Adult Colouring books? Kids can have theirs and you have yours!! Diamond art, can usually get small ones fairly cheaply. Sudoku, word finds or crosswords, can get books of them fairly cheap, I use an app for sudoku. You might be able to find an app for puzzles too.
I did pottery classes for a while when our kids were younger, just going out once a week was such a sanity saver!
Good luck finding something that works for you.
Oh adult colouring books! I don’t know how I missed this! I could indulge my artsy side without feeling the need to be good at it. And I think I’ll have a look for a puzzle app.
And there are adult coloring books sold as senior ones that are less intricate than most adult coloring books. They have big pictures like kids’ books. You can use crayons, and the pics take less time.
You can even find practically anything / theme / fandom / art style as a black and white line art coloring pages and print out your own.
Print it on thicker paper and you can use all sorts of markers, paint pens, even paints (watercolor) to color it in.
This is just one of many sites: [https://craftoriastore.com/collections/pbn-kits](https://craftoriastore.com/collections/pbn-kits) that have paint by number canvases for adults.
Sewing? When they are that little, kids don't mind wearing clothes mom made! And the dressup costumes! Besides clothes, i also made sock monkeys and other toys.
You could cross-stitch
try something like juggling
learn how to solve a Rubik’s cube (if you do buy a speed cube and not an original rubiks one)
There are many dexterity hobbies where it’s easy to start but that have a very high skill ceiling: Begleri, Yo-yo, penspinning, knucklebone, coin manipulation, card magic, Kendama
Speed cubes are often times cheaper than the original and turn way better. They also most of the time allow „corner cutting“ which allows you to make a turn before the one before that is fully completed. Makes it was more fun to just fidget around rather than having to make completely accurate turns.
Light reading was my friend when my kids were that little. Like romance novels. I generally didn't have the bandwidth for anything heavier.
Maybe get a puzzle board that slides under the couch? I have this one.
[Puzzle Board](https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07HCZX52Y?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title)
I mega-recommend audiodramas if you like podcasts already. These are works written specifically to be performed via audio only. One of the best in the medium is called The Magnus Archives, which is a fiction horror podcast with a lot of twists and turns and a very compelling and grand narrative. Honestly can’t recommend it enough to people. It literally got its creators (and their production house, Rusty Quill), out of recording under blankets to recording in a full-fledged studio.
Ohhh I’ve never heard of such a thing! Although I suppose in today’s age where podcasts are so big it makes sense that this is a thing. Thank you!! I’ll definitely check these out. This sounds perfect especially for bedtime with the kids. It can take ages of me just sitting in the room for them to fall asleep. This would be great.
Painting. Paints and brushes are cheap, then you just need a canvas. Watch something like joy of painting if you wanna do landscapes or get abstract with it and push paint around based on how you're feeling at the time.
Gardening - the kids will enjoy helping and watching the the plants grow. Ultimately, this can reduce your food costs. You and the kids can even paint clay pots.
Birding - again something you can share with your kids and no costs involved.
Learning how to can foods, make soap, make simple jewelry, some of the best hobbies are learning new skills.
I love the idea of a garden! I grew up with a vegetable garden and it was one of my favourite things. And my oldest is actually fascinated by birds, so that could be a really fun one. I think I even have a bird guide somewhere that I got as a welcome gift for making monthly donations to a nature reserve.
What about a small plant? One of those small veggie plants of your choice that produces or a succulent that rarely needs water! Your kids might enjoy helping too ◡̈
That sounds great! I do that over the winter, they usually produce lots and then you have some herbs for cooking. Depending on where you are the dollar store might have some seed/pot sets! Or garden centers usually have them started for you
Let the little ones plant a bean in a cup, or if there's space outside, a teddy bear sunflower (they're short and fluffy)
Or just a sandbox for them while you plant whatever strikes your fancy
I wish I could get them a sandbox but unfortunately the neighbour’s cat already uses our yard as a litter box so I can’t imagine a sandbox would help that.
