Introduction
The saying goes, “you’re only young once” and that’s very true.
Your early years and teens are a great age to capitalize on passions that can lead to successful careers or can even help to define your character as a person.
Hobbies help people to socialize, gain confidence, and also allow you to pass time in fun and interesting ways.
In fact, basically any activity you do for enjoyment can be classed as a hobby, however, there are some more productive activities than others which can be useful.
With that said, there are tons of hobbies that are both productive and really fun, especially where teenagers or tweens are concerned.
We’re going to take a close look at 13 of the most exciting hobbies for 13-year-olds to help them make the most of this unique age from a youngster into a young teen.
20 Hand-Picked Hobbies for 13 Year Olds (For Both Boys and Girls)
1. Baking
There’s never an age where baking isn’t fun but when you’re thirteen, you’re starting to feel more independent and are probably wanting to test your skills of creation.
Baking is an excellent skill because it’s relatively safe, gets you working with utensils, and yields some tasty treats once you’re finished.
If you’re a thrifty thirteen-year-old then you might even want to sell your baked goodies to school friends or to people around the local neighborhood.
Baking doesn’t have to be complicated especially since you can get a cupcake maker for a relatively low cost which can assist you with making your baked goods look professional.
2. Learn an instrument
When you’re thirteen, your tastes in music are becoming more imbued and you’ll probably have a better idea of what you enjoy.
This is a great age to learn an instrument as you may eventually want to start a band with your friends or family members.
Some of the most popular instruments include things like the electric guitar and the bass guitar which are great instruments for starting a band.
With that said, you may be happy to know that learning an instrument is also good for your brain as you’ll be presented with unique challenges that aren’t apparent in many other hobbies.
3. Basketball
Team sports are brilliant for teenagers and that’s because they get you working together with others and can help you make friends.
In fact, team sports are usually part of any good school curriculum so you may already be engaged in things like basketball or soccer, however, we think it’s good to take an active approach to team sports outside of school time too.
If anything, basketball is a great way to stay active and is really fun especially when played with others.
If you’re bored you can even shoot some hoops at home with a portable basketball hoop system which will allow you to practice your 3-pointers.
4. Video Games
We’ve mentioned video games in a few of our hobby lists before and that’s because of how popular it is as a hobby for all ages.
Billions of people all around the world are constantly playing games across the internet meaning you’ll be able to find active communities and friends to play with regardless of the game.
One of the best consoles for thirteen-year-olds is the Nintendo Switch because of the large selection of age-appropriate games you can buy such as Minecraft and the hit game Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
It’s true that video games aren’t always the most productive way to spend your time, however, if you’re dedicated enough they can easily lead to a career on YouTube or even in esports if you’re good enough.
5. Scrapbooking
Scrapbooking is a relatively old-fashioned hobby that reached its peak in the 90s and early 00s, however, that hasn’t stopped people from engaging in this fun pastime.
Essentially, scrapbooking is a way of snapshotting different moments and memories from your life.
Some of the best ways to fill your scrapbook include pasting printed-out photographs inside or by using magazines for their images to cut out and paste in your scrapbook.
In fact, some of the most popular “thematically fitting” ideas for scrapbooks include family moments, birthdays, favorite genres of music, favorite animals, and basically anything else that fits your personality or snapshots a certain part of your life.
6. Warhammer
Warhammer is a brilliant hobby for intelligent youngsters and that’s because it’s a tactical board game that also incorporates some model building and painting too.
Because this hobby is so versatile, you’ll be able to learn multiple skills whilst also scratching your competitive itch when playing against other Warhammer hobbyists.
Skills such as planning, decision making, and overcoming challenges are all part of playing Warhammer meaning you’ll be learning vital life lessons that can be brought into your adult life.
Lastly, this fantasy-based hobby is just amazingly fun and even has some elements of collecting that make Warhammer simply brilliant for a thirteen-year-old.
7. Painting
Painting is a brilliant hobby for all ages because it allows you to express things that are hard to say in words.
