Sarah Hinds-Friedl

School Holiday Ideas in Melbourne: Kids Cooking Classes Will Work a Treat

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Keep your kids entertained these school holidays with cooking classes for kids in Melbourne! Cooking classes are fun and teach children valuableKeep your kids entertained these school holidays with cooking classes for kids in Melbourne! Cooking classes are fun and teach children valuable life skills ...

How to Reuse Your Coffee Grounds

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Discover seven creative ways to reuse your coffee grounds and help the planet after you've learned to make the best coffee at a barista course inDiscover seven creative ways to reuse your coffee grounds and help the planet after you've learned to make the best coffee at a barista course in Melbourne. ...

Fun Corporate Team Building Activities in Brisbane Everyone Will Love

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Inspire your colleagues with the best team building activities in Brisbane and connect over anything from smartphone photography to crafty wheelInspire your colleagues with the best team building activities in Brisbane and connect over anything from smartphone photography to crafty wheel throwing! ...

Make Your Own Cocktails in Melbourne (2025)

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Mix, shake and stir margaritas and martinis like a pro with cocktail making classes in Melbourne!

Bring the Party to You with Mobile Paint and Sip Classes in Melbourne

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Elevate your team building or private paint party with mobile paint and sip classes in Melbourne!

Easy Arts and Crafts Classes to Jumpstart Your Creativity

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Release your inner creativity with these beginner-friendly art classes in Melbourne, from playing with resin art to snapping good photos.

7 Unique Cocktail Experiences in Sydney You Need to Know About

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Start your night out with cocktail classes in Sydney and learn how to shake, muddle, stir from experienced bartenders. Fun, educational and tastStart your night out with cocktail classes in Sydney and learn how to shake, muddle, stir from experienced bartenders. Fun, educational and tasty! ...

14 Classy Hens Party Ideas in Melbourne

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Explore classy hens party ideas for elegant brides with unique arts and crafts classes and experiences. Enjoy fancy fun with flower crowns, cookingExplore classy hens party ideas for elegant brides with unique arts and crafts classes and experiences. Enjoy fancy fun with flower crowns, cooking and more. ...

Taste Authentic American BBQ at Cooking Classes in Melbourne

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Try BBQ cooking classes in Melbourne and learn all about the history of American BBQ and how to smoke meats to perfection!

Why You Should Try Candle Making Classes in Melbourne

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Discover the joy of candle making classes in Melbourne! Unwind, socialise and make personalised eco-friendly candles. A perfect new hobby for allDiscover the joy of candle making classes in Melbourne! Unwind, socialise and make personalised eco-friendly candles. A perfect new hobby for all skill levels. ...

Stuck for Team Building Ideas in Brisbane? Why Team Cooking Classes Work

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Encourage team bonding and boost workplace wellbeing with some of the best group cooking classes in Brisbane!

7 Surprising Photography Techniques You'll Learn in Photography Classes

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Learn how to use your DSLR camera, master your smartphones camera settings, and other photography techniques at photography classes in Brisbane!

What a Beginners Photography Class Can Teach You About Yourself

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Make the most of your camera settings, discover new things about yourself and be inspired at Brisbane photography classes. Explore Brisbane andMake the most of your camera settings, discover new things about yourself and be inspired at Brisbane photography classes. Explore Brisbane and yourself. ...

Take Cooking Class in Melbourne and Join the Sustainable Food Movement

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Dive into Melbourne cooking classes to learn how to cook mouthwatering dishes, meal plan, reduce your takeaway consumption and shop local. 

Floristry Workshops Have Hidden Benefits (2025)

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Discover the wellbeing benefits of being surrounded by flowers at floristry classes in Sydney!

What You Can Expect to Learn at Photography Classes in Brisbane

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Capture the beauty of your surrounds at these hands-on photography courses in Brisbane and take home photography tips that’ll have you snappingCapture the beauty of your surrounds at these hands-on photography courses in Brisbane and take home photography tips that’ll have you snapping away! ...

Looking for Hens Weekend Ideas in Melbourne? Try a Staycation

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

In need of hens weekend ideas in Melbourne? Rent a house, stock up on the bride-to-be’s favourite snacks and wine and bring a perfume blendingIn need of hens weekend ideas in Melbourne? Rent a house, stock up on the bride-to-be’s favourite snacks and wine and bring a perfume blending workshop to you... ...

Master Latte Art Designs at Barista Classes in Melbourne

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Up your coffee making game when you learn how to make coffee pretty with latte art classes in Melbourne. Learn how to make hearts to tulips andUp your coffee making game when you learn how to make coffee pretty with latte art classes in Melbourne. Learn how to make hearts to tulips and rosettas! ...

Alternative Experience Gifts for Him in Sydney

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Surprise your man with these unique experience gifts for him in Sydney that will explore a side of him you might never even have known existed!

Why Barista Courses in Melbourne Are Trending in 2025

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

From brewing at home to sustainable coffee cups, discover why barista courses in Melbourne will be some of the best coffee trends to look out forFrom brewing at home to sustainable coffee cups, discover why barista courses in Melbourne will be some of the best coffee trends to look out for in 2025. ...