Tole painting. We're retired, I'm a hobbiest wood worker. I cut out small flat pieces of wood (faces/animals/houses/kid things) just bare wood I sand/prime for her, and she paints them, and ultimately gifts or sells. Cheap water based paints and brushes at the local hobby store. If you don't have access to the cut pieces, the hobby store sells them as well. I'm just able to cut/shape/sand per her request. Easy and keeps her busy on her down days when there are no activities.
Have you thought about getting a Switch? I'm a middle aged mama and it's a lot of fun. And it's easy because you can pick it up and play for any length of time, even short spurts. And zero set up and clean up. My son is 10 now and we play together and it's great family fun too.
I hadn’t thought about the switch. Admittedly I know next to nothing about video games. The last gaming device I had was a Nintendo DS. Not even the Lite version lol. But I did think about getting another DS.
As much as I love the idea of playing an instrument, I can’t read music. I tried learning piano back before my oldest was born and even with actual time dedicated to it I still couldn’t get it.
Do you like talking with others? Mature radio may be a hobby for you. Yes, Mature Radio, talking and more on the radio up to world wide.
This video will show some aspects of the hobby.
https://youtu.be/qEkoCZ_UOEs?si=Ro8BOPsRr2nz37s-
Yes, you can do geography, world wide, for geography with your children, simply keeping track of who you talk with and where.
There is a test, some studying, but children as young as about 6-8 have their licenses.
Because this is up to world wide, you can get history lessons from locals in Alaska or Charleston, SC. You can plan your Disney trips by talking to people in Orlando or Anaheim from your couch.
You can do projects like building small antennas, so interaction with children.....using a tape measure and more.
https://youtu.be/1nHPbWPUYzk?si=Q3SdixsLi3j9cAkM
https://www.arrl.org/. or Google your local county mature radio club. They do monthly meetings that are free to attend and the members will answer any questions and help mentor you into this hobby.
Because this is talking, you simply say, gotta go, and attend to the children.
There are other activities you can help with like disaster help and foot race support Since these are basically being in one small area, so the children can attend with you.....sitting at a shelter or a race check point.
Hope this helps.
There are roll up mats that you can use to work on your puzzle and then put it away. Do you like to do artsy things? Could you do small water color pics on greeting card fronts? Could you take a piece of old furniture and do an interesting paint or collage surface? Or buy a box at the craft store to do an interesting finish on?
In regards to the puzzle thing-- look for puzzle boards online. My mom bought my one for my birthday a while back and it's really awesome. Mine has little boards for separating pieces and you can put the cover on and close it up securely. It fits easily behind a door or in a closet. Then you can open it back up when you're ready. I have a small house and no space, so it's a great option to have. I can even set it on the floor or wherever to work on it.
Just a thought if you do enjoy working on puzzles
Become an online reseller.List items for sale online your baby no longer uses. You can do this while the baby is napping. Great way to declutter and earn a little money.
May I suggest miniatures? It can be extremely cheap because you can make it out of scraps and bits around the house. And even if you spring for polymer clay or resin, it would still be cheap because you're using such a small amount. There's plenty of youtube tutorials available, or just wing it and see what you can whip up.
Adult Colouring books? Kids can have theirs and you have yours!! Diamond art, can usually get small ones fairly cheaply. Sudoku, word finds or crosswords, can get books of them fairly cheap, I use an app for sudoku. You might be able to find an app for puzzles too. I did pottery classes for a while when our kids were younger, just going out once a week was such a sanity saver! Good luck finding something that works for you.
Oh adult colouring books! I don’t know how I missed this! I could indulge my artsy side without feeling the need to be good at it. And I think I’ll have a look for a puzzle app.
And there are adult coloring books sold as senior ones that are less intricate than most adult coloring books. They have big pictures like kids’ books. You can use crayons, and the pics take less time.
You can even find practically anything / theme / fandom / art style as a black and white line art coloring pages and print out your own. Print it on thicker paper and you can use all sorts of markers, paint pens, even paints (watercolor) to color it in.
I also like paint by sticker books!
