Our hope here at ORREN Lifestyle is that all men, young and old, would find an engaging hobby that will turn out to become an enjoyable pastime during the current season of their lives, maybe even become an enduring passion that lasts a lifetime.

Years ago, leisure time was never thought of as a chance to simply chill or “Veg Out” but rather an opportunity to pursue a passion or interest. It was an outlet for the side of man that was not stimulated in his professional vocation. Hobbies were deemed important for the way in which they could strengthen every part of a man’s life.

Hobbies are designed to bring you joy, increase your eye for detail, keep your mind sharp, expand your creativity and help you to meet friends. A hobby would teach you valuable skills, add some interest in your life and help you become a well rounded man.

Unfortunately we often spend our leisure time camped out in front of the telly binge watching the latest great show. We feel that modern life has become so busy and stressful, even though it hasn’t really, that when we do have free time, laying on the couch seems to be the only thing we can manage.

Yet if your feeling depressed, restless anxious and if your life is going nowhere and in desperate need of some rejuvenation, the problem is most likely you are simply bored.

So we have carefully curated a huge list of great hobbies for men. Some of them cane even be enjoyed by the whole family.

Airsoft

Between paying for range time and ammo, firearm training and shooting can get very expensive. While airsoft used to be something only kids played with, today’s marketplace sees near-exact replicas of almost every firearm on the market. If police and military use airsoft for their training, you can too. You can have fun and improve your tactical skills all at once by connecting with the airsoft community online and finding simulations and competitions — almost like paintball, but even more realistic

Adventure Races

Obstacle races grew out of the basic training courses of the world’s militaries, and they’re the perfect sport for runners who find 5 or 10k road races too boring and pedestrian. Running for miles, climbing over walls, and crawling under barbed wire will call upon your strength, cardio fitness, and agility, and test you both physically and mentally.

For a different kind of challenge, try adventure racing. Adventure races last all day and incorporate a variety of activities; you may have to run/hike for 10 miles, paddle a kayak down a river for 10 miles, and then mountain bike through a forest for 20 miles. And along the way you have to stop at checkpoints which can only be found by using a map and a compass. Physical activity+the great outdoors+orienteering=very manly.

Animal Rescue

Whether it’s opening your home to foster animals or helping to feed and find homes for strays, this hobby is a great way to channel your love for animals into a productive activity. There is even a contingent of people who rescue exotic animals like big cats, deadly snakes or unusual insects.

Antiquing

From flea markets to antique stores, auction houses to pawn shops, one person’s trash is another man’s treasure. Quite often, rare collectibles and artefacts can be found and acquired for cents to the Rand in comparison to their original retail price. If you have exceptional taste but a small budget, focusing on quality heirloom and vintage pieces can net you the best deals. The process of searching out the perfect item and haggling for the best price are the two keys to enjoying this hobby.

Archery

Ideal for hunters but also men looking for a traditional sport that’s relaxing, like sharp shooting, archery requires a relaxed state of mind and body to hit the target. Practical in the hunt or for fun at the range, archery is a sport that has long been enjoyed by men around the world.

Astronomy

You may not have fulfilled your childhood dream of becoming an astronaut, but looking at the stars is something everyone can do. Whether a serious pastime of charting stars or a casual peek through the telescope, this is an outdoor activity that can be serene and captivating.

Braaing, Grilling & Smoking

With friends or even alone in the bush a great braai is always a winner. Crack open and Ice cold larger or home brew and reward yourself to a steak on the grill and wors for the kids, you have worked hard all week, you deserve the braai.

Billiards / Pool

Now a televised sport, snooker, pool and other billiard games take skill, strategy and a competitive nature. Something that can be done casually or competitively, it is a great way to meet new people and pursue perfection in a difficult game.

Bird Watching

Spotting beautiful birds is one part of this hobby, but there are many ways to enjoy it. Many bird watchers can spend countless hours learning about various species and types of birds, watching their migratory habits and even photographing or drawing the birds in their natural environment. If you’re looking for a way to reconnect with nature, bird watching is a beautiful way to spend a day.