The History of Ikebana: The Japanese Art of Flower Arrangement (2025)

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Boost your creativity and improve your mental health with Ikebana — an ancient Japanese flower arranging technique.

Get Mindful with the Most Relaxing Art Classes Adelaide Has to Offer

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Brush away your worries and drift into mindfulness with these art classes in Adelaide, guaranteed to help you slow down and focus on the presentBrush away your worries and drift into mindfulness with these art classes in Adelaide, guaranteed to help you slow down and focus on the present moment. ...

Get Behind Your Local with Cocktail Making Classes in Melbourne

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Learn how to make cocktails at your local Melbourne spot with cocktail making classes! Shake, muddle and sip your way to a fun evening.

Why Cooking Classes in Melbourne Are Good for Your Health and Your Bank Account

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

If you're getting bored in the kitchen or reaching for that takeaway menu one too many times, Melbourne cooking classes are here to help your healthIf you're getting bored in the kitchen or reaching for that takeaway menu one too many times, Melbourne cooking classes are here to help your health and wallet. ...

Best Corporate Team Activities in Brisbane for Your Next Office Event

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Discover corporate events that are actually fun with team building activity ideas in Brisbane! Show employees your appreciation with corporate eDiscover corporate events that are actually fun with team building activity ideas in Brisbane! Show employees your appreciation with corporate entertainment. ...

7 Art Classes Melbourne Crafters Are Raving About

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Paint, sketch or capture photos at art classes in Melbourne and find exactly why your local community is raving about!

12 Unique Hens Day Activities in Melbourne

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Throw a daytime hens party to get the festivities started early and spend more time with the gals with these hens party ideas for daytime activiThrow a daytime hens party to get the festivities started early and spend more time with the gals with these hens party ideas for daytime activities ...

How to Plan the Perfect Hens Party in Melbourne

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Make party planning with your besties a breeze with these unique hens party ideas in Melbourne—guaranteed to have you feeling creative, inspiredMake party planning with your besties a breeze with these unique hens party ideas in Melbourne—guaranteed to have you feeling creative, inspired and relaxed. ...

Unique Gift Experiences for Him (Or Her) in Sydney

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Get him what he really wants with these 5 experience gifts for him in Sydney. From leather to fire and broken ceramics, these gift ideas will blowGet him what he really wants with these 5 experience gifts for him in Sydney. From leather to fire and broken ceramics, these gift ideas will blow his mind. ...

Best Experience Gifts for Her (Or Him) in Sydney

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Throw clay, spice rum, pipe macarons and so much more with these creative experience gifts for her in Sydney and give her a unique present she’llThrow clay, spice rum, pipe macarons and so much more with these creative experience gifts for her in Sydney and give her a unique present she’ll really love! ...

Why You Should Try Mobile Classes for Team Building in Melbourne (2025)

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Wondering what to do for your next corporate event? Break the ice and never leave the office with mobile cocktail making classes for team buildingWondering what to do for your next corporate event? Break the ice and never leave the office with mobile cocktail making classes for team building in Melbourne. ...

Zero Waste Bartending: The Future of Cocktail Making in Melbourne

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Shake up sustainable drinks that favour foraging, fermentation and zero waste bartending with cocktail classes in Melbourne!

Knife Painting Is Just Like Decorating a Cake

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Discover this fun medium at painting classes in Sydney and create a textured art masterpiece!

Why So Serious? Hobbies Vs. Burnout

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Discover fun team building activities in Australia to enhance workplace motivation and avoid burnout in 2025 by finding hobbies that you'll loveDiscover fun team building activities in Australia to enhance workplace motivation and avoid burnout in 2025 by finding hobbies that you'll love. ...

Cooking Classes Are Now Being Prescribed as Therapy

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Interested in relaxation and mindfulness? Culinary therapy may be just the thing! Give it a try at local Melbourne cooking classes.

