Top 10 Best Hobbies For Stay-At-Home Moms In 2024

The best hobbies for stay-at-home moms allow them to develop their creative skills in a way that helps their families and local communities.

Whether you're a hands-on mom who loves crafting or is introverted and prefers to learn a new language, you'll find a great hobby to try yourself.

Let's dive into these great hobbies in more detail and learn how to integrate them into your daily schedule.

The 10 Best Hobbies For Stay At Home Moms In 2024

Stay-at-home mom hobbies require a variety of resources and commitment to get started, with different learning curves to master.

We've ensured this article covers fun hobbies for moms that can be enjoyed all year round.

Without further ado, here's our list of the ten best hobbies for stay-at-home moms:

10. Gardening

Gardening is an increasingly popular hobby for stay-at-home moms with many advantages to your home's appearance and healthy eating.

You can spend time sprucing up your front or back yard, making it attractive, planting shrubs and flowers for all seasons.

Growing a selection of vegetables and herbs is another great way to maximize your garden space and supplement meals with healthy ingredients.

There's also the added health benefit of spending time in the sun and soaking in some vital vitamin D from the sun's rays.

Indeed,  plenty of studies have demonstrated strong links between gardening and mental health benefits through holistic care.

Hospitals have utilized therapeutic gardens for thousands of years, making gardening an excellent pastime for moms with ailments and other conditions.

Gardening allows moms to feel grounded with nature, and tending to plants and flowers delivers a strong feeling of satisfaction.

It's also the perfect hobby for getting young kids outdoors and learning about nature as they help with planting and chores around the garden.

9. Fashion Design

Stay-at-home moms who love buying clothes can take their spare time to the next level and develop fashion design skills.

If you have a sewing machine, it's the perfect opportunity to make the most of this equipment and put your design skills to the test.

Fashion design doesn't necessarily require expensive equipment, with plenty of great ideas for knitting you can try on a budget.

You can look into creating new looks for your wardrobe or put together seasonal items of clothing for friends and family.

If you know other moms interested in this hobby, you can share fashion designs and other tips and create a sense of community.

Designing clothes is also hugely popular among stay-at-home mom bloggers, with plenty of  website templates on this theme.

Materials for making your clothes can be purchased relatively cheaply, making it one of the more inexpensive hobbies for stay-at-home moms.

You can also pick up garments from local thrift stores and use these as the building blocks for your T-shirt-making designs and other fashion ideas.

If you're after ideas for creative hobbies with practical applications, becoming a fashion designer is a great place to start.

8. Reading

Stay-at-home moms with lots of free time can make the most of this by reading books in their spare time.

This could be anything from reading a series of novels by your favorite authors or delving into non-fiction books on various topics.

You can also read up on subjects that will help you become a better parent and develop skills and interests from which your children will benefit.

Reading with the kids is a great way to unite the family and share stories while developing their vocabulary.

While bedtime stories are commonplace in many households, there's scope here to help kids develop broader interests in books.

This could be taking the reading lists provided by schools and expanding on these to include more books by relevant authors.

It could also mean building a small library in the home that covers different topics featured in the children's school curriculum.

If you have friends in the local area who are also avid readers, consider setting up your own book club to share resources.

You can also share recommended reading lists and open your horizon to new writers you might otherwise be unfamiliar with.

There are also plenty of virtual book clubs available where you can connect with other reading enthusiasts online and join their community.

Reading doesn't have to cost much money, with local libraries available for loaning books and plenty of cheap books in thrift stores.

It's one of the most affordable hobbies for stay-at-home moms you can try and offers exceptional value for money.

7. Learning A Language

Learning a new language is another quality use of time for a stay-at-home mom who wants to use their time as effectively as possible.

It's another great hobby for stay-at-home moms that doesn't require a huge budget, with lots of  free language learning apps you can install.

Most of these learning apps are designed to be used casually, so if you only have a few minutes here and there, you can easily fit in a short lesson.

There are language lesson apps for all languages, so pick one that interests you the most, and before long, you'll be developing your vocabulary.

You can also pick up cheap books that outline grammar rules and other tutorials, and travel guides with popular phrases for holidaymakers.

If you have any family vacations on the horizon to a country where English isn't spoken, take the opportunity to learn some basic expressions.

It's also something the kids can get involved with, and if they're learning a language at school, you could join in with them.

This will give you a more hands-on approach to helping them with any homework they have and help them achieve better grades.

As with many of these hobbies, learning a new language is proven to improve brain development and other cognitive processes.

It's also known to help with mental health issues, with plenty of studies showcasing how it alleviates anxiety and depression.

Focus and energy levels will also benefit from learning a language, making it an all-around great hobby for stay-at-home moms.

6. Photography

Some of the  best mom influencers on Instagram have made their name thanks to the outstanding photography they post on the platform.

If you're a creative person with an eye for composition and color, photography is a great hobby for stay-at-home moms to consider.

You don't have to have a professional-level full-frame mirrorless camera to enjoy photography and take great shots to share online.

Many commercial smartphones come with surprisingly good built-in cameras, which you can use instantly without training or experience.

There are also lots of cool apps that allow you to manipulate photos creatively, with filters and effects, using AI algorithms.

These apps also have templates and other features specifically designed for Instagram and other social media platforms.

If you're taking selfies for Instagram, there are tools you can use to remove blemishes, eye bags, and other imperfections.

You can also get more creative with bespoke photo editing tools for altering hue, contrast, and other more technical aspects of photography.

