Guide to all of The Sims 3 Skills
The Sims 3 – Learning is Fun!
Learning The Sims 3 skills that Sims can acquire in the game is a fun way to spend time in the game. Having your Sims learn the skills needed to succeed in their career is beneficial for them and also gives you as a player, more things that you can do with them in the game.
If you have “The Sims 3: Generations” expansion pack for your game, when your Sims learn a new skill or gain a level, they will also acquire a new memory for it which is added to their scrapbook.
Athletic Skill
This skill is one that all Sims should have points in. It helps keep your Sims fit and can help them become more lean and healthy. Sims can train other Sims once they a high enough level, but they will also learn how to run faster, go for jogs and also get “Pumped!” from working out.
Sims can gain points in this skill by running on treadmills or using workout machines, going for a jog, swimming in a pool, working out with the television or while listening to music, and also from attending an athletic class at the gym.
Charisma Skill
Even Sims that don’t have the charismatic trait can learn the skill. It is actually a really helpful skill for Sims to have because they can interact with other Sims easier and quickly make friends with this skill. This skill is often required in the careers or professions available, so having a high skill level in this is always helpful. Plus, higher levels of this skill allow your Sim to learn other Sim’s traits faster.
Sims learn this skill by practicing a speech in front of a mirror, reading the Charisma skill books, talking to other Sims, and by taking a Charisma class at the government building in the town.
Collecting Skill
Collecting is a hidden skill but some information about it does show up in the Skill Journal. The higher level a Sim has in this skill, the better their chances are of collecting items.
Sims can collect: bugs, butterflies, The Sims 3 gems, metals, and space rocks. These items can be found in all of the neighborhoods in the game including the ones that your Sims can travel to on vacation. To find these items easier, use the “Collection Helper” which is an object that can be purchased for 40,000 lifetime reward points.
Cooking Skill
All Sims should really learn how to cook at least a few meals and gain some skill levels while doing so. This will save them a large amount of money and will also allow them to receive some positive moodlets from eating yummy meals that they made for themselves or for their family.
Sims learn this skill by cooking, reading cookbooks, watching the cooking channel on their television, and taking a cooking class at the local restaurant.
Dancing Skill
Dancing is a hidden skill in “The Sims 3” and can’t be seen in a skill book. It doesn’t really have that much to it, but it is worth working on to improve your Sim’s dance moves at the club. To practice this skill, Sims have to dance alone while listening to music.
Fishing Skill
Many Sims enjoy being outdoors and fishing. This is also a really great skill to learn with the cooking skill because your Sim can cook what they catch! Sims that really like this hobby can even turn it into a career and sell what they make and actually earn a really good living doing so. After a Sim catches fish, they can cook with it, sell it to a vendor, or put in an aquarium or a fish bowl to show off to others. Be sure to feed them to keep them alive!
Sims learn this skill by fishing at a fishing hole, reading books about fishing, and taking a fishing class that is offered at the grocery store in town.
Gardening Skill
Gardening is a hobby in “The Sims 3” but it can also be a self-employment option for Sims too. This is one of The Sims 3 skills that is great for Sims that want to grow their own food and works really well with both the cooking skill and the fishing skill. Sims can find seeds around town to plant in their garden or plant the item directly into the ground to grow more of that item. Sims that have a garden do need to tend their garden each day to make sure their plants don’t die.
The Sims 3 gardening skill can be learned by gardening, reading books about gardening, watching the gardening channel on the television, and from taking the gardening class at the local science lab.
Handiness Skill
This skill is what used to be the “Mechanical” skill in other “The Sims” games. This skill is used for repairing and upgrading items around the home such as the sink, toilet, bathtub, oven, computer, television and other such objects. These items don’t even have to be in your Sim’s home for your Sim to work on them, but it does help.
This skill is learned by reading books about handiness, attending a class for the skill, tinkering with objects, repairing objects, and upgrading objects.
Inventing Skill
Sims can only learn how to invent something with “The Sims 3: Ambitions” expansion pack. They will need to have the “Scraptronic Workbench” and scrap metal to invent items. The handiness skill is something that your Sim should also have when working on this skill. Sims can turn this hobby into a work at home career too.
Sims learn this skill by reading books about inventing, inventing items, making items they have invented, and by taking an inventing class at the local science lab.
Logic Skill
This skill is needed for many careers and is something that all Sims would really benefit from learning at least a few levels in. This skill works really well with the handiness and inventing skills.
