The Sims 2 residents will soon get a lot more of what those of us stuck in the real world can hardly get enough of: free time. With the upcoming FreeTime expansion, sims will have more to do with their lives than going to school or choosing a career. They'll be able to pursue leisurely interests.

Some past expansions like Nightlife and Bon Voyage allowed sims to hit to the town or go on vacation, but getting into some hobbies as a child will have long-term impacts with inter-sim relationships and careers. Diverse activities include sports, restoring old cars, arts and crafts and musical instruments. Each interest influences the sim's aspirations and pre-disposes them to certain career paths. For example, sims that have a deep interest in nature will build up skills toward succeeding in a scientific job track. The FreeTime expansion will also come with a set of new careers, so perhaps some kids grow up to be entertainers or mechanics. Along the way, sims will be able to show off their skills in contests and maintain friendships with sims that have common interests. Additionally, sims can unlock special items like clothing and decorations by crafting them.

Of course, there's no reason a hobby can't be profitable early on. Works of art can be sold for a profit. Sims can enter into dance, cooking or video competitions for extra recognition and simoleans. Those that have particularly high skill and confidence can enter into "the zone" and pull off commanding performances.

It's hard to imagine, with all the stuff the average sim has to go through, where they'll find the time to pull off leisurely activities, but they tend to be a very resourceful lot. With more to do while growing up, building up skills that could be valuable later on, being a sim with FreeTime will be better than ever before.