Photography is a hobby that complements other interests and is a great skill to have when building an album of quality photos.

If you decide to set up your website, photography is essential for visually engaging content that keeps readers returning for more.

5. Graphic Design

If you'd prefer to spend your spare time at home on money-making hobbies, learning art and design skills opens up opportunities to develop an income.

There are a variety of sub-disciplines related to art and design you could consider, from becoming a graphic designer to illustrations.

If you have a computer, you can install software such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator and hone your skills with their many tools.

There are hundreds of free tutorials on YouTube to help you grasp the basics before moving on to more advanced techniques.

You don't have to fork out the ongoing expense for a Photoshop license either, with software such as GIMP available for free.

These tools have a relatively steep learning curve to use like a pro but are forgiving for newcomers who want to start with the basics.

If you need help finding the tutorial you need on YouTube, there are lots of forums and groups on Facebook where you can connect with other users.

Becoming a graphic designer will give you a marketable skill, and if you become good at it, you'll be making money on the side.

These skills also tie into other stay-at-home mom hobbies, such as photography and crafts, further opening up your earning potential.

If you start selling products using an  e-commerce website builder for your online store, design skills will help make the store more appealing.

You can create a YouTube channel to share instructional videos with others and make extra cash doing something you genuinely enjoy.

4. Creative Cookery

Being a busy stay-at-home mom can often take the pleasure out of cooking, as feeding the family daily starts to feel like a chore.

If this is the case, becoming involved in creative cooking can be an excellent avenue to get out of a rut and explore your creative side.

Cake decorating is one aspect of creative cooking that stay-at-home moms enjoy since this can be linked to birthday parties and other celebrations.

In addition to making party decorations for cakes, you can develop recipe ideas for special moments and when you have guests for dinner.

On a more fundamental level, learning new recipes is a great way to liven up dinner time and introduce the family to new ingredients.

It's also a good excuse for eating healthier meals and taking advantage of organic produce from local farm shops and independent outlets.

Cookery is a common topic you'll find in everything from the  best blogs for women over 50 to specialist websites, so there's no shortage of ideas.

It's also a way to make money, selling beautifully-designed cakes for moms in your area to eat on birthdays and other special occasions.

There are plenty of ideas for creative cooking available online you can check out for inspiration on making beautiful dishes.

3. Volunteer Work

Volunteer work is another great way to spend your free time as a stay-at-home mom that allows you to put something back into the community.

There are plenty of options for volunteer work, from working in local food banks to helping out at your local retirement home.

Animal lovers can spend time at animal shelters, helping with feeding time and general maintenance of the animals' living spaces.

You can research local charities and other appropriate organizations online and reach out, offering your time and help.

There's plenty of information online you can read, as well as social media groups where volunteers share their experiences.

Small business owners are also looking for volunteers to help them get their businesses up and running.

While volunteer work isn't necessarily an option for stay-at-home moms with babies and toddlers, it's ideal for those with older children.

You can often take your kids to volunteer roles, particularly if you're working with the elderly or needy animals.

Volunteer work, by definition, won't bring in additional income, but it can be so much fun to engage with those who need help in your area.

2. Crafting

Crafting is another popular money-making hobby for stay-at-home moms who enjoy experimenting with hands-on skills.

As with fashion design and making clothes, crafting is an open-ended concept only limited by a person's imagination.

Whether participating in soap making or putting together essential oils, these fun hobbies cater to all tastes.

It's something you can work on when the occasion arises, for instance, when you have an hour or two spare during nap time.

Making jewelry is another popular crafting pass time for stay-at-home moms that has the potential to bring in additional income.

Crafting can also be child-oriented, such as making your own stuffed toys for the kids or other accessories and gifts for little ones.

You can also consider crafting hidden treasures to hide around the garden, for instance, an Easter egg hunt.

Getting the kids involved in crafting is also a great way to develop closer bonds with them and encourage their creative side.

There are lots of tutorials for all kinds of craft ideas you can watch on YouTube, and plenty of illustrated books to get you started.

It doesn't have to break the bank, with crafting materials available for a reasonable price, such as glitter, card, and beads.

1. Writing & Blogging

Writing and blogging are increasingly popular among stay-at-home moms looking to expand their horizons in their spare time.

Whether you're writing short stories to entertain children at bedtime or blogging about fashion, the options for writing are endless.

If you hone your skills, you can earn money working as a freelance writer, for instance, through some of the  best blogging jobs for moms online.

Building a portfolio on your blog to show off your skills is an excellent way to get noticed and establish your writing niche.

This could be something as simple as a daily journal about your experiences as a mom, which is also a therapeutic experience.

For each great post you put online, your chances of moving on to professional freelance writing and earning extra money increase.

This opens up your options even more, as websites and magazines looking for new writers with a story to tell will reach out for your work.

Fiction writers can also make money doing something they enjoy, although the competition from novelists can be incredibly stiff.

If you're participating in a book club, consider sending the other members copies of your work and getting their feedback.

Setting up your blog is easier than ever using a  blog website builder, so there's no need to learn complicated web development coding.

Writing is also an excellent way to keep your mind sharp and develop a broader vocabulary that will help the kids become better at their schoolwork.

Summary

We hope you've enjoyed this article exploring the best hobbies for stay-at-home moms.

These hobbies can be performed on a small budget and whenever you have some spare time, making them great for moms with lots of children.

Whether you're interested in hobbies you can transform into a side hustle or something practical for the family, there's a hobby on this list for you to try.