12 Fun Hobbies for Couples to Enjoy Together

Volunteering

Volunteering together can be impactful for a few different reasons. First, it can force you and your partner to discuss which causes are most important to you. Second, it can bring the two of you closer through a shared experience. And third, and most importantly, it can benefit your community and those in need. It doesn’t have to be boring, either. If you both love animals, you can walk dogs at a local shelter. If you both are passionate about art, you could volunteer to teach free art classes to local students.

“Volunteering for the greater good with an organization that appeals to you both is soul-satisfying,” Lord explains. “You will both have a shared sense of service that not only helps others but offers you the opportunity for gratitude and compassion.”

Physical Activity

Even if you and your partner both love to exercise, you probably aren’t working out together every day. Maybe your partner loves running while you prefer spinning or weight-lifting. Translating this love of physical activity into a new, shared hobby is a great idea in this case. Consider golfing, surfing, hiking, tennis, biking, or any other activity that’s new to both of you.

“Physical activity heightens the endorphins and you will be more likely to release stress from the physical activity you choose, instead of each other,” Lord says.

Doing Something Artistic

For most of us who aren’t professional artists but still love to paint, draw, or doodle in our spare time, finding time to be artistic can be difficult. Most of us don’t have time for arts and crafts in our busy everyday lives, but it’s easier to make time for them if it's a hobby you share with your partner. The experience can also be more beneficial to your connection than you might realize. 

“Painting, sculpting, photography, learning to play music, or reading each other poetry is sexy and adds variety to your life,” Lord says. “You can be each other’s muses and see what kind of masterpieces you come up with.” 

Meditating

Odds are you probably have two reactions to the idea of meditating with your partner: “Well, that sounds like a relaxing hobby!” or “Um, how is that supposed to be fun?” But the practice can be more impactful than you might think, according to Lord. “This activity not only relieves stress and creates peace within, but you will also bond at the spiritual level.”

Maybe you could try meditation, yoga, and drinking tea together once a week. A hobby that benefits your mental health is always a win, even if it isn’t the most exciting activity in the world on paper. 

Journaling

Journaling as a couple can be a hobby that you will grow to appreciate for years to come. Perhaps you and your partner can sit down once a week with a glass of wine or cup of coffee and write one page each about the last week of your lives together. Maybe you hit a major milestone in your life together or celebrated a big anniversary. Maybe you overcame something difficult or went on a fun trip together. Whatever you’re going through as a couple, getting into the habit of jotting it down each week is a wonderful way to stay connected and thoughtful about your life together. Plus, you’ll have a special memento to look back on years later. 

Traveling (Even Just in Your Own Neighborhood!)

Keep the spark alive by prioritizing discovery and embarking on new adventures in your relationship. Odds are there are still parts of your city, town, or state that you can explore if you make a point to do it. 

“Traveling to new places and experiencing new things is a great way to add dimension and texture to your life and relationship,” Lord says. “The challenges help you grow, while the diversity helps you to evolve as a couple.

Try making a point to visit a new neighborhood in your city every month, or driving on a mini road trip (or daycation) to a local tourist attraction every once in a while. You’ll learn more about your community and, more importantly, each other.

Cooking

Regardless of who is the better cook in your partnership, learning a new aspect of cooking together can be challenging and rewarding all at once. Maybe you can both learn about baking together, or you can focus on one particular cuisine that neither of you is familiar with. Perhaps you can take professional mixology classes, or learn more about wine. 

“Food feels like home, and you get to nourish each other’s bodies with delicious and aromatic food,” Lord says, emphasizing why cooking and eating together can be such a bonding experience.

Another idea? Make it a challenge, suggests celebrity relationship expert Nicole Moore. “Start a weekly hobby where you and your partner do a cook-off challenge,” Moore says. “Pick a recipe and both you and your partner cook the same meal. The winner gets to eat the biggest bite of dessert!” 

Dancing

Dance combines creativity, physical activity, intimacy, and fun, making it an ideal hobby for couples. It can get you moving, bring you closer together (literally), and be a great way to appreciate a new type of music or culture. “Make it a habit to dance,” Lord suggests. “Movement, creativity, music, and laughter are always good medicine.”

Moore echoes Lord’s suggestion, noting that it’s easy to take dance lessons together now without ever leaving your home. “Put on YouTube and search for a beginner's Salsa or swing dancing class and have fun looking like a goofball with your partner,” Moore says. 

Crosswords

Having a hobby that you both can go back to anytime, anywhere, and at any point in your relationship or your life is invaluable. Crosswords may seem boring, but they’re something that you can do with your partner for your whole life—on planes, on road trips, before bed, over dinner, in waiting rooms, etc. Using your brain in a new and challenging way can be a refreshing challenge for both of you, too. 

Planning to do a crossword together every week over dinner, or while sharing a favorite cocktail, can grow to be a cherished tradition and hobby for both of you that you can bring into any phase of your life, and that’s pretty special. 

Fishing

If you haven’t considered fishing as a hobby before, it might be time to reconsider it, according to matchmaker Bonnie Winston. “This hobby can be shared by couples easily and is a great bonding exercise as well. The fresh air, clear blue sky, and rustic atmosphere is sure to ignite romance. The fishing gear can be acquired or rented,” Winston says, taking her inspiration from the fly-fishing movie A River Runs Through It. “After the fishing excursion, cook that trout meal together and enjoy it in your cabin in the woods by the fire.” Sounds surprisingly romantic, no? 

Gardening

Regardless of whether you have a huge outdoor space or a tiny patio, gardening is a great way to bond with your partner and enjoy the fruits (or vegetables) of your labor for weeks to come. You can plant some herbs on a windowsill or go all-out for spring and do an entire raised garden bed in the backyard, filling it with tomato plants and other treats. 

Not only can the experience be a good workout (anyone who has ever tried pulling weeds probably knows this), but it can also be a way for you both to learn about something new together. Plus, plants require regular care, meaning that you both won’t be able to simply forget about the hobby.

Learning a New Language

Learning a new language from scratch can be an incredibly unique experience to have with your partner. What other thing can you both say you’ve learned together, starting at zero? You can even make it a challenge, say, giving yourself two years to learn French, and that you will celebrate by spending a week at a beautiful French chateau.