Five things to learn in 2026

No need for 'New Year, new you', but how about trying to learn something new? How about expanding your skillset and your mind, all while hanging out with friends or family along the way?

Some of these you might have tried before, but BBC Bitesize would like to suggest five things to learn in 2026.

If you have an hour

Give volunteering a go, even if you’ve only got an hour to spare.

Giving your time for free as a volunteer can help you feel good, help your local community, assist a cause you’re interested in AND help boost your CV. Our Bitesize Career Support colleagues explained, voluntary work can provide a first taste of the working world, setting you up with the tools, experience and confidence to thrive in education and employment.

How to find a volunteer role?
You can volunteer in just about any field - arts, nature, sport or with animals, and in person or doing tasks online. The National Council for Voluntary Organisations has lots of advice on how to make a start, they suggest:

• Think about what interests you, it could be something you enjoyed doing before, or something completely new.
• Think about the time or skills you can offer, even an hour can help.
• Get researching: call your local volunteer centre (search via your local council) or try searching on platforms advertising volunteer roles.

The NCVO recommends Vinspired, a platform promoting volunteering opportunities to young people aged between 14 and 30.

And if there is a specific cause you’re interested in, you can search opportunities by topic and location on CharityJob. It is the UK’s largest job board for the voluntary sector, they also advertise paid roles too.

If you have a day

Challenge yourself to spend a day offline. Learn how to digital detox and even embrace feeling bored… see where that feeling might take you.

Plan ahead with some fun activities, maybe spend time with a friend who is offline too. You could cook food instead of ordering takeaway. Get outdoors to visit somewhere new, maybe send a postcard to someone instead of messaging - ‘wish you were here!’ Once home, read a book or do some doodling. If it will help you stay motivated, collect sponsorship to stay away from screens and donate to your favourite charity.

Sixty-three-per-cent of those asked in BBC Bitesize and 5 Live’s 2025 Teen Summit survey reported spending at least three hours on their phone in a typical day, with over a third of those surveyed spending five hours or more on their device.

Using your phone can allow you to connect with friends, keep organised, take photos and get creative, amongst other things. But excessive usage can have negative effects on your wellbeing and mental health.

If you want to see if you're getting close to being 'addicted' to your phone take our quiz. It'll also offer you tailored advice on ways for someone to start to reduce screen time.

If you have a week

Learn to identify trees.

Providing us with the air we breath, shelter and in some cases food, trees are all around us. Everyday when you head off to school, the shops or work, why don’t you look out for a new species to identify. And at the weekend see if you can get closer to nature in a park or further into the countryside. You can find tree ID books at the library or buy them cheaply in many charity shops, plus The Woodland Trust has a free app and lots of advice on how to spot your oak from your alder.

In the UK we have about 50 native species of tree and many more that have been introduced to our shores. The Romans brought apple, walnut and sweet chestnut trees with them for food. Eucalyptus is a favourite of koalas in its native Australia but is loved by florists in the UK and the Leyland cypress is the most common super tall hedge in our gardens. It is one of the fastest growing conifer trees reaching up to 40 metres, thought to have been first created in 19th Century Wales, when two American trees cross-bred.

How to identify a tree

Take photos on your phone of the different parts of the tree and refer to your guide, or examine it live using an app:

• Even in the depths of winter you can tell a lot from a tree’s overall size, shape or silhouette
• Check if it has lost its leaves (usually deciduous) or still have needles (usually evergreen or a conifer)
• What colour and texture is the tree’s bark?
• Look for any buds coming through and any thorns on the branches
• Where is the tree growing? By water, in a park or woodland?
• In spring and then summer, you can also look out for flowers, fruit and different sized pine cones

If you have a month

Skill swap with a friend or family member.

Have a think, there is usually something that comes easily to us, a skill that we might be able to share with others. And what are your mates really good at that you wish you could do too? Why not take time over a month to swap knowledge and hacks with different people to build new skills?

It's a great way to hang out and connect with someone in a different way as they teach you something they’re good at and then vice versa. Could be anything from reaching the next level gaming, learning a perfect stretch routine, how to play a tune on a keyboard or cook a favourite meal.

Try it just for fun or for more serious life-stuff too. Can a mate help explain that science homework and you show them how to fix their bike? Or if you’re applying for college or a job, can they help you build a website or check your cv and you help train their dog to fetch?!

And check in with your elders too - bet they’d love some IT support in exchange for sharing their specialist knowledge of 80s fashion/ vintage car mechanics/ rock guitar solos (delete as appropriate).

If you have a year

Take a photograph every day for a year.

Take a moment to notice your surroundings and look for something a bit different or unusual in your day. It could be of the same view or at the same time every day. It could be of the same person or different people you come across in your day, just try and be mindful - take an image and make a note of what or who it is.

Researchers from Lancaster University found that a photo-a-day can be a form of self-care, encouraging positive wellbeing changes and even a sense of community if shared online.

You can post your images online, just share with friends or keep in a folder - all up to you. Don’t worry about your photos being boring or ‘wrong’, the point is that you’re recording what’s around you, what catches your eye. It doesn’t have to look ‘perfect’ or polished, it’s a record of real life.

Then after a week, a month or as seasons and maybe life changes, you can look back and reminisce. In a similar way to journaling it may help you express yourself and also when you look back, see how you navigated and overcame any negative experiences. You might even find your creativity and photography techniques improve too.

This article was published in January 2026