National Hobby Month on the Shore: What’s Your Pick?

January is National Hobby Month. Use this distinction to interject a little fun into your month, and learn a new skill, or revisit something you used to love, but haven’t had the time to do recently. Hobbies serve a wide-range of purposes—they can be time-fillers, activities done with a like-minded group of friends, a way to bring family members closer, or even turn into a career change. Below you’ll find suggestions for hobbies that can be partaken in, all over the shore.

Michaels, locally found in Ocean City, MD, Salisbury, MD, and Rehoboth Beach, MD is a chain retailer known for supplying crafters with their necessary provisions. They also offer classes so you too, can embrace your inner artiste. In the month of January Michaels offers fine art painting classes, cake decorating, bead stringing, and wire wrapping classes. Visit their website to look for your local store for complete class listings.

The Ocean Pines Community Center in Ocean Pines, MD offers classes and activities for all ages, (for residents and non-residents.) Little kids can participate in music classes or soccer; older children can take theater workshops or play a variety of sports including basketball and dodge ball. Knitting and crocheting have become very popular activities and both classes are offered at the Community Center in three separate sessions. Adult sports are also offered. Residents closer to Ocean City, MD should visit their local Rec. Department, Delaware residents can find similar programs at their local Sussex County YMCA , and Salisbury, MD and residents from points west may find the Mid-Delmarva YMCA most convenient.

Thanks to the popularity of the primetime TV show, Dancing With the Stars, ballroom dancing isn’t just for prospective brides and grooms wishing to make an impression at their receptions. More and more people are taking dance classes and enjoying the perks that often accompany the activity—increased mobility and grace, better posture, and even weight loss. Locally, visit Dancing on the Shore for classes offered.

Swimming on the Atlantic Coast isn’t just for the summer months. Take the opportunity in the winter to learn, and get certified in, scuba diving. Winter classes are offered jointly through OC Dive Boat and the Ocean Pines Sports Core Pool. Online classroom requirement and pool portion are completed through this course. Once the course is completed and April rolls around, you will have the opportunity to further your training with OC Dive Boats in the Atlantic Ocean, working your way up to major dive sites like the recently sunk U.S.S. Radford!

Get in shape while learning skills in self-defense and discipline. Chesapeake Martial Arts in West Ocean City, MD offers traditional martial arts courses for children and adults, as well as new “buzzed about” classes like Cage Fitness. Coming up on January 28^th, Krav Maga seminar on self-defense—learn from a Krav Maga second degree black belt. More information.

Local library branches offer plenty of free programs to participate in, from basket making to fireside chats and book discussions. Worcester County residents can find adult and children’s programs here. Another option is to create your own book club—a long standing activity for like-minded individuals and certainly an appropriate pastime for cold winter months.

Another opportunity to form a group exists in what used to be known as “sewing circles.” Women would gather and sew together, sometimes seasonally for new clothing, or more recently, for charitable causes. A new variation of this activity is to group together several creative souls who each offer a different skill, and participant’s trade-off in teaching one another. Examples could include a baker, a chef, a decorator, a seamstress, a painter, etc.

Speaking of sewing, coming up this week, ShoreBread will feature an article, “Sharing Love, One Dress at a Time,” about a local sewing class where young girls learned how to make pillowcase dresses for their counterparts in Africa. In the same vein as a traditional sewing circle, this class went a step beyond by sharing a skill with a new generation, who in turn helped out young girls in need. Sometimes hobbies can make a difference—celebrate National Hobby Month by getting started with your new favorite pastime.

As always, please share with us your personal stories—if you have a unique hobby, or even a pastime that turned into a rewarding career, share your story with us, and we may feature you in an upcoming article. Contact us at submissions@shorebread.com.

Photo by Ami Reist.