Looking for a list of all hobbies in The Sims 2? The Sims 2: Freetime expansion introduced 10 hobbies for Sims to pick up, each with a different associated career and secret lot. Read on for a list of all hobbies and more information on how to unlock them in The Sims 2.
Sims 2 hobbies list
As mentioned above, there are 10 possible hobbies to pick up if you have The Sims 2: Freetime installed. These can be discovered when Sims perform an activity associated with the hobby. You’ll know when this happens as the game will issue a pop-up message in the top right corner telling you that a Sim has discovered a new hobby.
Sims with certain personality traits are predisposed to pick up a hobby relating to their traits. You can check a Sim’s personality traits by navigating to the ‘Hobby Enthusiasm’ menu (click on the head symbol, then the kite symbol on the bottom left panel). Here are all the available hobbies in The Sims 2, which personality types are more pre-disposed to pick them up, and which activities may trigger them.
| Hobby | Personality traits | Activities to raise enthusiasm |
|---|---|---|
| Arts and Crafts | Sloppy, Nice | Regularly view art and photo albums. Create art pieces like paintings or pottery. Flower arranging, sewing and toy making also raise enthusiasm for Arts and Crafts. |
| Cuisine | Neat, Lazy | Cook, bartend, or simply eat food. You can also enter cooking contests and write restaurant guides. Use a Schokolade 890 Chocolate Manufacturing Facility for an extra boost. |
| Film and Literature | Shy, Lazy | You can raise enthusiasm by watching most TV programs, particularly the Sims Broadcasting Network, KidzTube, or a movie. You can also write a novel or simply read books from a bookcase. |
| Fitness | Outgoing, Active | Any physical activity will generally raise Fitness enthusiasm. This includes activities like jogging, yoga, swimming, rope jumping, ice skating, and roller skating. You can also take a spin on the Electro Dance Sphere. |
| Games | Playful, Grouchy | Play computer games, video games, pool, poker, chess, arcade games, or darts. You can also go bowling or enter a gaming contest. |
| Music and Dance | Outgoing, Serious | The easiest way to raise enthusiasm for Music and Dance is to (unsurprisingly) perform music with an instrument or dance. You can also enter a dance contest, listen to an MP3 player, and DJ at a booth. Doing ballet exercises and singing karaoke also works. |
| Nature | Sloppy, Playful | In general, be outside and engage in nature activities like bird watching, catching bugs, cloud watching, watering flowers, and feeding fish. Gardening, raking leaves, sleeping in tents, and fishing can also contribute. |
| Science | Neat, Serious | The easiest way to earn enthusiasm for science is by stargazing through a telescope. You can also observe ants, summon aliens, and use various science equipment like the Surgical Training Station or Weathernaught 57X. |
| Sports | Active, Grouchy | Play sports like catch, soccer, boxing, basketball, golf, or kicky bag. You can also toss a football, go axe throwing, and log rolling. |
| Tinkering | Shy, Nice | Have your Sim repair broken electrical objects to quickly raise enthusiasm for Tinkering. You can also raise your level by playing with toy robots, RC toys, restoring the junk car, and using the robot crafting station. |
Along with the activities listed above, you can also gain enthusiasm for any hobby by browsing or blogging about the topic on a PC. You can also read hobby magazines, their respective sections in the daily newspaper, or talk about the topic with other Sims.
A Sim’s enthusiasm level for a hobby isn’t the same as their skill level. A Sim may find enjoyment in cooking, for example, but have a low cooking skill. To see a Sim’s skill levels to compare, navigate to the ‘Skills & Career’ panel represented by the desk icon at the bottom left of the screen.
Predestined hobbies
Although a Sim may pick up any hobby, each Sim will have a special predestined hobby that they are more enthused with and will gain levels in faster than others. This is determined by your Sim’s personality traits.
Once discovered, the hobby will be outlined in silver in the ‘Hobby Enthusiasm’ panel, a special noise will sound and you’ll get a pop-up message saying “I’m very excited that I tried this [hobby name]! That was a lot of fun!”.
Hobbies and careers
Certain hobbies are connected to careers. When a Sim excels at a hobby, they may be approached with a job offer at an elevated level, giving them a fast track onto the career ladder. The following hobbies can help you get a starting jump on these careers:
| Hobby | Career |
|---|---|
| Arts and Crafts | Artist |
| Cuisine | Culinary |
| Film and Literature | Entertainment, Journalism, Show Business |
| Fitness | Adventurer |
| Games | Gamer |
| Music and Dance | Music, Dance |
| Nature | Natural Scientist |
| Science | Science |
| Sports | Athletic |
| Tinkering | Intelligence, Military |
Secret hobby lots
When a Sim gets to level 5 ‘Enthusiasm’ for a hobby, they may receive a visit at their lot by an ‘Instructor’. Instructors are masters of a particular hobby and can coach other Sims to help them gain levels faster. They will usually introduce themselves to your Sim and then leave. You’ll be able to visit them again at their associated secret lot.
Alternatively, they may just leave a message with your Sim, inviting them to a Secret Lot. You’ll know when you’ve got access as there will be a membership card icon next to the Hobby Enthusiasm meter.
To visit a secret lot, prepare your Sim to travel (select your Sim and select the ‘Walk to Community Lot’ option or call a Taxi). From the neighborhoods menu, select ‘Hobbies’. This will show you the secret lots you can travel to. The following secret lots will unlock depending on your hobby:
| Hobby | Secret Lot | Lot activities |
|---|---|---|
| Arts and Crafts | My Muse II | Pottery wheels Easels Drafting Tables Sewing machines Activity Table |
| Cuisine | Sue’s Secret Kitchen | Kitchen utensils Chocolate Manufacturing Facility Cooking judge |
| Film and Literature | Desirable Discourse | TV screen Bookcases Computers Bar |
| Fitness | Platinum Gym | Indoor pool Gym equipment Obstacle Course |
| Games | Games of Glory | Pinball Pool Computers Video games Chess Swimming pool |
| Music and Dance | My Muse | Musical instruments DJ booth Ballet studio |
| Nature | Peerless Park | AquaGreen Hydroponic Gardens Koi Pond Birdwatching spots Bug-catching spots |
| Science | Aspirational Laboratories | Telescope Surgical Training Station Biotech Station Ant farm |
| Sports | Dreamy Fields | Soccer nets Basketball hoops Execuputter golf course Punching bags |
| Tinkering | Will’s Garage | Computers Train set RC toys Tinkering spots |
Children cannot gain membership to a secret hobby lot. However, if they have a level 5 ‘Hobby Enthusiasm’ in any of the hobbies, they can do so when they become teens. It is usually beneficial to befriend Instructors as this goes towards gaining promotions in their associated careers.
How to get a Genie lamp
If you reach level 10 ‘Hobby Enthusiasm’ in any hobby whilst also achieving a high Lifetime Aspiration level, there is a chance the matchmaker NPC will visit your lot with a Genie Lamp. If you interact with the lamp and rub it, a Genie will appear and grant your Sim three wishes.
These wishes can range from money to attraction and even have the power to bring a Sim back to life. Careful though, if the Genie is in a bad mood they may sabotage the wish and bring them back as a zombie.
That rounds up our guide to all hobbies in The Sims 2. For more tips and tricks, check out our guide to all WooHoo locations, ways to kill Sims, and how to get abducted by aliens.