At an age where you’re probably a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts, painting can be a conduit for everything that’s bottled up inside.
There are tons of painting styles such as abstract, impressionism, surrealism, modernism, and more.
In fact, we don’t think there’s a set way to paint and you should basically let the brush do all the work.
Better yet, painting is relatively cheap and you can get started with an oil painting kit that includes everything you’ll need.
8. Epoxy Resin Crafting
Epoxy resin is a brilliant material to work with and that’s because it’s relatively simplistic.
Basically, you can pour your epoxy into a variety of molds to make key rings, ornaments, jewelry, and other assorted decorative goods that can be given as gifts or even sold.
As a thirteen-year-old you don’t always want something that’s overly complicated and that’s why epoxy resin crafts are so satisfying to make.
It’s an infinitely simplistic hobby with infinitive depth depending on how creative you are.
9. Archery
Archery is not as scary as it sounds and it’s basically become a sport these days rather than something used for hunting.
Essentially, hobby archery involves going to an archery range where you’ll be shooting arrows from a bow at your target boards.
If you score a bullseye then you know your aim is good, however, if you miss then you’ll need to keep on practicing.
Archery isn’t for all thirteen-year-olds, however, it can give them a sense of satisfaction and something to work towards which translates well in other aspects of life too.
10. Photography
If your thirteen-year-old has a creative eye then photography can be a brilliant hobby to let them make the most of it.
Essentially, there’s tons of different types of photography such as distance, macro, sports, fashion, and basically anything else you might want to take an interest in.
We’ve covered the costs of photography before and it’s probably the most expensive hobby on this list, however, it also has the most real-world value in terms of longevity.
In fact, you can get a pretty good DSLR camera for less than $500 these days which is a drastic decrease in price since previous times where it would be hard to get that for less than $1000 previously.
11. Meditation
There’s tons of focus on staying well these days and meditation can really help with that.
It’s a great hobby because it allows you to relax and make sense of the day you’ve had, or can even be used to set you up for the day with a clear mind.
In fact, regardless of your age, we think meditation is one of the most productive hobbies you can do and it’s free.
Meditation can be a little complicated to understand first but there are plenty of tutorials on YouTube explaining how to do it properly.
12. Pen Palling
Pen palling is an old school pastime but it still remains one of the best hobbies for teens because it allows them to engage with people who they might otherwise never get to meet.
Pen palling allows your teenager to explore different cultures and can help to expand their world views.
Essentially, as a pen pal, they’ll write dedicated letters as often as they like to their pen pal who will also do the same in return.
They’ll talk about things they love, what they’ve gotten up to, and even some of the things they eat in their country.
You don’t always need to pen pal with someone abroad but we think it’s the most enlightening.
If you’re not sure where to start then Penpalschools can be a great place to start and has lots of information about what to expect.
With that said, you can also join Pen pal groups on social media that can help you connect with others around the world.
13. Journaling
A healthy teenager is one who communicates their feelings and thoughts.
Journaling is a great way for your teen to record how they feel and what they’ve gotten up to in the day with their friends or family.
It also acts as a snapshot of certain activities they’ve been engaged in which they can look back on when they’re older.
As a hobby, journaling is incredibly cheap and in fact, we think that people of all ages can benefit from this pastime.
All you need is a journal and a pen to get started — alternatively, you can use a digital notepad to record your entries too, however, we think that making the deliberate effort to write your thoughts is more engaging.
14. Crochet
Crochet is a relatively simplistic way of making clothing (such as hats or jumpers) and can be a great starting point for teens to get into knitting or other more complex forms of textile-based pastimes.
Essentially, unlike knitting, you’ll be using one needle to weave your garments and once you get good enough you won’t even need to watch yourself doing it (meaning you can watch TV at the same time).
All of this can be achieved with a crochet starter kit which includes everything you’ll need to give it a good run.
In fact, it’s a low-cost hobby but can also yield some profits if you want to sell your goods online or through social media to your friends.
