Trying Sims 4 Hobbies in Real Life

Updated on March 6th, 2026

The Sims 4 is one of my favorite games to play, and there are a plethora of hobbies your sims can have. From painting and writing that are available in the base game to knitting in the Nifty Knitting Stuck Pack or riding in the Horse Ranch Expansion Pack, I wanted to try some of The Sims 4 hobbies in real life. Also, with the release of The Sims 4 Businesses & Hobbies Expansion Pack, I thought now would be the perfect time to share this post.

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What Hobbies are in The Sims 4?

Hobbies are activities your sims can do outside of having a job. These hobbies are often associated with a skill that your sims gain while participating in the activity. I will provide a breakdown of hobbies in The Sims 4 base game as well as hobbies from Expansion Packs, Game Packs, and Stuff Packs. As a side note, there are numerous collections in The Sims 4 base games and packs, and you could make it your sim’s hobby to complete a collection, but for this post, I will focus on actual activities your sims can do.

The Sims 4 Base Game Hobbies

• Biking
• Boxing
• Cooking and Grilling
• Fishing
• Gardening
• Jogging
• Making Drinks
• Painting
• Playing Cards
• Playing Chess
• Playing Guitar
• Playing Piano
• Playing Violin
• Programming
• Reading
• Swimming
• Taking Photos
• Video Gaming
• Woodworking
• Writing

The Sims 4 Expansion, Game, and Stuff Pack Hobbies

• Archery (Adventure Awaits Expansion Pack)
• Baking (Get to Work Expansion Pack)
• Beekeeping (Seasons Expansion Pack)
• Bowling (Bowling Night Stuff Pack)
• Candle Making (Eco Lifestyle Expansion Pack)
• Completing Puzzles (Growing Together Expansion Pack)
• Cross Stitching (Cottage Living Expansion Pack)
• Dancing (Get Together Expansion Pack)
• DJ Mixing (Get Together Expansion Pack)
• Flower Arranging (Seasons Expansion Pack)
• Jewelry Making (Crystal Creations Stuff Pack)
• Juice Fizzing (Eco Lifestyle Expansion Pack)
• Kayaking (Adventure Awaits Expansion Pack)
• Knitting (Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack)
• Making Pottery (Businesses & Hobbies Expansion Pack)
• Papercrafts (Adventure Awaits Expansion Pack)
• Playing Basketball (City Living Expansion Pack)
• Playing Dominoes and Jenga (Growing Together Expansion Pack)
• Playing Soccer (Discover University Expansion Pack)
• Practicing Meditation (Spa Day Game Pack)
• Practicing Yoga (Spa Day Game Pack)
• Riding (Horse Ranch Expansion Pack)
• Rock Climbing (Snowy Escape Expansion Pack)
• Roller Skating and Ice Skating (Seasons Expansion Pack)
• Singing (City Living Expansion Pack)
• Skiing (Snowy Escape Expansion Pack)
• Snowboarding (Snowy Escape Expansion Pack)
• Tarot Card Reading (Life and Death Expansion Pack)
• Video Making and Streaming (Get Famous Expansion Pack)
• Watching Movies (Movie Hangout Stuff Pack)

Trying Sims 4 Hobbies in Real Life

As you can tell, there are a plethora of hobbies your sims can have. I decided I wanted to try a mix of new hobbies, including candle making and jewelry making, as well as some cozy hobbies I currently do, like cooking, but I would try a new recipe from The Sims 4.

Candle Making (Eco Lifestyle Expansion Pack)

The Sims 4 Eco Lifestyle Expansion Pack added the fabrication skill along with the Candle Making Station. To use the Candle Making Station, your sims will either have to buy wax or collect wax from soybean plants or from bees if you have the Seasons Expansion Pack. Your sims will also need dye and bits and pieces that they can get from recycling items. From there, they can make a candle.

I have never made candles before, but I found a candle-making kit from Creativ Company. The kit is on a much smaller scale than making candles in The Sims 4, but it has everything you need to make two candles, including the tins, wax, wicks, gemstones, and labels. The gemstones included are amethyst and aventurine, and amethyst is one of the gemstones you can find in The Sims 4. The amethyst candle is a fun nod to the game. Making candles is similar to making melt and pour soap, where you melt the wax, pour it into the container, and let it sit. After some time, you add amethyst to the top. The two candles were easy to make, and I can definitely see myself making more candles. Also, these candles are unscented, so I would be interested in making my own scented candles in the future.

Cooking (Base Game)

Cooking is one of my favorite cozy hobbies, and I thought it would be fun to try a new recipe from The Unofficial Sims Cookbook. One of the recipes I wanted to try is for Baked Chocolate Mouse, which your sims can make at level 6 of the cooking skill.

The recipe was easy to make, and you only need butter, chocolate, an egg, cream of tartar, sugar, vanilla, and whipped cream for the top. The chocolate mouse is supposed to be baked in an 8-ounce ramekin. However, I did not have any, so I used silicone cupcake molds instead. It did work out, though, and the mousse was delicious. It was fun trying another recipe from The Unofficial Sims Cookbook, and I would love to try more Sims 4 recipes in the future.

Jewelry Making (Crystal Creations Stuff Pack)

The Crystal Creations Stuff Pack added the gemology skill and the All-In-One Gemology Table By Humphrey, Inc. where your sims can make jewelry. Your sims can make necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings, and you can pick the design, metal, and gemstone for each piece.

I found a jewelry-making kit from Creativ Company, and with the kit, you can make two bracelets with quartz. One of the gemstones your sims can use when making jewelry is quartz. Also, you can charge gemstones at night with the Crystal Creations Stuff Pack, and the gemstones will have bonus effects. When quartz is charged, sims gain double satisfaction points when completing wants and aspirations.

I have made one of the bracelets from the kit, and it did require patience to string every single bead. It was a bit tricky to connect the end pieces and clasp, but I think the bracelet turned out well. I also love the quartz pieces. I will make the second bracelet soon, though it is simpler with a quartz piece added to a chain. However, I do not wear much jewelry, so I will likely not make jewelry for myself in the future. That said, I could see myself making jewelry as gifts.

Painting (Base Game)

Painting is a base game skill in The Sims 4. There are a plethora of paintings your sims can make in all different styles, from abstract and pop art paintings to landscape and realism paintings. As sims level up in their painting skill, they will unlock more styles of paintings.

It has been some time since I did an acrylic painting, and I wanted to revisit this hobby. I was inspired by the small freezer bunny pop art painting that sims can do at level 7 of the painting skill. The painting depicts four separate freezer bunnies in various colors, and I painted a pink freezer bunny on a blue background. I enjoyed painting the freezer bunny, and now I have art I can display!

Final Thoughts

It was fun trying new hobbies and revisiting older hobbies based on The Sims 4. I do want to try even more hobbies now, including trying one of the baking recipes and also cross-stitching. Furthermore, the Business & Hobbies Expansion Pack is adding the pottery skill, and I think it would be fun to try that as well.

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Would you try any of these Sims 4 hobbies in real life?