Start a new hobby

Beat the winter blues with a new hobby. Whether its learning a new game to play, picking up that project that has been waiting for a rainy day or finding a new volunteer opportunity, now is a great time to get involved in something new.

Finding your ideal hobby can be difficult, but one way to find a new hobby or build on an old one, is to look back . What did you like to do when you were small?.. Did you draw, paint, color, run, read?... think back to what you liked, and then maybe build on that.

Another way, is to go onto the Internet and see what is out there and what others are doing... you can browse until suddenly something hits you, and you realize that you would like to do that.

If you have found a hobby you think you will enjoy, start slowly.. you don't want to run to the hobby shop, and buy hundreds of pounds worth of supplies, only to find you really don't like it after all.

A new hobby does not need to be expensive, here are a few ideas that I think are cool:

• Write small plays and perform them for the camcorder. You could be the next Steven Spielberg.

• Make presents, cards and gift tags for Christmas using materials you find around the house (ask Mum or Dad if you can use them first!). What a great way to recycle.

• Get a fresh pad of paper, keep it in your room and draw a little every time you spend time there, see what you come up with.
  
  
  Childrens activites at Southampton Art Gallery
  

• Try a new musical instrument - it doesn't need to be an expensive one. you could make your own or ask mum or dad to buy you a recorder.

• Exercise a little from time to time. Make up new workouts or try a new sport.
  
  
  Sports Zone
  
  Youth Fitness Academy
  
  Activities for kids at the leisure centres
  

• Try growing some plants, you don't need a garden to do this, there are lots of things you can grow on your windowsill. You don't need expensive seeds or a trip to the garden centre, ask friends and family if you can collect seeds from their garden or take cuttings from plants that they might have. If you do have a little money you could buy a hyacinth bulb and grow it on top of an old jam jar filled with water. You will be able to see the roots growing and you will have a pretty scented flower in the middle of winter.

• Make a scrapbook, use photographs and tickets, leaflets and magazines to keep a picture diary. You can add all sorts of other things to decorate your pages including stickers, left over ribbon and lace even old buttons.

Think about what you would like to do and do it!