Sims can learn this skill by playing chess, looking through a telescope, making potions with The Sims 3 chemistry set (available in the “Generations” expansion pack), reading books about logic, and attending a Logic class at the local science lab.
Martial Arts Skill
The martial arts skill is a very cool skill that works well with the athletics skill. This skill gives new outfits that Sims wear when practicing this skill which resemble karate outfits. Sims with this skill can enter into Martial Arts Tournaments, meditate and spar with other Sims. They can also practice on a training dummy and even break boards and rocks!
This skill is only able to be learned with “The Sims 3: World Adventures” expansion pack. Sims that want to learn this skill will need to go to China to learn the martial arts skill. While your Sim is there, have them purchase the training dummy and blocks to practice with when they return home.
Sims learn this skill by practicing martial arts, meditating, sparring with others, and reading books about the skill. It is really best to practice though, so get started!
Mixology Skill
In “The Sims 3: Late Night” there are new bars, clubs and lounges that Sims can go to for a good time. While they are there they can buy a drink at the bar from mixologists. Sims don’t have to only get these mood enhancing drinks at the club though, they can make their own at a bar at home too!
This is one of The Sims 3 skills that is only able to be learned with the “Late Night” expansion pack. Sims can learn this skill by reading books about mixology, practicing making drinks at a bar, and from attending a mixology class at a restaurant.
Musical Instruments
Sims love playing musical instruments and jamming with other Sims. Sims can play the Bass, Drums, Guitar, and the Piano. The guitar is available to play from the base game. The other instruments are made available with “The Sims 3: Late Night” expansion pack which also allows Sims to join a band and perform gigs.
Sims can learn the musical instruments of their choice by playing the instrument or taking a class on the instrument at the local theater.
Nectar Making Skill
This skill is only able to be learned with “The Sims 3: World Adventures” expansion pack. Sims must go to France to learn how to make nectar (similar to wine). Learning this skill goes very well with the gardening skill because Sims can purchase the new types of grapes in France and bring them home to grow more and make better nectar that way. You’ll also need to purchase the “Nectar Maker” while there too.
With the “Generations” expansion pack, when a Sim has a bachelor or bachelorette party, they can spray nectar on other Sims!
Sims can learn this skill by reading books about making nectar and actually making nectar.
Painting Skill
Many Sims enjoy painting as a hobby so they can decorate their home for free with originals that they painted. However, Sims that are really creative can also become a professional painter and sell their paintings for large amounts of money.
Sims can learn how to paint by taking a class at the local school and by painting on an easel.
Photography Skill
This skill is another creative skill that Sims can learn to decorate their homes with. The cameras that Sims can take these photos with are found in the “World Adventures” expansion pack. Go to Egypt to purchase the best camera and also buy the skill books.
The Sims 3 photography skill is only able to be learned with “The Sims 3: World Adventures” expansion pack. Sims can learn it by reading books about photography and from taking pictures. It is much quicker to just read the skill books than taking pictures, so be sure to do that to raise the skill. Save the picture taking for the photo collections.
Sculpting Skill
This is yet another creative skill that Sims can learn. It too can be turned into a stay at home career. Sims with this skill most likely will also have the other creative skills too. This skill is a great hobby for Sims and can help them to decorate their home with really cool sculptures made out of different types of material – even ice!
This skill is only able to be learned with “The Sims 3: Ambitions” expansion pack. Sims can only learn this skill by sculpting.
Tattooing Skill
Tattooing is a hidden skill in “The Sims 3” and can’t be seen in the skill book. As a Sim improves their skill level in this by tattooing other Sims, their tattooing will also improve. This skill is only able to be learned with “The Sims 3: Ambitions” expansion pack.
Toddler Skills
There are also The Sims 3 skills that only toddlers can learn. These help the young ones to learn how to do basic things such as walking, talking, and learn how to use the bathroom by potty training them. These skills really need to be learned as soon as possible for this life stage. Have the parent work with them as often as possible and they’ll learn it in no time.
Writing Skill
The writing skill is a must for Sims that want to be published authors. This skill makes for a good money earning hobby but it can also be used to earn a very large income as a self-employed profession as well.
To learn this skill, Sims will need to use a computer to refine their writing skill and eventually start to write books. After a Sim is finished writing a book, they will receive money and a weekly royalties check for the book. They will also be sent one copy of the book for free which can be found in their mailbox.
References
All screenshots and references from The Sims 3.
Screenshots provided by the writer.