Blogging

Some do it professionally, but others do it for fun. Not only can blogging be a great way to diarise your thoughts and feelings, but it can serve as a wonderful connection point to an audience similar to yourself. It can be a way to further explore a hobby or a way to seek out a supportive community for those who are ill, dealing with tragedy or simply need to vent. It doesn’t have to be open for the world to read, but it can be a way to show the world who you are. This article your are reading right now is a blog article. You can start for free at wordpress.com, but it’s better if you get your own domain and install wordpress.org

Board & Role Playing Games

A great way to spend time with friends and family, there are many game clubs that meet regularly. That or a weekly game with friends or family can be a wonderful way to spend a day. Our favourite board game is Settlers of Catan with the Cities & Knights Expansion for up to 6 people. For more, get the extension and also for the base game. It’s different every time, and you can adjust the balance between skill and luck to your heart’s content.

Bonsai Tree Sculpting

Patience, effort and artistry are three traits those who prune bonsai trees need. It takes time and commitment to do it right, and it can be a very rewarding and relaxing hobby for many.

Camping

Getting back to the outdoors is something many men crave. From building shelter and sleeping on the ground to cooking over an open fire, there is nothing more relaxing and masculine than roughing it for a weekend outdoors. It is also a great way to bond with your family and friends while escaping technology, work, and the pressures of daily life.

Canoeing & Kayaking

Whether racing, battling the rapids or floating on a gentle stream, learning to canoe and kayak can be very rewarding. There are many ways to do it and everyone from the senior citizen looking to relax and bird watch to the adrenaline junkie can find pleasure in it. Provided, of course, you like being on the water.

Car Collecting

The actual act of buying a Hyundai or Toyota isn’t a hobby, but for those passionate about cars, the thrill of finding them, caring for them and driving them is absolutely a hobby that takes considerable time, investment and effort. Whether you collect supercars, classic cars or muscle cars, there are car clubs and shows that prove why car collecting is such a popular hobby for many men.

Car Racing

You don’t have to own a sponsored Ferrari to race cars. Many cities have boxcar, stock car, and other inexpensive races. Some even have race nights where amateurs can race their personal cars. For those who enjoy the thrill of racing, this can be a very worthwhile hobby worth investing in. Heck, there are even racing schools you can take lessons at.

Car Restoration

Being a mechanic is a job, but restoring your own car from the ground up is a passion. Taking a beat-up pile of metal and turning it into a shining, powerful restoration car is something you can be proud of. Sure, there is an investment, and you may not be able to do everything by yourself, but it can be a hobby you’ll enjoy for years before a single car is fully restored.

Cartooning & Animation

Creatives love this because it combines art with fantasy. The one thing about animation is you are only limited by your imagination. It’s relaxing and a great form of self-expression.

Ceramics & Pottery

It takes care, patience, and a soft hand, not to mention creativity and a willingness to learn. Crafting pottery can be compared to poetry. There’s a reason that scene in the movie Ghost is so romantic. Pottery is a great way to relax and get creative.

Chandlery (Candle Making)

Chandlery — the trade of making candles — was at one time a lucrative and extremely important career. While electricity has killed its necessity as a profession, candles still find a way into many homes as creators of ambiance and pleasing aromas. Who doesn’t love seeing a flickering flame on a chilly evening, or smelling an oaky aroma to start your morning as the sun comes up? While store-bought candles can be rather expensive, the homemade variety is inexpensive, and pretty darn easy to learn. You just need wax, wicks, and some jars (or old mugs).

Chess

It takes a sharp mind to play chess, but it also takes a willingness to practice and learn. Skill, intellect, and strategy all play a role. For the intellectual, chess can be a brilliant way to spend time.

Cigar Smoking

Some claim that the difference between cigar smoking and cigarette smoking is that cigar smoking is a passion whereas cigarette smoking is an addiction. While that’s probably not true, most cigar enthusiasts don’t smoke them daily but they enjoy a relaxing smoke. A big part of the hobby is collecting, caring for, aging, cutting and lighting of the cigar.

Coaching

Whether it’s for your kid’s soccer team or mentoring someone, being a coach is fun, worthwhile and makes a difference in someone else’s life. You’ll also build your leadership and relationship-building skills.

Coffee Roasting

Dedication and skill are involved. Like cooking, roasting coffee can be a thoroughly enjoyable way to pass the time.

Collecting

Collecting things is something a lot of men love and most women just don’t get. Females are multi-taskers, while the male brain likes to single-mindedly zero in on something. We tend to get obsessed with things. Take this tendency and couple it with man’s primordial desire for the hunt, and there you have a man’s love for collecting. A man can spend a lifetime looking for that final item to complete his collection. It becomes his obsession, his White Whale. Of course, completing a collection is usually anti-climatic. In collecting, the thrill is in the chase. Pick your poison: duck stamps, baseball cards, antique typewriters, whatever. Just don’t get too carried away with it.

