A hobby is an activity done outside of work and regular life that is enjoyed, usually on a casual basis or to relax. It can also be a serious pursuit in which people are very committed and may even compete with others. Hobbies can be either creative such as art or diy crafts, or they can be physical such as playing sports. They can also be consuming such as reading or watching movies or producing such as writing, painting or drawing. Hobbies can be short-lived such as stamp collecting or a fad like video games and there are many different ways in which hobbies are organized including by type, location or time.
The word hobby has a long history and is used in many languages including Greek, Latin and French. It was originally used in the sense of an obsession and it was generally thought to have negative connotations. This changed in the mid-18th century as industrialization created jobs that provided set hours for leisure activities and people started to devote more time to hobbies and other recreation.
Hobbies can be a fantastic way to unwind, relieve stress and improve health and fitness. They can also be a great way to meet new friends, socialize and bond with family members. For children, hobbies are great as they can help develop moral, social, creative and academic skills. However, it is important that they are choosing something they are really interested in as a child’s attention span can be quite short and interest in a hobby can sometimes be short-lived.