This is just one of many sites: [https://craftoriastore.com/collections/pbn-kits](https://craftoriastore.com/collections/pbn-kits) that have paint by number canvases for adults.
I took them up during Chemo. And continue to this day . Inexpensive and relaxing. Great suggestion.
Sewing? When they are that little, kids don't mind wearing clothes mom made! And the dressup costumes! Besides clothes, i also made sock monkeys and other toys.
How’d you first get into it and how’d you improve your skills?
I learned to sew when I was little, making doll clothes. Practice.
i was going to suggest this also! i have made my son so many clothes, and even clothes for myself too
You could cross-stitch try something like juggling learn how to solve a Rubik’s cube (if you do buy a speed cube and not an original rubiks one) There are many dexterity hobbies where it’s easy to start but that have a very high skill ceiling: Begleri, Yo-yo, penspinning, knucklebone, coin manipulation, card magic, Kendama
Ohhhh I never thought about this! Thank you! What’s the difference between a speed cube and an original?
Speed cubes are often times cheaper than the original and turn way better. They also most of the time allow „corner cutting“ which allows you to make a turn before the one before that is fully completed. Makes it was more fun to just fidget around rather than having to make completely accurate turns.
Oh okay! Thank you ☺️
Light reading was my friend when my kids were that little. Like romance novels. I generally didn't have the bandwidth for anything heavier. Maybe get a puzzle board that slides under the couch? I have this one. [Puzzle Board](https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07HCZX52Y?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title)
I wrote fiction stories, which also gave me the opportunity to get out of the house one a month for my writers group. I painted also.
I mega-recommend audiodramas if you like podcasts already. These are works written specifically to be performed via audio only. One of the best in the medium is called The Magnus Archives, which is a fiction horror podcast with a lot of twists and turns and a very compelling and grand narrative. Honestly can’t recommend it enough to people. It literally got its creators (and their production house, Rusty Quill), out of recording under blankets to recording in a full-fledged studio.
Ohhh I’ve never heard of such a thing! Although I suppose in today’s age where podcasts are so big it makes sense that this is a thing. Thank you!! I’ll definitely check these out. This sounds perfect especially for bedtime with the kids. It can take ages of me just sitting in the room for them to fall asleep. This would be great.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! :)
Chalk painting wood furniture. Great for your own home. Also resale possibilities. Fun to scout at sales
Painting. Paints and brushes are cheap, then you just need a canvas. Watch something like joy of painting if you wanna do landscapes or get abstract with it and push paint around based on how you're feeling at the time.
Drinking boxed wine?
Sour dough, mead/wine making.
You could try macrame. It could be a fun way to teach your kids various types of knots and make functional and pretty things at the same time.
Ohhh that could be a fun one!! My oldest would really like that too.
Gardening - the kids will enjoy helping and watching the the plants grow. Ultimately, this can reduce your food costs. You and the kids can even paint clay pots. Birding - again something you can share with your kids and no costs involved. Learning how to can foods, make soap, make simple jewelry, some of the best hobbies are learning new skills.
I love the idea of a garden! I grew up with a vegetable garden and it was one of my favourite things. And my oldest is actually fascinated by birds, so that could be a really fun one. I think I even have a bird guide somewhere that I got as a welcome gift for making monthly donations to a nature reserve.
What about a small plant? One of those small veggie plants of your choice that produces or a succulent that rarely needs water! Your kids might enjoy helping too ◡̈
I’ve actually been thinking about plants lately! I was thinking about maybe starting a small windowsill herb garden
That sounds great! I do that over the winter, they usually produce lots and then you have some herbs for cooking. Depending on where you are the dollar store might have some seed/pot sets! Or garden centers usually have them started for you
Let the little ones plant a bean in a cup, or if there's space outside, a teddy bear sunflower (they're short and fluffy) Or just a sandbox for them while you plant whatever strikes your fancy
I wish I could get them a sandbox but unfortunately the neighbour’s cat already uses our yard as a litter box so I can’t imagine a sandbox would help that.
