Activity Description: Scouts choose and try a new hobby on their own, then reflect on how it uses movement, coordination, or expression.
- Fulfills Step 5 of GSUSA Me Time badge requirements.
Info Needed: Scouts reflect on how their bodies help them try new things. They pick a new hobby and see how it involves movement, coordination, or expression.
Items Needed:
- Beginner Hobby List (printed or read below)
- (Optional) Pencil or crayon
- (Optional) Paper for drawing or reflection
Instructions (Estimated Total Time: 20–25 minutes):
- Pick and Try (12–15 minutes)
- Choose one hobby from the list that you haven’t done before or make your own up
- Try the hobby by yourself in a fun, safe way
- You can move, be silly, calm, or creative, whatever matches your choice
- (Optional) draw or write what you did
- Reflect and Share (5–6 minutes)
- Circle or mark the hobby you tried
- Think about these questions:
- Did you enjoy it?
- Would you try it again another day?
- Did it make you feel happy, calm, excited, or proud?
- What kind of movements did it need?
- Wrap-Up (2–4 minutes)
- Draw a smiley face or your favorite moment from the activity
- (Optional) Show a grown-up what you discovered about your hobby style!
Sample Hobby List
Here’s a list of hobbies anyone can try without needing special supplies, just everyday items most households already have.
Creative & Expressive Hobbies
- Drawing or doodling (paper + pencil or crayon)
- Storytelling or writing short poems
- Singing favorite songs or making up new ones
- Dancing to music (any speaker or phone works!)
- Making up jokes or riddles
- Acting out pretend scenes or characters
Thinking & Imagination Hobbies
- Playing “I Spy” or memory games
- Inventing a new game or challenge
- Creating a scavenger hunt for yourself or others
- Building with blocks, LEGO, or household items
- Making up a secret code or language
- Designing a pretend menu or restaurant
Movement-Based Hobbies
- Jumping rope or skipping
- Stretching or yoga poses
- Obstacle course with pillows or furniture
- Shadow dancing or freeze dancing
- Animal walks (crab, bear, bunny, dinosaur)
Nature & Observation Hobbies
- Watching clouds and naming shapes
- Listening for birds or outdoor sounds
- Collecting leaves or rocks and sorting them
- Tracing shadows with chalk or paper
- Making a weather journal
Quiet & Solo Hobbies
- Solving puzzles or brain teasers
- Sorting toys by color, size, or type
- Reading or looking through picture books
- Organizing a collection (stickers, cards, etc.)
- Making paper airplanes and testing them
Does It Count as a Hobby?
Want to make your own hobby?
A hobby is something you like to do just for fun! It’s not homework or chores. It’s an activity that makes you happy, excited, or proud. You can do a hobby by yourself or with others, and you don’t have to be perfect at it. Hobbies are all about enjoying the activity, learning something new, or doing something that feels relaxing or silly. Ask yourself these questions:
- Do I want to do this again, even if I mess up a little?
- Does this activity make me smile, feel calm, or feel proud?
- Am I doing this for fun, not because someone told me to?
- Do I choose this activity during my free time?
If you said “yes” to most of those questions, that activity could be a hobby! Hobbies don’t need fancy supplies or big goals. If the activity brings you joy and you do it during your free time just because you enjoy it, then it’s a hobby.
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