Community Activism

Giving back to the community is something many of us enjoy. If you don’t stand up for your community, who will?

Cooking

From the art of crafting a sandwich to creating beautiful dishes worthy of a Michelin star, cooking is a passion that helps feed your day-to-day needs as well as your personal interests.

Dancing

Stay fit and have fun by signing up for a dance class. Be it with your spouse or on your own to meet other people, there is something very fulfilling about learning to dance.

Darts

Practice makes perfect, and darts are one sport where the pursuit of perfection is of utmost importance. It’s a wonderful hobby, and many find it relaxing as well as competitive.

Distilling

Aging spirits or crafting your own whiskey and spirits has never been more popular. Consider an inexpensive kit to get you started and move on from there once you’ve decided it’s a hobby you enjoy.

Dog Training

A dog is a man’s best friend. Playing with your dog can be a wonderful way to spend countless hours, but working together to learn new tricks will give you and your pal a sense of pride and accomplishment. It’s also challenging, so working to train your pup can be very rewarding and fun, and can even translate into a business.

Drone Flying

From aerial photography to mid-air tricks, drone flying is incredibly popular and fun. There are many types of drones at all price points, and it can be fun to build one yourself — but in terms of picture quality, features and bang for the buck, the Phantom 4 is where it’s at.

Entertaining & Event Hosting

From throwing formal dinner parties to casual cocktail parties, developing a theme and planning an event is as much fun as attending one. If you enjoy hosting events, consider making it a regular part of your social routine.

Fencing

Historic, elegant and daring, taking up fencing is challenging, fun and great exercise.

Film History

From learning about films of the past and present to watching the most iconic films ever produced, this is a wonderful way to spend a few hours as little or as often as you like.

Fish Keeping

It takes great care, attention to detail and effort to keep fish, but having an aquarium can be breathtakingly beautiful. A hobby for many men, this isn’t as simple as buying a goldfish and putting it in a tank. It can often mean a substantial investment of time and money. Anyone who does it will argue it’s always worth it.

Fishing

Is there anything more relaxing? An excellent way to relieve stress and get in touch with nature, fishing is a hobby enjoyed by many and a great way to bond with your children, parents, or best friend.

Flying

Pilots say it’s the best feeling in the world. If you’re interested in aircraft and flying, consider taking lessons. Many people argue that the cost is too high, but you can often find small planes for the price of a car or rent a plane for personal use. It can also turn into a great career, and many commercial pilots started out doing it as a hobby.

Furniture Making & Restoration

It takes time, artistry and skill to craft furniture, but it will last for generations if well made and cared for.

Gardening & Backyard Farming

Caring for a garden is much like fish keeping. It takes effort but it’s worth it. For those who enjoy it, it is very much a passion and is rather inexpensive to take up. Backyard farming is the latest trend in gardening to take off, and it can be a great physical hobby that also pays dividends in homegrown fruits and vegetables.

Genealogy

Ancestry.com has grown by leaps and bounds by realizing that many people enjoy charting the history of their family. Some do it quickly to create a family tree, but others will spend hours each day delving into the history of their ancestors and learning all about where they came from.

Geocaching

Never grew out of your love for the game of hide and seek? Always wanted to go on a treasure hunt? Then the hobby of geocaching may be for you. People around the world hide objects or containers in all sorts of places and post the coordinates for the location online. People then go out with their GPS devices, seeking these well-hidden “treasures.” It’s a great way to get out of the house and explore parts of your town and area that you’ve never been to. For more info on geocaching and to find a list of geocaches in your area, go to geocaching.com.

Glass Blowing

Like pottery and other art, glass blowing is not something you can pick up overnight. It is an ongoing experience of learning, but it is very relaxing and great fun to see the results.

Golfing

The most frustrating and relaxing sport in the world, you either love or hate golf. If you love it or like it, consider doing it more often.

Ham Radio

Looking to be a part of a tight-knit community with a focus on radio and communication? Look no further than ham radio. While the internet has taken radio’s place as the dominant form of communication, a vibrant community of amateur radio enthusiasts still exists. Radio hobbyists enjoy communicating directly with people from all over the world while expanding their knowledge of radio theory. In addition, most ham radio operators provide a public service to their communities by acting as relays in the event of emergencies or natural disasters

Hiking

A casual hike through the woods or an adrenaline-pumping climb through the wilderness, hiking can be very relaxing and thought provoking as well as a great source of exercise.

