Grandma Hobbies Are Back: 8 Cozy, Screen-Free Hobbies Women Are Rediscovering

Brooke Amidei
11 hours ago
8 min read

Isn't it so fun that "grandma hobbies" are making a comeback? The pendulum is swinging in the other direction. What once wasn't cool at all, is completely cool all over again. Cool in the fact you are off your phone, actually creating something as opposed to just consuming something. It's choosing the harder, more rewarding path and it takes some thoughtful discipline and determination. It's bad ass actually. Just like grandma was.

We asked around to some of the badasses in our world who are fully pursuing "grandma hobbies" to tell us a little bit more about what it is they are doing, and how we can get started ourselves.

Knitting

I started knitting about three years ago, after a good friend finally convinced me to give it a try. I had been coveting her projects for years—beautiful, cozy creations that felt both handmade and magical. And honestly, it was inevitable. I’ve always loved sweaters, stocking hats, scarves, and mittens, so the idea that I could actually make these things myself (and gift them to family and friends!) was too exciting to resist.

I’ll admit, it was a little difficult at first. My hands and fingers simply would not do what my brain was telling them to do. I had to build entirely new muscle memory, and if I’m being honest, I can’t even remember the last time I tried to learn something completely brand new. It was hard and fun and challenging all at once. What really kept me going was that two friends and I started meeting every week to knit. I had a built-in teacher who was incredibly patient and generous with hands-on help, which made all the difference. Once I got the basics down, the next hurdle was learning how to read a pattern—my husband still laughs and says it sounds like a foreign language. But over time, my confidence has grown, and now I try to learn something new with every project. YouTube has been an absolute lifesaver—I’ve watched so many YouTube and Facebook videos it’s almost embarrassing.

The things that kept me going were simple but powerful: knitting with friends, having a go-to person who could help fix mistakes, and giving myself the time to actually work on projects. If I were recommending knitting to someone just starting out, I’d say: find a buddy and find a local knit shop. The people there have all the details—classes, meetups, tips, supply recommendations, yarn advice—and they’ll even help when you’re completely stuck on a pattern.

Now knitting is the thing I take everywhere. Traveling, waiting rooms, oil changes, doctor’s offices—you name it. Sometimes I even sneak in a few stitches during virtual meetings or trainings. It’s quickly become one of my favorite ways to pass time. I get to create, to learn, to slow down—and honestly, I can’t imagine my life without it. - Alyson

Homemade Bread Making

Making fresh bread at home, from scratch seems daunting to me! And sometimes it really should be left to the experts (or those bread-making machines from the 90's...those were a dream!). My good friend, Lily, really wanted to embrace the homemade bread making trend and started with sourdough. Apparently it was one big disaster after another. That's when she turned to focaccia bread. My friend swears by this recipe! It's so easy she makes this all the time. Like weekly! Sometimes more than once a week. It's that easy. Check it out! -Lily

Puzzling

I am a mediocre and fair-weathered puzzler myself (aka Christmastime only and literally the last two have had to be thrown in the fire because of missing pieces), but I have several girlfriends that are avid puzzlers and the ultimate puzzler is my dad. Not only does he have a puzzle going at all times and completes at least one per month, but he has a favorite puzzle brand and they have even created a puzzle from one of his very own photos which you can purchase yourself on Amazon here!

Every puzzler has their own method, although a popular one is to start with all the corners and edges. It really does also help to be using a puzzle brand that doesn't have multiple spots that each puzzle shape can fit into- that's the precise reason why my dad loves the Springbok brand. If you start to get serious about puzzling, having your own dedicated spot to puzzle is key. Puzzle tables like this one keep your puzzle organized, keep your back from breaking, and also make it mobile if you want to take it to another location or just keep it out of the way.

I was recently introduced to this new type of puzzle from a friend over the holidays that is from Liberty, which is intricately cut wooden pieces. To me, it's maddening. My husband loved it. While I couldn't find the exact one that wrecked my brain, this one looks so gorgeous, I might just give it a try. What an awesome holiday gift!! I'm sure there is some real information on whether it is more left brain or right brain, but whatever it is, it is an experience worth trying, or gifting to your puzzling friends.

In general puzzling is such a great way to bring people together or find a quiet moment by yourself. I have a girlfriend that keeps a puzzle going on the table where her daughter does her homework, so she is available, but not hovering. Brilliant! -Brooke

Needlepoint

Needlepoint has become one of my favorite "grandma hobbies" because it forces me to slow down in a way I didn't realize I needed! It's creative, super calming, and easy to pick up whenever I have a few minutes. I love doing it while watching TV or listening to a podcast or an audiobook, and it almost feels like coloring in a coloring book for me. You don't have to be "crafty" or artistic to start; it's actually a very simple hobby.

