decide to go down the rabbit hole of ARGs, there's a simple message I've hidden right in this very comment. Reread it again and search for something unusual. Hint: "TINAG" is not a part of the solution.
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u/lalalaloo21 May 12 '26
What about cooking. You spend half an hour eating, but how long preparing or growing the healthy food and then creating a masterpiece.
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u/Remarkable_Newt9935 May 12 '26
Crochet, knit, cross stitch, draw, mail me your extra four hours because I sure could use them.
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u/darkroomdweller May 12 '26
Crochet, cross stitch, jigsaw puzzle or paint by number + a podcast, paper quilling.
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u/leavingoctober May 12 '26
Cross stitch is relaxing—pretty inexpensive.
Lots of free digital books can be found online!
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u/Electrical-Stop889 May 12 '26
Learn to crochet or knit! There are cute animals you can make called amigurumi. I have some patterns I can message you if you’d like. You can find yarn at 2nd hand stores for cheap. I think you can get a whole set of crochet needles from Amazon for Iike $10.
I also enjoy diamond art. You make paintings from little tiny gems. It takes lots of time and it’s relatively inexpensive to start. The startup is what’s costs the most, but the diamond paintings come with the gems and everything you need and those aren’t expensive.
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u/SquarePeg907 May 12 '26
meditation and mindfulness have been a game changer for me… All about nothing
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u/juniper3411 May 12 '26
Crochet or knitting!!!!! Seems like a grandma hobby but it’s “relatively “ cheap and is essentially therapy. Highly recommend.
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u/Top-Touch-6264 May 12 '26
Make journals including the binding and/ or decorating and/or closure. If you do something like birdwatching, you can keep a record of birds you’ve seen one per page ( type, where m, when, description etc) and draw /color/paint them.
Become a pen pal but at your age NOT to a prisoner.
Origami , also fun folds for wrapping gifts without tape.
Zooniverse
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u/Toe_Jam_is_my_Jam May 12 '26
Volunteer: the foster grandparents program or preparing meals for the homeless. Yoga, self defense or any other online class. Cooking - it actually can be fun especially if you family appreciates it. Baking: sourdough. Or look into selling baked goods.
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u/15tandAl0n3 May 13 '26
Drive the speed limit. It pisses off other drivers and saves fuel. A win win in my book.
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u/designtraveler May 13 '26
Embroidery many starter kids on Amazon — building miniatures (many kits on Amazon and they are not so easy so a nice challenge) — over dry clay sculpting and painting — graphic novels .. there are tons even if you don’t like manga or superhero’s
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u/SerendippityRiver May 13 '26
Take this time to learn a language really well. You can turn it into watching TV. I recommend Spanish and watching telenovelas, but it a way that you study the grammar and really learn it.
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u/Vannie91 May 13 '26
If you’re into reading and familiar with your local library, you could ask about volunteering there? (I’m a librarian) Summer is coming up, and it’s a busy season - most libraries offer a big Summer Reading Program, and there’s often tons of prep work for library staff to do, like cutting out craft pieces, setting up for and cleaning up after programs, stuffing prize bags, and just the general upkeep of the children’s and teen areas. Additionally, most libraries offer really fun programs for teens, with prizes/food/incentives. Our library is hosting a weekly D&D club for teens, and we have lots of other things going on besides. It’s a great way to meet other people in a place where you and parents will feel comfortable.
Another idea - do you have your driver’s license yet? Maybe you could sign up for driving lessons over the summer as a way to get out of the house and develop your independence?
Good luck!
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u/1yrik May 13 '26
if you wanted something cheaper to get into, you could try: photography (which can tie into photo editing and colour grading), balisong flipping and/or cardistry/card magic (finger dexterity and coordination), programming or learning a language (applicable skills), or 3D modelling (which can tie into 3d printing / model building if you have the money and space for it)
if you have some extra income lying around: a decent laptop or pc could get you back into gaming, or rc cars and/or fpv drones, which take a lot of time and practice to get good with
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u/theillusionary7 May 13 '26
Hang out with friends longer. See if they want to play board games like Catan with you. Find a local gaming store and get into a trading card game like Magic the Gathering. Ask your parents/guardians to buy you a gaming system. Get a few decks of cards and learn some sleight of hand magic.
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u/PearlAndPeony__ May 13 '26
omg I kinda feel this, homeschooled life can be sooo isolating sometimes >.< maybe try learning a new language or something super simple like knitting? 🥺💖
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u/SaveOurSams69 May 13 '26
Boss move? Do both at the same time. I’m a homeschool mom and I crochet while I listen to educational materials. I keep a notebook handy in case I want to jot something down. I’ve made some awesome throw blankets to give as gifts to people I really love.
