Free Time Activities
English Vocabulary
Free time = The time when you are not working, when you can choose what you do.
Free time = leisure time
What do you do in your free time?
General Free Time Activities
Go to the cinema - to see Hollywood blockbuster movies, Bollywood movies (from India), art films, animated films. You can also say go to the movies.
Some film categories are: Comedy, Drama, Horror, Thriller, Action, Science Fiction (Sci-Fi), Fantasy, Documentary, Musical.
Watch TV - Different types of television programs are: The News, Soap Operas, Criminal Investigation Dramas, Medical Dramas, Reality TV, Situation Comedies (Sit-Coms), Talk Shows, Documentaries, Cartoons, Game Shows, Sports programs, Movies, Political programs, Religious programs.
Spend time with family - You can do many things with your family. Usually, the fact that you are together is more important than the activity.
Go out with friends - You can also do many things with your friends, like go out to a bar, go dancing at a club, have dinner at a restaurant, play a sport, sit down and talk, go out for a coffee, have a barbecue, or any other activity that you all enjoy. Or sometimes when you don't do anything specific, you can say hang out with friends.
Surf the internet - On the internet, you can research a topic you are interested in using a search engine, visit your favourite websites, watch music videos, create your own video and upload it for other people to see, maintain contact with your friends using a social networking site, write your thoughts in a blog, learn what is happening in the world by reading news websites, etc.
Play video games - You can play games on your computer or on a game consoles, like PlayStation, X-Box, Wii, PSP, Gameboy, etc. You can play on your own or with your friends or family.
Play a musical instrument - Learn to play the piano, guitar, violin, cello, flute, piano accordion, mouth organ, panpipes, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, etc. You can play on your own or with a group, such as a band or an orchestra.
Listen to music - Turn up the volume and listen to your favourite type of music, such as pop, rock, hip hop, rhythm & blues, blues, jazz, classical, soul, heavy metal.
Read - Many people love to read both fiction and non-fiction books and magazines. If you like fiction, you can read novels, short stories, crime fiction, romance, etc. If you like non-fiction, you can read biographies, autobiographies, or books on history, science, philosophy, religion, or any other topic you are interested in.
Write - Many people like to write in their diary. Another name for a diary is a journal. You can also write many other things, such as poetry, novels, letters, short stories, etc. (See under Read for more options).
Go to the park - You can go to the park alone, with family or with friends. You can take a picnic rug and a picnic basket and have a picnic. You can read, sleep, kick a football around, climb trees or play on the children's playground.
Go to cultural locations and events - There are many types of cultural locations and events. You can go to the museum, to an art gallery or to the zoo to see animals from around the world. You can go to concerts, plays, musicals, dance recitals and opera performances.
Go shopping - Many people like to go to shopping malls and areas of the city that are known for shopping to buy clothes or items for their houses and gardens.
Cook - Many people like to cook different types of food. You can make meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can bake cakes, cookies, slices and pastries in the oven. Some people boast that they have a special recipe - ask them to cook it for you!
Study something - There are many things that you can study just because you find it interesting! You can study a language; you can learn a skill, such as cooking or making furniture; or you can even study the hieroglyphs of the ancient Egyptians, if you want to!
Art and crafts - There are many, many arts and crafts that you can learn and practice. You can paint, draw, sew, crochet, knit, sculpt, engrave, make furniture, make jewelry, or you can even create your own new art form!
Gardening - You can plant flowers, vegetables or herbs and maintain your garden by watering it, pulling the weeds and feeding it with fertilizer.
Exercise and play a sport - To stay fit and healthy, you can do exercise alone, such as swimming or working out at a gym, or you can play a team sport, such as football or basketball. For more information on sports and exercise, go to our Sports Page.
Next Activity
See our list of 101 free time activities in English.
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