SNOWBIRD HOBBIES

125 Ideas For Snowbirds

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A hobby is defined by Wikipedia as, "An activity, interest, enthusiasm, or pastime that is undertaken for pleasure or relaxation, done during one's own time." Snowbird hobbies play a large role in their lifestyle. Many snowbirds seek warm weather locales specific to their passions, such as proximity to golf courses, tennis, hiking, water front or beach and fishing. Others enjoy social hobbies such as community events, clubs and organized table or card games. Simple solo hobbies such as reading, shopping, movie, sports or television marathons and daily walks are popular with men and women of all ages. It doesn't have to be complicated or expensive to be enjoyable.

While working on this post, I was surprised to discover how many diverse hobbies I enjoy and never really thought about them as a hobby. Most snowbirds have different interests depending on whether in their northern or southern home, in large part due to locale and practicality. Planning ahead and being able to transport your northern hobbies south are also keys to successfully continuing your interests anywhere. If you can't take it with you, it's time to redirect and more than likely, it's refreshing to try something new.  I've compiled well over 125 ideas for leisure pursuits that fall into many categories, including intellectual, physical, social, spiritual and all age and price ranges with nothing special required all the way to very specialized equipment.

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During our first season as snowbirds, my husband found that he had a lot more leisure time than ever before without the usual trappings of maintaining a home and obligations to extended family. It became evident he needed to refocus on something else, but what would it be?

For me, photography and blogging emerged as my strongest passions no matter where I am. However, my husband's hobbies in our primary home just don't work for our Southern home. After much thought and research, he found interests specific to our snowbird community.

For example, we both developed a new focus on eating and cooking various types of fresh local seafood. When dining out, we purposefully order fresh caught seafood that isn't typically available (or is frozen) in our landlocked community. Then we stop by the fish markets and select fresh caught seafood inspired by our restaurant meals. My husband has perfected grilled amberjack and fresh shrimp is easy and quick on the grill, baked in the oven or thrown into my signature gumbo. We've also tried to recreate restaurant favorites such as red fish, scallops, grouper and red snapper, although practice makes perfect.

Other favorite pastimes include seeking and dining at restaurants that have been featured on national television food shows, such as McGuire's Irish Pub in Destin and Gumbo Shack in Fairhope, Alabama. And making weekend day trips to attend live events, including Mardi Gras celebrations and the Sandestin Gumbo Festival plus regularly exploring new areas around our southern community, adding new areas every season. Because we live in close proximity in our snowbird condo, we began socializing with our fellow neighbors on a regular basis and now they've become like family. Not exactly hobbies in the traditional sense, but certainly fun, fulfilling and relaxing. 

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Outdoor Snowbird Hobbies

Adventure Sports: Axe Throwing, Base Jumping, Bungee Jumping, Free Falling, Flyboarding/Jet Pack, Hang Gliding, Racing, Rappelling, Rock Climbing, Sky Diving, White Water Rafting, Spelunking, Ziplining

Archery

Beach Combing

Biking/Cycling

Bird Watching

Boating: Canoeing, Jet Skis, Kayaking, Motor Boats, Sailing, Rafting

Camping

Fishing

Football: Flag or Touch

Frisbee

Gardening

Geocaching

Co-carting

Golf: Traditional and Miniature

Hiking

Hot Tubbing/Jetted Spas

Hunting: Mushrooms, Wild Game

Kite Flying

Parasailing

Sand Castle Construction

Shuffleboard

Skateboarding

Skiing: Cross Country, Snow/Downhill, Water

Snorkeling/Diving

Soccer

Stand-up Paddleboarding (SUP)

Surfing/Body Boarding

Rollerblading

Traveling/Exploring

 

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Indoor Snowbird Hobbies

Blogging/Social Media

Bowling

Collecting: Coins, Objects, Seashells, Stamps

Genealogy

Learning: Classes, Languages, Skills, Special Interests

Journaling

Meditation

Movies

Music

Puzzles: Crossword, Jigsaw, Math, Rubik's Cube, Sudoku, Trivia

Reading

Singing

Television

Writing

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Games

Board Games: Aggravation, Backgammon, Checkers, Chess, Clue, Connect Four, Monopoly, Othello, Scrabble

Card Games: Bridge, Canasta, Crazy Eights, Euchre, Hearts, Old Maid, Pinochle, Rummy, Solitaire, Spades, UNO, War

Casino Games: Blackjack, Craps, Poker, Roulette, Online Gaming

Group Games: Bingo, Darts, Jenga, Pictionary, Trivial Pursuit

Lawn Games: Bocce, Croquet, Horseshoes, Ladder Ball, Lawn Darts, Tailgate Toss/Cornhole

Table Games: Cribbage, Dominoes, Yahtzee

Online Gaming

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Exercise/Fitness

Baseball/Softball/Wiffle Ball

Basketball

Body Building

Cardio Equipment: Bicycle, Stair Climber, Treadmill, Rowing

Crossfit

Dance

Fitness

Marathons/Triathlons

Racket Sports: Badminton, Pickle Ball, Racquetball, Tennis, Table Tennis, Squash

Running/Jogging

Swimming

Volleyball

Walking

Weight Training: Free Weights, Weight Lifting

Yoga: Regular and Chair Style

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Food - Beverage Hobbies

Baking

Barbecuing

Bread Making

Cheese Making

Cooking

Food Preservation

Grilling

Mixology

Smoker Cooking

Wine Tasting

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Special Equipment Hobbies

Astronomy/Stargazing

Billiards

Home Brewing, Wine Making

Karaoke

Metal Detecting

Musical Instrument/s

Photography

Target Practice

Video Games

Wood Working

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Arts and Crafts

Art: Bas Relief, Calligraphy, Colored Pencils, Drawing, Graphic

Design, Sculpture, Sketching

Candle Making

Crocheting

Embroidery/Cross Stitch

Jewelry Making

Knitting

Models: Miniatures, Building Models and Model Railroads/Villages

Painting: Oil, Water Color, Acrylics

Pottery

Quilting

Scrapbooking

Sewing

Stained Glass

Weaving/Tapestry

Whittling

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More Snowbird Hobbies

Aesthetics: Anti-Aging, Beauty, Hair, Nails, Makeup, Spa

Antiquing

Architecture

Clubs: Bible/Religious, Books, Card Clubs, Country Clubs, Special Interests

Coaching

Couponing

Entertaining

Fantasy Sports

Flower Arranging

History

Interior Design

Landscape Design

LARP: Live Action Role Playing

Live Events: Art Shows, Concerts, Craft Shows, Festivals, Sports, Plays/Theater/Musicals, Tournaments

Sales: Person to Person or Online

Shopping: Bargain, Consignment stores, Outdoor and Farmer's Markets, Online, Retail, Thrift/Resale Stores, Yard Sales

Social Media: Blogging, FaceBook, InstaGram, Podcasting, Twitter, YouTube Channel

Teaching/Tutoring/Mentoring

Visiting breweries and wineries

Volunteering

Wellness/Nutrition

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