Aged Health Benefits and Recreational Classes

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

The weekend before my great-grandmother passed away at 98-years-old, she took me outside to plant sunflowers. Her daughter and granddaughter putThe weekend before my great-grandmother passed away at 98-years-old, she took me outside to plant sunflowers. Her daughter and granddaughter put up a fuss, claiming that it was too hot outside, and that she should rest instead.   She just waved a hand and motioned for me to help her stand up.    “I’m going to teach my great-granddaughter how to garden,” she said.   I think we were all a little bit surprised. In her old age, Nora wasn’t usually so lucid.   It was hot that day (the sunflowers wouldn’t survive the sweltering heat waves of the next few months,) but my great-grandmother didn’t seem to mind. Under her sun visor, she was all smiles.   As she walked me through the steps of preparing the flowerbed and spreading the seeds in the fresh soil, my great-grandmother was radiating joy. Of course, she was always excited to spend time with family, but this was something different.   This energy and warmth had something to do with gardening.   In the years since her passing, I’ve always been incredibly grateful for the chance to share that afternoon with her. I was able to see first-hand how a simple task, like caring for a garden, could have such a powerful impact on a woman who had lived for a century. The fact that something as small as planting a seed could still put such a radiant smile on her face astounded me and pushed me to find more information on the power of leisure activities on the elderly. As it turns out, the benefits of leisure activities for everyone are vast, but they can have a particularly powerful effect on the mental health of middle-aged and advanced-aged citizens.   Why should we focus on older individuals?   As middle age passes into advanced years, our senior citizens have a difficult transition. The things they took for granted in youth, such as mobility and memory, have become less accessible in older age. Even the most joyful and lighthearted of people have to admit that this loss of function can be frustrating, scary, and depressing. The awareness of this slowing down can be especially accentuated in retired individuals, who can no longer focus on a career or feel a sense of fulfillment in their jobs.   Luckily, there are ways to ease the transition. Researchers across the world have been searching for solutions to the problems associated exclusively with the experience of aging, and what they found was something that community centers and elderly facilities have been saying all along: creative hobbies are good for our mental state and physical health.   Multi-cultural methods: what are they doing in Japan?   A 2015 study (1) from the Hamamatsu University School of Medicine in Japan sought to put previous claims of the effectiveness of certain leisure activities to the test. Though they disproved earlier beliefs that participating in social activities could improve mental health in middle-aged and elderly individuals, they did find some overall uplifting benefits to other leisure activities.   Their findings found, for instance, that hobbies, cultural activities, physical exercise, and sports all improved the mental health of elderly Japanese citizens. The effect was compounded when such activities were shared with a companion or group.   What about Australians?   A similar study (2) was conducted by three scholars in 2013 exploring the effect of hobbies on the mental health of elderly women living in Australia. Their impetus for conducting the study was a body of precedent publications that, although dealing with the benefits of creative activities on mental wellbeing, had largely excluded the effects of such hobbies on the older generation.   Their definition of creative hobby was expansive: everything from needlework to photography to china painting was included in study.   And their findings were incredible:   Women involved in such activities were more likely to be socially engaged and showed a lower tendency toward “osteoarthritis, stroke, depression or anxiety/nervous disorder compared with women not involved in those hobbies” (2, page 7). These women were also more likely to be in physically good shape in terms of functionality and enjoy an overall higher quality of life.   The reasoning for these benefits is still somewhat unclear. Experts believe that these types of hobbies probably improve mental health by lowering stress, sparking cognitive activity, and producing feelings of fulfillment and pride in participants.    How can we use this information?   We can all agree that investing our elderly population is a valuable use of effort and resources. After all, they are our parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. They are future versions of ourselves, as we navigate our own aging process. We certainly wouldn’t be here without them.   And in this vulnerable time in their lives, we should put this scientific knowledge to good use. There are lots of possible workshops that retirees and try out or even start themselves such as paint-and-sip classes, stand up paddle boarding, water aerobics, yarn bombing (the rebellious act of covering public spaces with crocheted or knitted works of art). These are just a few examples of the plethora of wacky, fun, unique hobbies out there.   This is one of the reasons why ClassBento was started, to make it easier for retirees to try out new hobbies and also allow them to teach their passions and get paid, giving them purpose back in their lives.   Our elders deserve it   Based on my personal experience with my great-grandmother, I cannot understate the effect of leisure activities on elderly individuals. Seeing the smile light up her face when her advanced years had caused her so much strain and exhaustion was truly a gift that I would encourage every young person to be a part of.   So get the older people in your lives involved in a creative pursuit. It will benefit you both!       (1) journals.plos.org (2) tandfonline.com   ...

Gift Experiences for Your Creative Man

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Inspire the creative man in your life and take him to our gift experiences for him in Sydney that will have him crafting, painting or cooking inInspire the creative man in your life and take him to our gift experiences for him in Sydney that will have him crafting, painting or cooking in no time! ...

Top 10 Experience Gifts for Men in 2025

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Celebrate a special occasion with these top 10 experience gifts for men in Sydney and give him the best present based on his interests and passionsCelebrate a special occasion with these top 10 experience gifts for men in Sydney and give him the best present based on his interests and passions in 2025. ...

Are We Losing Our Focus

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Revitalise your team's focus with our team building activities in Australia and discover how these exercises can help make a difference in your workplaceRevitalise your team's focus with our team building activities in Australia and discover how these exercises can help make a difference in your workplace (and life too). ...

Adapting the Workplace for Millennials

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Help the workplace adapt to millennials with our team building activities in Sydney! It's a great place to learn something new while connecting withHelp the workplace adapt to millennials with our team building activities in Sydney! It's a great place to learn something new while connecting with others. ...

Re-energise Against Burnout

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Boost your team's morale against burnout with our exciting team building activities in Australia, from skateboarding workshops to Turkish mosaicBoost your team's morale against burnout with our exciting team building activities in Australia, from skateboarding workshops to Turkish mosaic lamp classes. ...

9 DIY Christmas Decoration Ideas for 2025

---

By Sarah Hinds-Friedl

Celebrate the holidays with these DIY Christmas activities in Sydney. From wreath-making to bauble decorating, create festive, handmade decorationsCelebrate the holidays with these DIY Christmas activities in Sydney. From wreath-making to bauble decorating, create festive, handmade decorations that last. ...