Don’t know what to do with all your spare time now that it’s summer? Pick up a new hobby or revive an old one! It’s the perfect time to do so. In order to help you along, Hylke has thought of 5 hobbies you can do this summer.

#1 Learn a language or skill

Something that can enrich your life (and your resume) is learning a new language or skill! It doesn’t have to be hard, you can easily download Duolingo and get started, or watch YouTube videos on the skill you want to learn and get your hands dirty. The key is to be consistent and keep on doing it so that, at the end of the summer, you can impress your friends with having small conversations in Dutch, for example, or you can add the programming language Python to your resume as a skill.

#2 Go geocaching

Geocaching is such a nice hobby you can do alone or with friends. Create an account on the Geocaching website or on the app, search for geocaches nearby you, navigate towards one and boom: you’ve found your first geocache! Don’t forget to sign and date the logbook and place the geocache back where you find it. That way, others can find it again. Sometimes, caches will also contain small treasures like action figures etc. You are allowed to take something, but also have to put something new in the cache when you do that. So it’s handy to bring some small treasures with you to trade things inside the cache with when you go on your adventure!

#3 Work-out outdoors

You might already do this, but if you don’t, give it a try! Instead of doing cardio on a treadmill inside a gym, try running through Noorderplantsoen. Or bring your fitness mat outside and do a workout in the park. You might find out you actually like it better because it’s nice to feel the sun on your skin and the breeze through your hair. 

Summer is also the perfect time to establish a new workout routine, if that’s something you’ve been wanting to do. You have loads of time to figure out whether you like to workout in the morning, during the day or at night, and how many times a week. At the end of August, you’ll have a routine that works best for you and that will hopefully last when classes start again.

If you don’t like doing intense workouts and cardio, you can also pick up low intensity options such as pilates, yoga, or walking. I love walking through the city while listening to a podcast, and make sure to do it everyday because it has such a positive effect on my mental health. In the end, do what fits you best.

#4 Start scrapbooking

Something I love and definitely want to pick up again is scrapbooking. I find it sooo lovely to flip through my old scrapbooks and soak up all the memories I’ve made throughout the years. And it’s actually very easy to do, you just have to make time for it. Buy a plain scrapbook (the ones from HEMA are nice), some coloured (glitter)pens, stamps, washi tape, some stickers and photo tape, print your photos, and get creative! You could even glue on some receipts or entrance tickets for venues next to your photographs or write a little paragraph describing the memory to make it even more memorable. It definitely lets your creative juices flow and you can do it wherever, which I love!

#5 Cook

Cooking is also such a nice hobby to pick up. You can spend the summer learning how to make certain dishes by following YouTube tutorials, or slowly making your way through the cookbook that has been left untouched on your shelf. You’ll definitely find new favourites you can cook again and again. It’s also sweet to invite friends or family over and cook for them. Personally, I love to present my friends and family with self-made dishes and see them enjoy them. Just try it out and see what happens. Maybe you’ll even find that you’ve a passion for it ;).

Now that we’ve elaborated on our suggestions, we’d love to ask you what your hobbies are. And do you only do them during the summer? Let us know in the comments!