The return of 'Grandma Hobbies' - and why we love them.

Cosy, analogue activities are making something of a comeback. These hands-on creative hobbies force us to slow down, providing a relaxing escape from our digital, busy lives.

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You will most likely have seen people on social media talking about their “grandma hobbies.” It’s usually said with a bit of affection - knitting on the sofa, journaling before bed, baking something slow and slightly flour-covered, tending to a few plants on a windowsill. The kinds of hobbies that once felt charmingly old-fashioned are quietly having a moment again.

Knitting. Journaling. Painting tiny watercolours of leaves. Baking something that requires patience and several bowls. Pressing flowers. Growing herbs on a windowsill. Pastimes that might once have seemed a bit too wholesome are suddenly everywhere again.

It’s hard not to smile at the shift. After years of everything feeling fast, optimised, and relentlessly online, people seem to be rediscovering the quiet satisfaction of doing something slowly, with their hands, something that doesn’t need an audience.

There’s a particular pleasure in analogue hobbies. A notebook that gradually fills with thoughts. A sketchbook where the first page is tentative but the tenth feels easier. Dough rising overnight. A puzzle left out on the table, coming together piece by piece. None of it is especially dramatic, and that's sort of the point.

These are small pockets of time that feel softer than the rest of the day. Ten minutes of journaling before bed. An afternoon spent knitting while something plays in the background. Painting simply because the colours feel good. A quiet hour tending to a few plants.

What's different about 'Grandma hobbies' now?

These activities are nothing new, they've always been there. What’s changed is the permission people seem to be giving themselves to enjoy them. For a while, hobbies started to feel like they needed a purpose beyond themselves. Baking turned into something to perfect. Painting into something to share. Knitting into something to sell. The question of “what will you do with it?” hovered somewhere in the background.

Now, that pressure seems to be easing. A hobby can just be a hobby. Something a bit joyful, slightly aimless, and entirely your own.

As adults, there’s a quiet freedom in choosing the things that make everyday life feel a little more interesting. The notebook you actually want to write in. The paint set that turns a slow Sunday into something creative. A puzzle that stays out all week. Baking tools that make the kitchen smell incredible.

None of it needs a special occasion. They’re not grand gestures. Just small invitations - to slow down, to make something, or to come back to something you used to enjoy. It’s about making space for a bit more joy in the everyday.

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10 “Grandma Hobbies” to Try This Year

If you’re curious about trying something slower and more analogue, here are a few places to start:

1. Knitting or crocheting — repetitive, calming, and easy to pick up over time
2. Journaling — a few quiet minutes with a notebook can go a long way
3. Watercolour painting — light, forgiving, and quietly absorbing
4. Baking — something slow, a little messy, and worth the wait
5. Puzzles — best left out and returned to whenever you feel like it
6. Gardening (even a windowsill counts) — herbs, plants, or something small and growing
7. Cross stitch or embroidery — tiny details, steady progress
8. Scrapbooking or memory-keeping — collecting moments as you go
9. Simple craft projects — making something with your hands, just because
10. Letter writing — slower, more thoughtful than a quick message

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How to Start Your Own “Grandma Hobby”

Starting doesn’t need to be a big decision. It’s usually better if it isn’t.

Start small.
One notebook, one project, one puzzle. That’s enough.

Choose what feels enjoyable, not impressive.
It doesn’t need to be something you’re “good” at.

Let it be a bit imperfect.
That’s part of what makes it satisfying.

Keep it visible.
A hobby is easier to return to when it’s already there, waiting.

Don't be afraid to treat yourself.
This is where another 'trending' phrase comes in - 'I’m just a kid with adult money' is all about indulging in something, simply because it brings you joy. Maybe it's a notebook that feels nice to write in or a clay set that makes you want to experiment on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Things that feel a little bit playful and a little bit unnecessary in the best possible way. Treat yourself, you deserve a little joy!

Treat it as time, not a task.
No outcome required. Just something to do for a while.

Somewhere in all of that - the notebooks, the baking trays, the half-finished projects - there’s a quieter kind of enjoyment. The kind that doesn’t need to be shared or finished or turned into anything else.

Just pick up, now and then, when you feel like it.

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