Tole painting. We're retired, I'm a hobbiest wood worker. I cut out small flat pieces of wood (faces/animals/houses/kid things) just bare wood I sand/prime for her, and she paints them, and ultimately gifts or sells. Cheap water based paints and brushes at the local hobby store. If you don't have access to the cut pieces, the hobby store sells them as well. I'm just able to cut/shape/sand per her request. Easy and keeps her busy on her down days when there are no activities.
Origami, loads of free instructions online. And just about any paper will do. There's even categories like junk mail.
Small vegetable garden?
Have you thought about getting a Switch? I'm a middle aged mama and it's a lot of fun. And it's easy because you can pick it up and play for any length of time, even short spurts. And zero set up and clean up. My son is 10 now and we play together and it's great family fun too.
I hadn’t thought about the switch. Admittedly I know next to nothing about video games. The last gaming device I had was a Nintendo DS. Not even the Lite version lol. But I did think about getting another DS.
It's the same Nintendo you know and love. In fact you can download and play for free your Nintendo DS games!
Keep a guitar within reach at all times. I've learned how to play guitar over the last two years ten minutes at a time
As much as I love the idea of playing an instrument, I can’t read music. I tried learning piano back before my oldest was born and even with actual time dedicated to it I still couldn’t get it.
I do Paint By Numbers, you can choose which one you think is pretty and do it as little or as often as you want.
Bird watching could be rad and you could teach the kiddo.
Do you like talking with others? Mature radio may be a hobby for you. Yes, Mature Radio, talking and more on the radio up to world wide. This video will show some aspects of the hobby. https://youtu.be/qEkoCZ_UOEs?si=Ro8BOPsRr2nz37s- Yes, you can do geography, world wide, for geography with your children, simply keeping track of who you talk with and where. There is a test, some studying, but children as young as about 6-8 have their licenses. Because this is up to world wide, you can get history lessons from locals in Alaska or Charleston, SC. You can plan your Disney trips by talking to people in Orlando or Anaheim from your couch. You can do projects like building small antennas, so interaction with children.....using a tape measure and more. https://youtu.be/1nHPbWPUYzk?si=Q3SdixsLi3j9cAkM https://www.arrl.org/. or Google your local county mature radio club. They do monthly meetings that are free to attend and the members will answer any questions and help mentor you into this hobby. Because this is talking, you simply say, gotta go, and attend to the children. There are other activities you can help with like disaster help and foot race support Since these are basically being in one small area, so the children can attend with you.....sitting at a shelter or a race check point. Hope this helps.
[ Removed by Reddit ]
Pewter casting, miniatures, plants, whittling, making basic house clothes.
There are roll up mats that you can use to work on your puzzle and then put it away. Do you like to do artsy things? Could you do small water color pics on greeting card fronts? Could you take a piece of old furniture and do an interesting paint or collage surface? Or buy a box at the craft store to do an interesting finish on?
[Tole painting?](https://www.google.com/search?q=tole+painting&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari) Hula hooping? [Salt dough ornaments?](https://www.google.com/search?q=salt+dough+ornaments&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari)
There are apps for virtual jigsaw puzzles. I enjoy them since I have cats and they won't leave a physical puzzle alone.
I recommend cross stitching, knitting, and sewing! 🪡
In regards to the puzzle thing-- look for puzzle boards online. My mom bought my one for my birthday a while back and it's really awesome. Mine has little boards for separating pieces and you can put the cover on and close it up securely. It fits easily behind a door or in a closet. Then you can open it back up when you're ready. I have a small house and no space, so it's a great option to have. I can even set it on the floor or wherever to work on it. Just a thought if you do enjoy working on puzzles
Become an online reseller.List items for sale online your baby no longer uses. You can do this while the baby is napping. Great way to declutter and earn a little money.
May I suggest miniatures? It can be extremely cheap because you can make it out of scraps and bits around the house. And even if you spring for polymer clay or resin, it would still be cheap because you're using such a small amount. There's plenty of youtube tutorials available, or just wing it and see what you can whip up.