"There’s a saying that what’s old is new again, and the latest obsession to take hold on social media is definitely proving that the adage is true. Grandma hobbies, or ‘grandmacore,’ as it’s known on social media, include “old lady” hobbies that you might have traditionally found someone closer to your grandmother’s age doing, like baking or needlepoint.
These pastimes all have another thing in common—they don’t involve screens. Instead, they offer a way to connect with others sans technology, a way to decompress by doing something with your hands, and often a way to flex creative muscles. Sometimes, finding time for hobbies as a mom can seem impossible, but having interests outside motherhood can translate into feeling happier and more fulfilled, too.
I myself have fallen deep into the hole of ‘grandma hobbies’ and agree that they’re a great way to relax and slow down without zoning out completely. My foray into the ‘grandmacore’ realm began almost 10 years ago when I learned how to needlepoint. I wanted something to do with my hands while I watched TV that wasn’t doom scrolling, and since then I’ve completed three Christmas stockings and multiple pillows that adorn our couches.
Being off my phone when I’m working on a project does wonders for my mental health, but I also get a lot of satisfaction by seeing the project progression and ultimately my hard work on display in the house. Since then I’ve leaned in on the grandma hobby trend, adding other popular grandmacore activities like embroidery and mahjong to my lineup.
If you’re up for channeling your inner grandma, here are some recommendations for “old lady” hobbies to try and the supplies you’ll need.
Mahjong
Just like Meghan Markle, I’ve fallen hard for mahjong, a four-person game played with small tiles that has been a staple amongst older women for almost a century in America. If you’ve seen Crazy Rich Asians, you got a quick glance at the game in the scene at the end where Rachel takes on her mother-in-law.
Players pick up and discard a tile every turn and win mahjong by matching their tiles to one of the possible combinations. This “grandma game” requires concentration and focus, but not so much that it prevents socializing. My neighborhood now plays two to three times a week. Mahjong has officially gotten me out of my ‘watch TV for two hours after the kids go to bed’ slump and helped me build deeper relationships.
Learn the rules with a handy guide from Oh My Mahjong and start by playing with a beginner-friendly set of tiles like the ones from Amahj Line (they tell you exactly what you’re looking at!).
Embroidery
You’ve probably seen a baby in one of those cute sweaters with their name sewn onto it in loopy cursive—that’s a form of embroidery. Most embroidery options, though, use finer threads to create delicate-looking decorations on fabric, almost as if you’re using a needle and thread to draw instead of a ballpoint pen. It’s a fun way to add some pizzazz to anything from cocktail napkins to sweatshirt collars to pillowcases.
You’ll want to start by learning the most basic stitches with a beginner kit like the one below before moving on to cute embroidery kits.
Needlepoint
Needlepoint designs are typically painted or printed on a stiff canvas. Then you use a variety of stitches to bring the design to life. In the past, needlepoint had a grandma reputation due to the stodgy traditional designs. Now, though, the canvases are a lot more modern and fun.
For this at-home granny hobby, start with a canvas that only uses the basic tent stitch to learn and then gradually add more stitch types to your repertoire. An online class from Needlepoint.com will help you get started. Look for a beginner canvas like these cute and approachable designs for your first project.
Crocheting / Knitting
Crocheting and knitting are often considered cousins. They both involve looping yarn together to create a pattern, but while knitting uses two needles to do this, crocheting uses a single hook.
Crochet can be both a fairly portable and repetitive grandma hobby. You may have seen either a friend or a grandmother sitting on the sidelines with a ball of yarn and a crochet hook watching the game while they repeat the same motion over and over again. It’s a great way to keep your hands occupied for a good TV binge sesh, too.
Kits like this beginner Wool and the Gang one will give you everything you need to make a beautiful scarf, or you can try your hand at making a little bunny with a kit from The Woobles.
Baking
If you didn’t hop onto the sourdough making trend during the pandemic, there’s still ample room to get involved in this grandma hobby. Baking is more technical than savory cooking, as it requires more precision with ingredients, so you’ll get to flex your brain while doing something creative. Baking is also a great way to connect with your community, as it’s an excuse to drop off goodies for friends and family after you’re done.
Pick up a cute apron to protect yourself from any splatters and grab a recipe book or a baking kit like this Raspberry and Orange French Macaron one from Bake Eat Love to start baking from scratch.
Painting / Paint by Numbers
Painting is more of a solo activity but still fits the MO of a grandma hobby. It’s creative (but doesn’t necessarily require you to be an accomplished artist to do), requires you to slow down and focus, and is relaxing. A friend of mine says she likes to do her paint by numbers while watching TV or a movie to unwind and loves how pretty the end result is.
Puzzles
Puzzles can be a great solo way to relax while still using your brain, or they can be a great hobby to do with a partner or group of friends. They also come in a wide range of difficulties and range from a couple hundred to thousands of pieces, so you can decide just how much of a challenging experience you want.
If you’ve got kids around who might be inclined to grab pieces or don’t have a dedicated spot to puzzle, a roll-away mat from Uncommon Goods will make it easy to save any progress you make for the next time. There’s an endless range of puzzles to choose from, including this cute spring-inspired pick below.
Scrapbooking
We all have digital pictures, but actually printing them and turning them into albums and memory books is becoming more rare. Scrapbooking is a grandma hobby that allows you to relive your memories as you artfully arrange pictures, ticket stubs, menus, and other mementos from events and periods of time. It’s a way to be creative and to physically preserve memories.
You’ll need to pick an album to start with, and then the fun part about scrapbooking is that every page of your album can have a theme. As an example, this fun kit below can help commemorate a family trip to Disney.
Gardening
My grandmother always had a garden and grew the juiciest, most delicious tomatoes each summer. While I did not inherit her green thumb, many women are turning to gardening as a grandma hobby. It’s a hands-on activity that many find calming, and like many grandmacore activities, it’s rewarding. You’ll definitely feel accomplished when you can see something blossom and grow that you planted.
Kickstart your gardening journey with the tools you’ll need to begin. Then, do a little research to learn the basics about bringing herbs, flowers, and vegetables to life.
Card Games
My grandmother taught me how to play the card game bridge when I was 9. She used to play regularly with her friends, and games like spades, rummy, and even Old Maid are part of the grandmacore trend. There’s no shortage of card games that you can play with friends or with yourself, and games can vary in difficulty depending on what you’re in the mood for.
This Ultimate Book of Card Games covers over 350 games, which means you could pick something new for almost an entire year, while this set of grandmacore-approved Garden Party cards from Rifle Paper Company makes playing fun and pretty.
Pickleball
Pickleball is one of the country’s fastest-growing sports, and for good reason. The racket sport is social by nature, as you typically play with a partner and often have time to fraternize with others, as it’s common to rotate off the court after playing a game. It’s also a way to be active and is an easy game to learn. The game has gained popularity with both an older crowd and a younger crowd as a result.
The gear that you’ll need to play doesn’t have to give grandma vibes at all. Consider the pink striped beginner paddle from Tangerine Paddle to amp up the fun while playing, and arrive at the court in style with this pickleball bag from Tuckernuck.
Elliott Harrell, Contributing Writer
Elliott is a mom of two little girls and is based in Raleigh, NC. She spends her days running a sales team and doing laundry and her nights writing about the things that she loves. She’s passionate about all things motherhood and women’s health. When she’s not working, writing or parenting you can find her trying a new restaurant in town or working on her latest needlepoint project.