2001 – 2021 Copyright HOBBY-G s. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. A collection of assorted seashells spread across a white background. A hobby is considered to be a regular activity that is done for hobby lobby valentines, typically during one’s leisure time.

Hobbies include collecting themed items and objects, engaging in creative and artistic pursuits, playing sports, or pursuing other amusements. Hobbyists may be identified under three sub-categories: casual leisure which is intrinsically rewarding, short-lived, pleasurable activity requiring little or no preparation, serious leisure which is the systematic pursuit of an amateur, hobbyist, or volunteer that is substantial, rewarding and results in a sense of accomplishment, and finally project-based leisure which is a short-term, often one-off, project that is rewarding. A grey-haired person using a computer with two monitors. Writing and editing articles for Wikipedia is a hobby for some people. In the 16th century, the term “hobby” had the meaning of “small horse and pony”. The term “hobby horse” was documented in a 1557 payment confirmation for a “Hobbyhorse” from Reading, England. The item, originally called a “Tourney Horse”, was made of a wooden or basketwork frame with an artificial tail and head.

Prior to the mid-19th century, hobbies were generally considered as an obsession, childish or trivial, with negative connotations. However, as early as 1676 Sir Matthew Hale, in Contemplations Moral and Divine, wrote “Almost every person hath some hobby horse or other wherein he prides himself. We are a nation of flower-lovers, but also a nation of stamp-collectors, pigeon-fanciers, amateur carpenters, coupon-snippers, darts-players, crossword-puzzle fans. Deciding what to include in a list of hobbies provokes debate because it is difficult to decide which pleasurable pass-times can also be described as hobbies. During the 20th century the term hobby suggested activities, such as stamp collecting, embroidery, knitting, painting, woodwork, and photography.

Typically the description did not include activities like listening to music, watching television, or reading. Cultural trends related to hobbies change with time. In the 21st century, the video game industry has been popular as a hobby involving millions of children and adults. Stamp collecting declined along with the importance of the postal system. Hobbyists are a part of a wider group of people engaged in leisure pursuits where the boundaries of each group overlap to some extent. The Serious Leisure Perspective groups hobbyists with amateurs and volunteers and identifies three broad groups of leisure activity with hobbies being found mainly in the Serious leisure category.

The terms amateur and hobbyist are often used interchangeably. Stebbins has a framework which distinguishes the terms in a useful categorization of leisure in which casual leisure is separated from serious Leisure. He describes serious leisure as undertaken by amateurs, hobbyists and volunteers. A large proportion of hobbies are mainly solitary in nature. However, individual pursuit of a hobby often includes club memberships, organized sharing of products and regular communication between participants. For many hobbies there is an important role in being in touch with fellow hobbyists.