*Collaborative post
Itching to take a break from work? Or looking to learn some new skills while having some much-needed fun?
We understand. Getting some fun in is crucial if you’re on the grind for 60 hours a week. You don’t want to become a social zombie. But if mindless fun isn’t your jam, there are some creative activities you could indulge in to let loose.
Wondering what those are? Let’s check out seven of the most fun.
1. Take a Paint and Sip Class
If a glass of red or a mug of beer is an everyday staple, you can’t go wrong with a Pinot & Picasso paint-and-sip class. And yes, that’s exactly what it sounds like.
You walk into a studio, pick a painting from the options, such as the big blue, cotton candy skies, or wine o-clock, and sip a delicious white, red, or bubbly at every brushstroke. The more you sip, the more fun it’ll get!
Plus, you don’t have to go alone. More people make these classes all the more sweeter. So, take your partner or a few mates to get in on some fun.
2. Learn an Instrument
If music is your jam, but the pop-to-rock-to-dubstep lineup of the Glastonbury Festival has long faded into the past, learning an instrument might be your next best option. Think about it: a few months of lessons, and you can make your own music!
And if that doesn’t sound too great, how about learning guitar to get some fun going on those clear-skied barbeque nights when everybody gets together? Or getting some tunes on a piano as an aside to meditation? Playing Mozart on a sunny morning is an experience.
3. Hop Onstage
Painting and instrumenting not for you? It’s time to let your inner thespian out and climb up on stage. Don’t worry. Nobody will need to see you — except your group mates, of course! If that already makes you want to slink away in embarrassment, a play might not be in the cards.
But if you can’t wait to make the 11 o’clock number, sign up for a play where you work your best voice and angles! It’s a taste of a new you for a few days.
4. Capture Beauty with a Photography Class
Hugged by rolling green fields and dotted with thousand-year forts and Roman towns, Hadrian’s wall is as gorgeous as it’s old. And we can say the same for Stonehenge, Giant’s Causeway, the Cotswolds, and a million other places across the country.
But capturing their beauty on a lens is an art — one you might want to learn if you’re a frequent traveler or planning a trip to Portree on the Isle of Skye. The pretty coastal towns and striking pink, yellow, and peach houses look torn from the pages of a Cinque Terre brochure.
Plus, with a photography class, you could work your angles — always a good-to-have skill in the tough dating world.
5. Study a Language
Want to get some creativity without needing to travel anywhere? You can let loose with language lessons. They’re fun, easy — and you can get them at your fingertips with apps like Duolingo, Memrise, and Rosetta Stone.
Plus, learning a language can increase mental agility, promote cognitive skills, and reduce brain aging. It also improves memory, and you can use a language to upskill.
For instance, you could learn German to get a higher-paying job in the EU, Mandarin Chinese to work as a translator on the side, and Korean if you’re looking to work with microchips or semiconductors.
6. Sign Up for a Cooking Class
A fluffy scone smeared with a hearty dollop of jam and clotted cream can make anybody happy. But when all three things are fresh, your happiness can know no bounds. And while bakery-made can satisfy you just as well, homemade scones are just plain better.
So, if you’re looking to whip up a tender and juicy steak or a ramen bowl straight out of Korea, a cooking class should be the first creative activity you should sign up for. After all, there’s nothing better than a delicious meal to keep your woes away.
7. Learn a Craft
Art is a healthy way to get your frustration out and heal from the chronic mental stress you’re experiencing at work, during long hours at school, or when brainstorming ways to keep your kids busy during the half-term.
And learning a craft like embroidery, quilting, crochet, shuttle tatting, beer-making, jewelry-making, leatherwork, metalwork, tattoo-designing, or book-binding is one of the best ways to indulge in art, especially if you’re looking for low-key and no-expectations experiences.
Plus, art crafts, as we’ve talked about above, are a million and one, so you can choose whatever craft strikes your fancy and spend your free time on it. It’s yours to spend, after all.