Ever notice how adulthood feels like one big remix of childhood? I swear half the things we do for “stress relief” now are basically the grown-up versions of the stuff we obsessed over as kids. And honestly? I love that for us.
We may pay bills and answer emails with a straight face, but deep down, we all chase the fun we had before life got complicated. Ever catch yourself doing something and think, “Wow… I basically did this when I was seven”? Exactly my point.
Let me walk you through a few hobbies that prove we never really grow up—we just upgrade our toys. FYI, you might laugh at yourself a little here.
1) Photography Is Just Playing With Cameras
I picked up my first camera at nine, and I spent hours taking blurry pictures of my dog, random trees, and the ceiling for reasons I still don’t understand. Fast-forward to today, and I walk around with a DSLR like I’m about to shoot the cover of National Geographic. But really? Photography is just “grown-up camera time.”
Ever wonder why taking pictures feels so satisfying? Because it scratches the same itch: pointing, clicking, discovering, and capturing moments that make us go, “Ooooh, that looks cool.” We just swapped disposable film cameras for devices that cost as much as rent.
What I love about photography now is that it lets me geek out on things like:
- Sharp lenses that make your phone camera cry
- Lighting tricks that instantly elevate a shot
- Editing tools that feel like digital magic wands
And honestly, IMO nothing beats that tiny spark of joy you get when you nail a shot. It’s the adult equivalent of showing your mom a unicorn doodle and expecting praise. And we still want that praise—don’t pretend you don’t.
2) Cooking Elaborate Meals Is Playing With Your Food
Remember when you mixed ketchup with rice, added some biscuit crumbs, and called it a “recipe”? Yeah… we all did weird things in the kitchen as kids. Now we call it “experimenting with flavors”, which is basically the same thing but with nicer ingredients and fewer food-coloring disasters.
Cooking elaborate meals hits the same creative nerve, just with a little more purpose. Ever wonder why you feel like a mad scientist when you try a new recipe? Because you’re still playing—only now the stakes are higher because you actually want dinner to be edible.
What makes adult cooking feel so bougie compared to childhood chaos?
- We buy fancy spices that sound like spells from a wizard textbook
- We plate food nicely, even though we devour it in three minutes
- We watch cooking shows like they’re intense sports matches
Cooking lets you play, experiment, build, destroy, and create—just like when you were a kid in the kitchen. Only now you can brag about it on Instagram and pretend you’re a culinary genius.
3) Video Games Are Still Just Playing Pretend
When I was a kid, I spent afternoons pretending I was a superhero, a race-car driver, and sometimes a dragon (don’t judge me). Today, I pick up a controller and—surprise—it’s the exact same thing, but with better graphics, fewer costumes, and no need to jump off furniture.
Video games are ultimate adult escapism, and we love them because they revive that childhood sense of unlimited worlds. Ever feel strangely proud after winning a match or beating a boss? That’s your inner child doing victory laps.
Why do video games feel like adult pretend time?
- You pick identities—warrior, pilot, space explorer
- You enter entire worlds where rules magically make sense
- You problem-solve like a kid outsmarting imaginary enemies
What cracks me up is how we call gaming “self-care” now. Back then? Teachers said it would “rot our brains.” Joke’s on them—I can parallel park like a pro thanks to racing games. (Probably.)
4) Gardening Is Making Mud Pies With Purpose
If you ever made mud pies, mixed leaves in buckets of water, or planted “mystery seeds” in the backyard, congratulations: you were basically a tiny gardener. And now? You just do it with nicer pots and fewer worms.
Gardening pulls you right back to those days when playing in the dirt felt like the height of creativity. Ever wonder why touching soil feels therapeutic? Maybe because gardening is just dirt playtime with adult justification.
What makes gardening feel like adult mud pies?
- You dig, scoop, water, pat, and decorate—sound familiar?
- You watch things grow, which always felt like magic
- You get your hands messy, and suddenly it counts as a “hobby”
I swear, every time I plant a seed, I feel like I’m eight again and expecting it to sprout overnight. Growing plants takes patience—something none of us had as kids, but we pretend to have now.
And let’s be honest… we still get way too excited when we see a new leaf.
5) Collecting Vinyl Records Is Organized Hoarding
If you ever collected stickers, cards, coins, marbles, comics—literally anything—then vinyl collecting will feel like déjà vu. Vinyl is the adult version of hoarding with aesthetic value, and I mean that with absolute love.
Ever feel an unreasonable amount of pride when you add a new record to your shelf? That’s the same energy as showing off a new Pokémon card back in school.
Why does vinyl collecting hit that nostalgic sweet spot?
- You hunt for rare pieces, just like treasure hunts as a kid
- You care about condition, which is hilarious because we never cared about anything staying clean back then
- You display your collection like it belongs in a museum
And the funniest part? Half of us buy vinyl for albums we stream daily. But the ritual, the artwork, the warm sound—that’s what makes it special. It’s childhood collecting but with a cooler soundtrack.
6) Building Things in Workshops Is Advanced LEGO
If you ever built forts, LEGO castles, cardboard cities, or random structures nobody understood, you now have a direct path into adulthood known as DIY workshops. And let me tell you, this hobby feels like unlocking the final boss level of childhood creativity.
Every time I walk into a workshop and smell wood, I feel like I’m about to build something unnecessarily cool. Ever notice how holding a power tool instantly makes you feel superior? It’s the grown-up equivalent of holding the “special” LEGO brick.
Why is building stuff the ultimate adult LEGO experience?
- You follow plans or create your own—just like LEGO manuals
- You piece things together, but with screws instead of plastic pegs
- You get the same “I MADE THIS!” pride you had as a kid
Honestly, people who love building things never grew out of assembling worlds out of tiny blocks. We just upgraded to tools that can cut our fingers off, so maybe don’t get too nostalgic while you’re working.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, we’re all just grown-up kids with nicer toys, bigger budgets, and way more responsibilities than we asked for. These hobbies don’t just keep us entertained—they reconnect us to the pure, uncomplicated joy we felt before adulting showed up uninvited.
So next time you’re snapping photos, cooking something fancy, gaming until 2 AM, digging in the garden, flipping through vinyl, or building something in your workshop, remember this: you never stopped being that creative, curious kid—you just evolved.
And honestly? That feels pretty great.
Now tell me—what childhood hobby did you unknowingly turn into an adult obsession?
