Free time activities – B1 English Vocabulary

Free time activities

In this Intermediate Vocabulary Lesson about Free Time Activities, you will learn essential verbs and phrasal verbs used to talk about free time and leisure activities. Check the pictures below and read the definitions and sentence examples below.



1 When you stay in, you choose to spend your time at home instead of going out.

• Last night, I stayed in and read my favorite book.

2 When you go out, you leave your home to do something enjoyable, like visiting places or seeing people.

• Tomorrow, we plan to go out for dinner.

3 When you eat out, you have a meal in a restaurant instead of at home.

• On Saturdays, we usually eat out at a new restaurant.

4 If you hang out in a place or with someone, you spend time there or with those people.

• This afternoon, I’m going to hang out with Tom and Alex at the mall.

5 When you chill out, you relax and take it easy, especially after doing something tiring or stressful.

• I just want to chill out at home after a long week at work.

6 When people get together, they meet to spend time together.

• Weekends are the only time we can all get together.

7 If you play an instrument, you make music with an instrument like a guitar, piano, or violin. Many people also play in a band in their free time.

• Playing the guitar in his free time is his favorite activity.

8 When you watch TV or a movie, you spend time looking at a television or cinema screen for entertainment.

• Last night, I watched a great movie on TV.

9 When you take up a hobby, you start doing a new activity regularly for enjoyment.

• I’d like to take up photography this year. 

10 When you work out, you do physical exercises to keep fit and healthy.

• I work out at the gym three times a week.

11 When you play sports, you participate in physical activities and games like football, basketball, or tennis.

• Every weekend we play football or volleyball on the beach.

12 You can use go with an -ing verb to describe doing an activity, like swimming, shopping, or dancing.

• This winter, we’d like to go skiing.
• Would you like to go hiking?

13 You can also use go for + a noun to describe an activity. When you go for a walk or a run, you walk or run, usually for exercise or pleasure.

• Every morning before work, I go for a run.

14 When you go to a place like a park, the beach, the cinema, the theatre, a concert, or a party, you visit these locations for entertainment or socializing.

• Tonight, we’re going to the theatre to see a play.
• We went to a great party last night.

15 When you have lessons, you learn something from a teacher. You may have music, driving, drama, etc., lessons.

• Every Thursday, she has piano lessons.

16 When you play computer games, you engage in electronic games on a computer for fun.

• He spends his evenings playing computer games.

17 When you go online, or you browse the web, you use the internet to browse websites, communicate, or do other activities.

• In the evenings, I go online to read the latest news.

18 When you spend time with someone or doing something, you use your time to be with a person or engage in an activity.

• I love to spend time with my family on weekends.
• She spends a lot of time working on her garden.

19 When you have fun or have a great time, you enjoy yourself and have an enjoyable experience.

• We had a great time at the amusement park yesterday.

20 You can also say that you enjoy yourself when you have a good time and take pleasure in what you are doing.

• At your party last night, I really enjoyed myself.

After completing the exercises in this lesson on Free Time Activities, you can use the unit’s Vocabulary Flascards to revise and help you memorize the terms.