Home Brewing

You may have tried a homemade beer that tasted like swill, but rest assured, not all home brews are bad. Some of the best craft beers started as a home brew. It’s all about how much effort you put into it, and these days home brewing stores are popping up everywhere.

Horseback Riding

Challenging, fun and also relaxing, some people even consider it therapy. There is a very special bond developed between a man and his horse. But you’ll have to try it to understand it.

Hot Sauce Making

For those who enjoy heat, making hot sauce can be a lot of fun. It’s the challenge of crafting a perfect blend of heat and flavor. There is also the challenge of making the hottest sauce you can find and trying to convince friends to test it.

Hunting & Shooting

Whether you enjoy hunting large game, small prey or just shooting a target — even collecting guns can be a very enjoyable hobby that requires patience, perseverance and skill development.

Interior Design

Decorating your home for pleasure, interior design is one hobby many elegant gentlemen enjoy. Half of the fun is realizing it can be a lifelong process and not just a one-time activity. This hobby pairs well with antiquing.

Journaling

Blogging is a great way to share your thoughts with the world, but journaling is a way to keep those thoughts or memories private. It’s expressive and can be a great stress reliever.

Knife Making

From designing and carving the handle to shaping and sharpening the blade, if you enjoy the beauty of a knife, creating your own will result in an unbelievable feeling of pride.

Leather Working

Whether it’s belts, handbags or just scraps of leather, learning to work with leather can be an artistic and relaxing way to spend many hours.

Live Theatre

Live plays, Broadway musicals, and the opera or ballet; taking in a show is a culturally rich way to spend an evening.

Marksmanship

Learn to enjoy the pleasure of shooting a gun by taking up a shooting sport and becoming an expert marksman. Marksmanship requires pure concentration and a steady hand. Shooting clubs exist all over the country that emphasize different gun sports. Take your pick among clay pigeon shooting, hand gun and rifle shooting, and even Frontier and Cowboy shooting. The hobby can get expensive; guns don’t come cheap and the cost of ammo has gone up dramatically due to increased demand. You’ll also need to find a place to fire your weapon safely, so if you don’t have property to do it on, you’ll have to rent some time at a gun range.

Martial Arts & Boxing

Skill, strategy, and passion. Learning martial arts or boxing is less about learning how to fight and more about learning life skills. It takes discipline, perseverance and years of practice to gain any level of proficiency. It’s a skill many consider a passion.

Metal Working

Welding isn’t simply reserved for building bridges and pipe-fitting. It can also be an art and a beautiful one at that.

Model Building

Model building — creating replicas of cars, planes, and ships — might have been something you enjoyed as a boy. But there’s no reason not to take up the hobby again as a grown man. Model building helps you hone your eye for detail and will inspire you to learn more about the history of the things that you’re working on. Plus, you’ll end up with something cool to put in your office or man cave. It’s pretty darn easy to get into — simply head to takealot or your local hobby shop and buy a kit, which almost always comes with all the supplies and instructions needed.

Model Railroads

While this hobby falls into the model-building category, the uniqueness of railroading is that you aren’t just building one item to be added to a collection, but in many cases an entire scene, with trains actually moving through it. It’s a hobby that’s been enjoyed by the likes of Johnny Cash, Joe DiMaggio, Walt Disney, Tom Hanks, Frank Sinatra, Warren Buffett, and many more. You’ll learn a variety of disciplines including math/physics basics, wiring, building/constructing scenes, and designing. This isn’t just your childhood railroad ring around the Christmas tree

Motorcycling

Anyone with a motorcycle will tell you it’s a passion. People aren’t buying them because it’s a necessity. It’s about the journey, not the destination.

Mountain Biking & Cycling

The breeze in your face and the rush of the ground moving beneath your feet — riding a bike is a great form of exercise and something many cyclists enjoy.

Mountaineering

Climbing mountains aren’t for everyone, but for the true adrenaline junkie, there isn’t anything quite like it.