If you're curious about getting started, my biggest tip is to keep it simple and affordable. I love finding vintage needlepoint canvases on eBay because they are usually way cheaper than new ones and have more personality. Some vintage brands I look out for are: Jiffy, Sunset Needlpoints, Dimensions, Bucilla.

As for supplies, you really don't need much: a small pair of scissors, tapestry needles (a lot of times the kits come with the needle and the thread), a needle threader (trust me on this, I usually tie mine to my scissor handles), and a little project basket to keep everything together. Good lighting can help too, especially if you're needlpointing at night. Lastly, don't overthink the stitches, I usually just do basketweave or continental (check out this video to learn basketweave or this video to learn continental).

Also here's a tour of my finished needlepoints! - Katie from Traveling Spud

Coloring

Babble Panel member, Nicole, has embraced her inner child and found the growing trend of adult coloring to be one of her new favorite hobbies.

There are millions of adult coloring books to choose from - some are just pretty pictures or scenes, and some literally have "naughty" adult words and phrases (perfect for those moody days!).

Here are some of our favorites from Amazon. These are great as gifts too, especially for someone going through something tough- illness, grief, etc. Brooke's favorite gift to someone having surgery is the Jason Momoa coloring book- it's an unexpected hit and needed laugh every time! Also, if you are going to color, treat yourself to some great markers. This is grown-up coloring after all, you've earned the upgrade.

Piano Playing

My friend Ann was the most incredible pianist. I love when she would play for no reason at all, other than to enjoy her "grandma hobby", at the piano in our sorority house in college. It was such a juxtaposition from all of the other activities of our college years. She was before her time with her "grandma hobby", but it was so relaxing and kinda classy, to listen to her tickle the ivories for a bit. Even though she was a bridesmaid, I asked if she would play at my wedding at a pre-ceremony cocktail hour. A woman of many talents- she finished my make-up early, and then played at the cocktail hour for all of our guests. I didn't get to hear it, being the bride and all, but everyone loved it and was astonished at her unassuming talent. I always admired that about her.

She might've been the inspiration behind me taking up lessons again. Although I hated piano lessons as a kid, I grew to kind of love playing an instrument and reading music. Although both my mom and sister begged me not to, I played the trumpet all through junior and high school and loved making music with everyone else.

When our family moved to Japan we found out there was a local, english speaking piano teacher in the apartment next to ours. I knew I wanted our kids to learn to read music and at least introduce them to playing an instrument, so when I signed them up for lessons, I signed myself up too. We bought an electric piano at a used store and had a hell of a time getting it into the tiny Japanese elevator and into our apartment. I do have the best memories of practicing my piano lessons as our young boys were falling asleep. I would think they were asleep and go to walk away from the piano when one of them would yell for me to keep playing until they fell asleep.

We moved that electric piano to Boise with us when we moved back to the U.S., but after a few years of collecting dust, we sold it. Both my oldest son and I have questioned if that was a good idea a few times over the years when we feel called to tickle the ivories one more time ourselves. I never mastered the piano, but having a good instructor and dedicated practice time is key. Who knows, maybe I'll pick this "grandma hobby" up for a third time soon?

NY Times Games

Okay, I know we said that these "grandma hobbies" take you off your phone, but we're making an exception for this one. I am a TOTAL nerd when it comes to The New York Times games catalog! I don't love doing puzzles, and I'm sort of okay with a crossword, but I tend to lack the attention span for anything to big or involved. Enter: NYT Games.

Literally every morning I make myself a cup of coffee, sit down (with my readers on) and open the NY Time Games app and power through 5 games while sipping that first cup of joe. Between the games and the coffee, I swear it wakes up my brain, gets all the receptors firing and blood flowing so I'm ready for the day ahead. Plus I'd like to think that these little brain exercises are doing me some long-term good.

The game app has several options. My favorites (and I play them in this order every morning): Wordle, Mini Crossword (5 clues across, 5 down), Connections (category, grouping sort of game), Strands (mini word search) and then Pips (dominos game that involves math and logic which I freaking LOVE). -Erika

Reading

Of course reading is another great screen-free activity that has been loved by grandmas and women of all ages, but finding a great book to dive into can be tough. Click here for a link to all of our favorite books (and podcasts and shows) for 2025 and get sucked into your next great read.

Check out all of our favorite Grandma Hobbies products here on this Amazon List and to all of our favorite books Amazon list here.

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