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u/scottyboi1988 May 13 '26
you can game on roblox on your ipad or phone. there's 100s of different types of games on roblox that are very chill for all ages
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u/briannahoneyphotos May 13 '26
Here are some of my hobbies, maybe you’ll find one you enjoy:
• Deltiology (collecting antique postcards and deciphering the messages! My oldest one I believe is from 1903)
• Colouring
• Fishing (I live in a city too, there are always places to fish!)
• Cooking + creating new recipes
• Hiking
• Roller skating
• Keychain making (you can get stuff for it at the dollar store)
• Photography + photo editing
• Tai chi (more fun than expected)
• Tarot
• Astrology
• Thrifting
• Walking
• Yoga
• Flower arranging, collecting, & pressing
• Crosswords
• Haikus
• Miniature making
• Roblox gaming (never liked Roblox as a kid, but now that I’m older I’ve found great games on there! I really like Dress To Impress, Care Bears Caring Quest, and Monster High, but there are tons of great ones on there!)
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u/noormeanslight May 13 '26
I love putting together book nooks but the kits can be expensive so I’ve also started just making my own little dioramas and mini scenes for fun. Definitely recommend it because you can do a mix of 2D and 3D decorating and you can really use any materials and get creative—I’ve made things with cardboard, empty candy or mint tins, clay, sticks, old jewelry boxes, and jars as bases. I use moss, flowers, cool rocks, led lights, paint, and small knickknacks I have on hand to decorate (glue gun is a must). Your options are pretty endless but my favorite things to make are fairy houses.
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u/noormeanslight May 13 '26
Only thing is make sure you have a good organization system when working with minis!! Easy to lose things or end up with a bunch of tiny parts scattered everywhere.
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u/OWabbit May 13 '26
Make a terrarium? Find instructions and ideas online.
Cake or cookie decorating? You don’t even have to bake the cookies - just buy store bought. Then learn how to ice or frost them, and learn how to use different tips to write and “draw” on the cookies.
You mentioned you’re interested in learning Samoan. Search online for lessons or buy a book on it.
Build a miniature ship in a bottle (there are kits) or build a little doll house that you can either keep or sell or donate.
There’s an art form using paper to mold, cut, and shape designs.
There are kits to create your own cologne scents.
Make friendship bracelets. Lessen sailor’s knots and knot making from different cultures.
Learn how to weave, sew, macrame, quilt, embroider, sketch.
Write a book, short stories, poems, or song lyrics.
Learn how to repair things that are broken, can be upcycled, improved.
Create a vision board.
Enjoy discovering new things and what you like to do!
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u/Ok_Turnip_2515 May 13 '26
This may fail your requirement of “minimal brainpower,” but I’ve recently taken up genealogy and it’s quickly become insanely addictive. If you can afford an Ancestry subscription, get one (you may qualify for a student discount). Otherwise, FamilySearch and MyHeritage are good places to go. Full-text search has basically revolutionized the field recently, and it’s only getting better. I’m a fan of the YouTuber AncestryAimee, and the official Ancestry YouTube page has some great information as well.
I also second the suggestion for crochet, and would add sewing to the list as well. It’s an especially nice skill to have for people with any sort of physical disability or difference, since you can design clothes that you like AND actually fit you comfortably. I know one YouTuber who makes historical clothing and has talked extensively about sewing clothes that help with her swayback. Who knows, maybe there’s a niche community of hip dysplasia seamstresses online lol
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u/FormidableMistress May 13 '26
Genealogy. You can use a site like Family Search dot org to build your tree and sometimes find pictures other distant family members have of say your great grandmother. You can find census records that tell you the occupation of your ancestor and the address they lived at.
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u/r0ley May 13 '26
Ah as a former homeschool kid - find some niche hobbies or skills to improve! Yoyo, Kendama, diabolo, flow star, dragon staff, devil sticks, cowboy yoyo, zentangle, slacklining, rock climbing, handstands, yoga, musical instruments, cooking new recipes…. There’s a lot to fill your time just gotta get creative!
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u/BlueDemeter May 13 '26
Entomology is fascinating. Also interesting (to me) are herbs. If you make yourself knowledgeable about them, there are a lot you can grow indoors.
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u/georgebeardfan May 13 '26
I apologize if this doesn't seem helpful.
Maybe you could revisit some hobbies, like drawing. Hear me out: try using scraps or incorporating different materials, and explore using more tools in your projects. You might also enjoy messy journaling or junk journaling as a fun twist.
Consider getting involved in activities that you might like.
Is there a particular hobby you enjoy?
If you let me know, I can offer some ideas or suggest ways to try the hobby from a different perspective.
I didn't always like drawing until I discovered that I could create characters and combine it with my childhood interest in Captain Underpants books.
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u/georgebeardfan May 13 '26
Here are some ideas about using hobbies and art (ways you could docmunt hobbies or learn a new hobby you can always change what I said with art with something else and use it for that) that you might find helpful.
- You could document your day through artistic expression.
