Grandma Hobbies Are Having a Moment — And Honestly, We’ve Been Trendy for Years

Somewhere on the internet, someone decided to call them “grandma hobbies.” Supposedly because they’re quiet, slow, and gentle. Which is adorable… and also wildly inaccurate.

Because if you’ve ever seen a group of grown women wielding power tools at AR Workshop after two glasses of Pinot Grigio, you know there is nothing “quiet” or “slow” about it. My friends and I have been doing grandma hobbies long before TikTok slapped a label on them — and we do them with enthusiasm, snacks, and a healthy disregard for our own volume.

Crafting, Cocktails, and Questionable Decisions

One of our favorite spots is AR Workshop in Bristol, TN, where you can build custom décor under the guidance of an instructor who has the patience of a saint. They let you bring your own food and drinks, which means we show up like it’s a tailgate with paintbrushes. And the best part? They clean up after us. If that’s not luxury, I don’t know what is.

Then there’s The Fox’s Den Boardgame Café in Blountville, a cozy little gem where you can sip delicious drinks, snack on treats, and play board games like it’s 1998 and your mom just told you to “go entertain yourselves.” It’s a rare joy to put the phone down and actually look at the person across from you. Revolutionary, I know.

And when I’m feeling extra fancy, I head to Serenity Knoll Farm in Jonesborough, TN, where I’ve taken everything from macaron classes to sushi workshops. You learn a new skill, you eat your creation, and you walk away with recipes and a sense of superiority because you now know how to fold egg whites properly.  P.S. the views are postcard worthy.

The Trend Has Officially Hit My House

My daughter Izzy has joined the sourdough cult. First you get your starter, then you name it — because apparently it’s a pet now. Izzy’s is called Crumblelina, and she is thriving. I’m eagerly awaiting the day I get to taste the bread and pretend I’m not judging the crumb structure.

Even the ladies at my office are fully committed. Amber loves jigsaw puzzles so much she bought a table that rolls over her bed so she can puzzle horizontally like a Victorian woman recovering from fainting. It also doubles as her diamond‑art station, which brings her endless joy. Lindsay? She’s our resident book influencer with an Instagram dedicated to reading: @briefedandbooked. She’s basically our in‑house librarian, minus the shushing.

The Beauty of Grandma Hobbies

The list is endless: sewing, knitting, needlepoint, macramé, crocheting, quilting, embroidery, sudoku, crosswords, board games, cards, canning, baking, birdwatching, gardening, scrapbooking, pottery, flower pressing, jewelry making, candle making, reading… and that’s just the warm‑up.

The magic is that you pick whatever speaks to your soul — or whatever requires the least amount of setup.

These hobbies are:

• affordable

• grounding

• creative

• productive without being exhausting

• a break from the digital circus

• something you can do alone or with your favorite chaos gremlins

And the benefits? They’re legit. Grandma hobbies boost your mood, spark joy, give you that little dopamine hit of trying something new, help you unwind, and — thanks to their repetitive nature — can feel almost meditative. Like therapy, but with yarn.

So, Pick Your Passion

Whether it’s a puzzle, a paintbrush, a loaf of sourdough, or a deck of cards, grandma hobbies aren’t about age. They’re about choosing joy on purpose. They’re about making something with your hands, laughing with your people, and reclaiming a little peace in a world that’s constantly yelling.

So go ahead. Choose your hobby. Claim your joy. And embrace your inner grandma — she’s been waiting for you to catch up.

Do you have a "Grandma" hobby that you would like to share with us here at KTCWK?