Parkour

Parkour: that sport where you jump from buildings and vault over walls. Or more accurately, parkour is a physical art — the art of moving through your environment in the most natural and efficient way possible. It’s captivating to see someone able to traverse a landscape in ways not previously conceived of, and inspiring to witness the human body pushing the very limits of its capabilities. While we think of parkour today as simply an interesting form of recreation, it was actually developed as a tactical skill and way to build the fitness of soldiers. The benefits of this hobby are numerous: it’s fun, it’s a great workout, it pushes the bounds of your creativity, it’s a mental and physical challenge, and it could in fact save your life should you ever need the capability to run and jump over objects. And, it’s completely free. All you need is your arms and legs and some urban terrain

Photography

Whether it’s on your smart phone or through the lens of a professional camera, photography is a passion and hobby many creatives enjoy. It has the potential to be a lifelong pursuit, and there are many ways to enjoy it. Landscape, fashion, and family photography are just a few of the directions you can take this hobby. Learning about lenses, cameras, aperture, ISO, shutter speed, composition, editing and lighting are sure to keep an aspiring photographer busy. We love the detail of the Nikon D810.

Pipe Making

For the beginner, you can buy kits. As you get more involved, you may learn to craft a pipe from scratch. For the pipe smoker, this is an elevated way to enjoy a relaxing hobby.

Pipe Smoking

Like cigars, this is a passion. There is a certain feeling one gets when smoking a pipe. An enjoyment that can’t be understood by those who haven’t tried it. There is truly nothing more relaxing for many men than smoking a pipe.

Reading

For those who enjoy reading, there is no greater hobby. A good book will immerse you in a fantasy world you’ll never want to leave, and book clubs can bring together reading enthusiasts to discuss the meaning behind their mutual hobby.

Renovating

Whether it be flipping houses for profit or upgrading your own home, many men keep a renovating job on the go at all times. It may be simple or complex, but it’s a sense of pride to complete a project.

Rock Climbing

Whether it’s bouldering side-to-side or climbing and rappelling down, rock climbing is a fun and challenging hobby enjoyed by many. For some, it’s done on a rock climbing wall at the gym while others get so immersed they put a rock wall on the side of their house. Others still venture to cliffs outdoors.

Sailing

Fun, competitive and also relaxing, you can learn to sail to race or just to cruise and relax.

Scuba Diving & Snorkelling

Experiencing life underwater like a fish is quite incredible. Whether you want a terrifying encounter with sharks or a relaxing exploration of rocks and tropical fish, learning to scuba dive or snorkel can be challenging and fun.

Surfing

Some people say it’s a way of life. That there is no feeling like carving the perfect wave. It’s energizing and spiritual for many.

Traveling

A passion and hobby for many, it can be a day trip to a town you’ve never visited or a vacation on the other side of the world.

Urban Farming

It could be beekeeping, botany or growing your own food — urban farming has proven you don’t need a field to have a farm. All you need is an interest and willingness to learn. Today, people do it on rooftops in Pretoria, indoor gardens when no outdoor space is available or in their backyards in the suburbs.

Videography

Capturing moving memories. It may be creating amateur films, documentaries or just your kid’s milestones and events. Videography and editing are something many people enjoy, and it doesn’t have to be expensive like it once was.

Vinyl Record Collecting

Those who do it argue nothing sounds the same as vinyl. It’s made a comeback and collecting records is something many people enjoy both for the hunt of finding rare and vintage records as well as for actually listening to them.

Volunteering & Mentoring

Making a difference in the world can be one of the most worthwhile and meaningful hobbies any man can have. It’s very rewarding and can be sitting on the board of a community organization or mentoring youth through programs like Big Brothers.

Weightlifting

Challenging and competitive, you can either compete with others or with yourself to outlift your last record. It’s a great way to keep in shape.

Whisky Tasting

There is a process. This isn’t pouring Jim Beam into a glass of cola and pounding it back. It’s a passion for fine whiskey.

Whittling & Carving

You may not actually be carving something specific. It may be mindless whittling of a random stick with your pocket knife or a detailed handheld carving. However, many men find it very relaxing to whittle.

Wine Making

Like brewing beer, wine making is an art, and you get what you put into it. If you spend a great deal of time perfecting your wine, you can end up with something rather glorious and very gratifying.

Woodburning

If you’re not quite ready to get into woodworking, but want to start working with wood in some way, this is a great hobby to try. Woodburning, or pyrography, is simply burning a pattern or piece of art onto a block of wood using a pen-like searing tool. It’s incredibly easy to pick up, and your start-up fees are less than R500. While it’s harder to find online resources and communities for pyrography than for standard woodworking, they are out there. Though it’s not as sexy as building a chair, woodburning requires attention to detail, patience, and a mastery of the tools of the trade

Wood Working

It may be carving a bowl, a figurine or something practical and larger. Woodworking is a hobby many men enjoy. It goes back to the desire to create something from scratch and is very satisfying to see the end result.