15. Bird Watching
If your thirteen-year-old is a nature lover then bird watching can be a brilliant hobby to help foster their interests in the natural world.
They’ll be able to sit out in the back garden or can go further afield on camping trips or family adventures where they’ll be able to spot the local wildlife from afar with some bird-watching binoculars.
In fact, aside from your binoculars, you need little else in the way of equipment making this one of the most cost-friendly hobbies on the list.
Bird watchers are known to develop skills such as being able to identify birds in the area just by listening to bird songs which is very impressive and can be useful for an assortment of wildlife-based careers.
16. Yo-Yoing
Yo-yoing is something we’ve talked about before in regards to its status as a sport, however, we’ve also looked at some of the best yoyos for beginners too which should guide you through making the right purchase for your skillset.
With that in mind, yo-yoing is a great way for teens to burn off excess energy and to keep them from fidgeting with things around them.
It’ll keep them occupied all day and can even lead to career opportunities where they can compete in yoyo tournaments around the world to show off their skills.
Not only that, but there are tons of yoyos to collect and they all look fantastic for different reasons.
Yo-yoing has all the elements of a great hobby such as collecting, progression, and can be a good way to socialize with like-minded people.
17. Jump Roping
Jump roping is probably one of the cheapest exercise hobbies you can do and can be a great way for your thirteen-year-old to stay active.
You can get a decent pair of jump ropes for very little money and they don’t need to be replaced frequently provided they’re treated with care.
In fact, there are a few different tricks you can learn with jump ropes which makes it a more interesting prospect for a teenager compared to some other exercise hobbies that are quite static.
If you’re not convinced then make sure to check out our article about jump roping as a hobby and why we love it so much.
18. Cycling
Cycling is a brilliant hobby for lots of age ranges, however, we think thirteen is a good age to start getting familiar with the roads and learning how to practice good road safety.
One of the ways to do that is to engage in a cycling hobby which will have you going on family bike rides or adventures with your friends.
You can even take a crash course in road safety in most countries around the world where they’ll teach you important tips to staying safe on your bike.
As a hobby, cycling will keep you active and it’s a great way to traverse larger distances in a shorter period of time.
This means you can go to places that aren’t usually within your grasp as a teenager which in turn, gives you a little more independence and space when you need it.
The only snag can be the initial purchase of the bike (which can be costly), however, there are plenty of cheap bike options for youngsters and teens which will last a long time if you treat them well.
19. Coding
Coding is one of our favorite hobbies which we’ve talked about at length before and we’ve even mentioned it in some of our other lists too.
That’s because coding allows you to make anything you want (within computers) such as games, apps, software, and even programs that can automate certain tasks.
In fact, learning at a young age (such as when you’re thirteen) is perfect because your brain learns quicker than when you’re older.
This means by the time you’re finished at school, you could already have an amazing career lined up making games or working for prestigious companies like Google.
20. Herb Growing
When you’re thirteen, you probably don’t have a garden of your own to work on, however, you can get to grips with some of the processes by growing your own herbs.
Not only will you get to watch something you’ve fed and watered grow into a full herb but you can also add them to your meals to enhance the flavor.
You don’t need much space to grow herbs and in fact, you can actually get a herb growing kit that’ll include everything you need to get started.
Other Key Questions Answered About Your 13-Year-Old
Is 13 still a kid?
We believe you’re still a kid at the age of 13 because you’re still not fully developed physically or mentally, however, it’s important to have some independence at this age to help you overcome challenges on your own.
Hobbies can be a great way to develop your own skills and independence as a teenager (away from your parents) whilst also being structured enough to keep you on the right path.
If you want some ideas then you can check out some of the hobby suggestions in this article or you can take a look at our huge list of hobbies for over 300 ideas.
Don’t Forget
We hope you enjoyed our article and that you now have some ideas of what hobbies a thirteen-year-old might enjoy.
Hobbies provide teens with structure and allow them to have fun at the same time which is an excellent way to improve their life.
As always, don’t forget to add our homepage for more suggestions and topics such as this one.
