Hobby

Hobbies ship with The Sims 2: Freetime. They are fun pursuits for Sims. Gain enthusiasm in hobbies by performing related activities. There are ten hobbies: Arts and Crafts, Cuisine, Film and Literature, Fitness, Games, Music and Dance, Nature, Science, Sports and Tinkering.

As Sims master activities they will unlock new interactions and uncover secret lots. A Sim has a predestined hobby and will gain enthusiasm in it faster than others. When a Sim first tries an activity in his or her predestined hobby, a chord will play, and a message will appear. Once a Sim's predestined hobby has been revealed, the enthusiasm meter for that hobby will be outlined in silver.

Unlockable Interactions
All hobbies can unlock these interactions:
 * "Talk about Hobby"
 * "Read Section ..." in Newspaper
 * "Share Hobby Tips" with a Sim
 * A Sim with this interaction unlocked will automatically share tips with others who are doing a hobby activity
 * "Browse Web About Hobby"
 * "Blog Tips About Hobby" on the computer
 * "Instruct in Hobby"
 * "Be in the Zone"

Hobby specific interactions:
 * Cuisine: Serve "Chip", "Cheese" and "Appetizer" platters
 * Film and Literature: Participate in a Book Club
 * Science: Search for Constellations, Search for Planets, Search for UFOs (with the Telescope)
 * Nature: Go Hiking, Collect beetles, butterflies and spiders
 * Fitness: Go Jogging, Make Protein Shakes

Secret Lots
Only members of the Hobby Club have access to these lots. Meet Instructors and other enthusiasts, interact with hobby specific objects, enter food or dance competitions, etc.


 * Peerless Park (Nature)
 * Will's Garage (Tinkering)
 * Games of Glory (Games)
 * My Muse - Music & Dance Studio (Music and Dance)
 * Aspirational Laboratories (Science)
 * My Muse II - Arts and Crafts Studio (Arts and Crafts)
 * Sue's Secret Kitchen (Cuisine)
 * Platinum Gym (Fitness)
 * Dreamy Fields (Sports)
 * Desirable Discourse (Film and Literature)

Instructors
Instructors are NPCs that can be found on the secret lots and can instruct Sims in their hobby. These Sims are easily encountered, usually when they walk into a house uninvited to shake the hands of a skill-building Sim and leave again. Much like the Coach, an instructor is usually an annoyance if the player is currently uninterested in raising hobby skill or if the Sim has other activities lined up. Otherwise, these Sims are only useful as friends for careers or as highly-skilled instructors who can tutor Sims on hobby lots, as they usually have a related skill at level 10.