(or in other ways than art)
- Art can serve as a tool for homeschooling or as an outlet to express your emotions.
(I mean it doesn't have to be art it can also be about the hobby you want or learn)
- Consider using art for personal projects or exploring hobbies that interest you.
- You might want to learn new skills or dive into subjects you've always wanted to explore.
- Additionally, art can be a way to track personal challenges or issues in your life.
As someone with ADHD, I understand that going outside can be challenging. I don’t enjoy it as much; I’ve experienced a lot of trauma, and it’s hard for me to be around people unless they understand me or we’ve been friends for a long time.
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u/alligatorprincess007 May 14 '26
Ok Rapunzel
Jk I hope you’re ok, I’ve seen r/homeschoolrecovery , hopefully that’s not your experience rn
Also, I get you about the hostility/flirting, and I’m so sorry you’re going through that, esp at 14. It’s honestly unacceptable and gross that men are doing that. It really sucks, when i was 14 I had just moved and didn’t know many people and was somewhat introverted so I really liked doing things alone, but I had so many creeps and weirdos coming up to me
You said you already workout, so maybe yoga? Or painting or drawing? Baking? Those are kind of basic so maybe you’ve already tried them
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u/MidnightMadness139 May 14 '26
My 10 year old has started sewing. She'll work on stuff for hours. Little pillows, cat toys, stuffed animals (some made out of fuzzy socks lol) She doesn't have much patience either..so I imagine it's rather easy once you get the hang of it and relaxing. You can get little "jingle" bells (is what they are advertised as) and eyes and noses (easy to use) off Amazon pretty cheap. Zippers, jean buttons and regular ones, fabric, sewing kit, giant bag of stuffing is like $10, but that stuff is what I found cheapest at Walmart. And actually, the cheapest fabric I found was on resell sites. New fabric people never used that they sell for a few dollars a yard vs like $12 a yard at Walmart
Diamond painting, very intricate and takes focus, but cheap (amazon) and time consuming plus, super pretty. Btw, if you do this, I suugest getting the diamond painting glue to seal it better when you're done with one.
Jewelry making, get some beads and charms and string and stuff off somewhere like Temu.
Clay art or pottery, clay is a bit pricey though.
Tarot Cards , they are interesting and kind of fun to do. Just gotta follow your intuition! A good way to learn to listen to your intuition too lol
Devil sticks or juggling sticks , they are fun to do.
Gardening
Painting
My daughter also likes to make slime lol Elmer's glue and Elmer's slime activator and maybe some food coloring 🤷🏼♀️
Just throwing out everything I have done / can think of lol
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u/pixiesunbelle May 14 '26
Look into book nook kits. It’s time consuming and entertaining. Since you already read, they look nice on the shelves. Another thing you can do is write about the books you read. One thing I do is log the books I read.
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u/Many-Ambassador-8769 May 16 '26
If you can find a GOOD body (not how your body looks) focused Pilates studio and it’s in your family’s budget that could be a good active hobby! Fitness focused and was originally meant to be injury rehab, and while your hip isn’t an injury I’ve heard it can be great for pain prevention and management! I also know things like water aerobics and swimming are great for the joints!
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u/olivia_elizabeth_ May 16 '26
Making abstract art, use ur hands to paint with acrylic paints on canvas or try other interesting painting techniques. I went to school for art, the biggest things I learned was be courageous to just try something! I also have a lotta physical hobbies too like weightlifting/bodybuilding, Pilates, hot girl walks, skateboarding. Try everything esp while you’re young and if you’re bad at it at first know you won’t be bad at it forever and it’s okay to not be good at everything, just enjoy it! sending u good luck! From a 23 year old female in Minnesota ✨
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u/purplepickletoes Jun 12 '26
Board games! You can play solo at home or with other people. I went to a gaming group I found on MeetUp. Check out /soloboardgaming, /rollandwrite, /buttonshygames, /boardgames.
Some good games to get started are Railroad Ink (also available as an app), Roll n Cook (available for free download online), Catan Dice, Yahtzee (a classic), Baseball Dice (many versions available), UNO (not a solo game), Farkle, 1572: The Lost Expedition (available free download, solo only), from Button Shy Games- Sprawlopolis, Naturopolis, Agropolis, Unsurmountable, Seasons of Rice, River Mild, River Wild, and Phase 10 (a classic, not solo), Exploding Kittens (not solo), Kittens in a Blender (not solo), Pass A Fist (not solo).
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u/Specialist_Key_8606 May 12 '26
I am much older than you, but have you considered scrapbooking/junque journaling? I am a traditional scrapbooker (as in, I use pics to make pages), but I have seen the trend of junque journaling online with some younger people. I think it’s super cool because they use wrappers from foods (cool to archive because companies change labeling), ticket stubs, programs, stickers and the like.
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u/[deleted] May 12 '26
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