Vocabulary Lessons

Having a hobby is a great way to relax and enjoy your free time, and spending time developing interests can also have many emotional, intellectual, and health benefits. Many hobby shops have all sorts of items to start a new hobby.

Listen to the recording to hear how the words are pronounced.

• bird watching (noun): the hobby of observing and identifying birds in their natural environment
  – She wakes up early on weekends to go bird watching in the park.
• coin collecting (noun): the hobby of finding, saving, and studying coins from different countries or time periods
  – My grandfather got me started in coin collecting when I was very young.
• cooking (noun): the activity of preparing food by using heat
  – She took a cooking class to learn how to make traditional Italian dishes.
• dancing (noun): the activity of moving your body in a rhythmic way, usually to music
  – They signed up for a dancing class to learn the waltz before their wedding.
• drawing (noun): the activity of creating pictures or images using a pencil, pen, or other tool
  – She filled an entire sketchbook with her drawing practice over the summer.
• gardening (noun): the activity of growing and taking care of plants, flowers, or vegetables
  – He spends most Saturday mornings gardening in his backyard.
• genealogy (noun): the study of family history and the tracing of ancestors
  – She used online records to research her family’s genealogy back several generations.
• hiking (noun): the activity of walking long distances in nature, usually on trails or in the mountains
  – They go hiking every fall to enjoy the changing leaves.
• knitting (noun): the activity of making fabric or clothing by looping yarn together using two needles
  – He tried knitting for the first time last winter and found it very relaxing.
• painting (noun): the activity of applying paint to a surface to create a picture or design
  – She takes a painting class every Tuesday evening at the community center.
• photography (noun): the art or practice of taking pictures using a camera
  – Her love of photography started on a family trip when she borrowed her father’s camera.
• playing chess (verb phrase): the activity of competing in chess, a strategy board game played by two people
  – She has been playing chess since she was eight years old and still enters tournaments.
• playing the piano (verb phrase): the activity of performing music on a piano
  – He finds that playing the piano helps him relax after a stressful day.
• pottery (noun): the activity of shaping clay by hand or on a wheel and then hardening it, usually in an oven called a kiln
  – She made a set of bowls in her pottery class last semester.
• quilting (noun): the activity of sewing together layers of fabric to make a thick blanket or covering, often with a decorative pattern
  – The quilting group meets every Thursday to work on a project for the local shelter.
• reading (noun): the activity of looking at written words and understanding their meaning
  – Reading before bed helps him wind down and sleep better.
• scrapbooking (noun): the hobby of arranging photos, notes, and decorations in a book to preserve memories
  – His wife got him into scrapbooking, and now he has made books for every family vacation.
• stamp collecting (noun): the hobby of finding, saving, and organizing postage stamps from different countries or time periods
  – He has been interested in stamp collecting since he received a letter with a foreign stamp as a child.
• surfing the internet (verb phrase): the activity of browsing websites and exploring content online without a specific goal
  – He spent the whole afternoon surfing the internet and lost track of time.
• woodworking (noun): the activity of building or carving objects out of wood using tools
  – She took a woodworking class and made a small table that now sits in her kitchen.

Search the Internet to find out more about two of the hobbies listed above. What supplies are needed for each hobby? Which hobbies are popular among teens, adults, and seniors?