In the realm of hobbies, not all are created equal. On one end of the spectrum are the “normal” pastimes, and on the other, you find more unusual, funny, and downright bizarre activities that people enjoy.
Today, you’ll learn:
- Why people love these hobbies
- Fun facts about these strange hobbies
- Benefits of learning weird hobbies
Some of these might not be your cup of tea, but life would be boring if we all had the same tastes. Besides, these hobbies make for great entertainment for the rest of us.
Let’s take a look at some unusual pastimes that people get into around the world.
Hobby 1: Meme Painting
Move over, regular painting. There’s a new sheriff in town—meme painting!
Memes brighten dull days with their humor and give us something interesting to focus on for a while. However, most memes stay popular for only a few weeks before being overtaken by the latest ones.
That’s why people like Travis Chapman have taken to immortalizing memes through painting. He considers his work as a way to memes if an electromagnetic pulse event wipes out the internet.
Travis also loves meme painting because it adds fun to his daily painting sessions, which are rather intense when he does conventional painting subjects.
Hobby 2: Competitive Duck Herding
Duck herding is a popular outdoor team-building activity in parts of the UK.
This activity involves using trained dogs to guide groups of ducks around an obstacle course and into a closing pen. Teams compete against each other to see who gets the ducks into the pen first.
People take to this hobby because it builds patience, teamwork, good communication, and listening skills. It’s also humorous to both the participants and the audience.
Fans of this sport also appreciate its family-friendly nature. There’s nothing quite like a day out with the family watching flocks of ducks racing.
Hobby 3: Hobby Horse Racing
Hobby horses are just toys, right? Wrong.
They’re also essential components of hobby horse racing, which is a legitimate competitive sport.
Participants praise his unusual hobby because they can do most of what’s done with real horses, while being much more accessible and cheaper than conventional horse riding. It also gives people the room to incorporate a vast array of designs and colors making the sport visually appealing.
Hobby horse racing has several different components:
- Show jumping
- Mounted games
- Cross country
- Dressage
- Freestyling to music
- Going out on trail rides
The sport is particularly popular in Finland and has also taken off in other countries, such as Australia, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland.
Hobby 4: Yarn Bombing
Yarn bombing is basically graffiti, but with yarn—alternatively know as guerrilla knitting and yarnstorming. Unlike regular graffiti, it can be done on almost any surface, including trees, adding a pop of color to neighborhoods and cheering up people walking by. It’s also a creative way to protest or make a statement about important causes.
People who yarn bomb use it to raise awareness about the art of knitting while having loads of fun. They also view it as a type of unique urban beautification.
In addition, yarn bombing allows people to express their creativity through a wide variety of designs.
Below are some yarn bombing designs by Magda Sayeg:
| Street Installations |  |  |
| Indoor Installations |  |  |
| Installations in Nature |  |  |
Fun fact: The first International Yarn Bombing Day was held on the 11th of June, 2011.
Hobby 5: Extreme Ironing (EI)
Would you ever have imagined ironing getting extreme? Well, it does happen in some parts of the world.
EI enthusiasts have carried out this strange hobby in places such as:
- The middle of a street
- In canoes
- On mountainsides
- While skiing
- Under a frozen lake
- In forests
- In swimming pools
This unusual sport has diehard fans in Austria, Croatia, Chile, Germany, Australia, and Japan, and even has an annual world championship.
Given that purists say the iron has to be hot, this presents an extra level of danger, but EI lovers take it all in stride for the joy of a well-pressed shirt.
Fun fact: Tony Hiam invented extreme ironing in 1980, in the Yorkshire Dales National Park in England.
Hobby 6: Making Jello Art
It’s always a plus when a hobby involves food. Jello art involves making three-dimensional edible artistic designs encased in sweetened gelatin. Other names for this hobby are jelly art, 3D gelatin dessert, and 3D gelatin cakes.
The most popular gelatin designs are floral, but you can try other forms, such as:
- Beer bottles for beer-themed events
- Miniature babies for baby showers
- Fish or birds for nature lovers
Apart from the yummy results, jello art crafters love it because they get to create something beautiful from scratch, while finding it relaxing and meditative.
Although some artists make their work purely for enjoyment, others sell the desserts as well as jelly powder, tools and molds. This is an alternative source of income if you’re interested, or can be a cool business idea for your kids.
Fun fact: One of the earliest forms of gelatin art is aspic—savory ingredients suspended in gelatin made of meat stock. It was invented in the 14th century to keep meat fresh.
Hobby 7: Taxidermy
Taxidermy hobbyists all over the globe are determined to keep this art form from dying.
Modern day practitioners have adopted creative compositions, such as fashion accessories in contrast to the traditional hunter-style taxidermy.
The practice is a unique way for them to show their appreciation for nature. If you’ve lost pets, find comfort in the practice as you get to immortalize your furry friends. It also builds patience since sessions take up to four hours each.
Hobbies Exist for Every Taste
Whatever activity you consider strange, unusual, or funny, someone out there views it as something that brings joy into their lives. And that is what hobbies are all about.
Would you take up any of these weird hobbies?
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