Retirement is a new lease on life for millions of seniors and there are so many things that you can do with your time, now that you, finally, have some to spare!
We’ve got some awesomely interesting and fun activities for seniors to give you some ideas to get started.
Group Exercise Classes
Group exercise classes are a great way to meet new friends and to stay fit. The more you stay fit, limber and flexible, the easier you’re going to find your later years are.
There is strong evidence that doing exercises that lead to improvements in your body strength can help you live longer.
Wii Sports
If you can’t get out to play sports with others, why not let the sports come to you?
You can plug in a Nintendo Wii and then play tennis or dozens of other sports in your living room.
Just make sure you’ve got enough space around you, when you begin, you don’t want to break anything.
Reading
Most of us wish that we’d read a little more, and if that includes you, now’s the time to build up your library and get reading.
If you want to read but can’t always afford extra books try bookbub.com. It’s completely free and they have many free and heavily discounted books every day.
Playing Music
You can play music for fun or even use it as a hobby to make money from (or do it as a retirement job – it can pay very well).
And whichever way you approach playing music it’s fulfilling and relaxing.
Eating In A New Restaurant
If you haven’t tried every eatery in your hometown, then now’s the time to start. Eating out is a wonderful privilege when you’re not in a rush to get finished and get back to work.
Why not try a new school of cuisine? If you’ve never had Thai or Indian, you don’t know what you’re missing out on.
Holding Movie Nights
It’s not always easy to get out and about but you can always invite friends to your home and watch movies together.
This not only lets you work through the latest blockbusters but provides companionship too.
Dating
If you’re single, or just plain adventurous, you could always start dating again. Dating as a senior isn’t as frenzied or as desperate as it was when you were a teenager.
You’ll get to meet new people, at worst, and at best, you might find someone to share your life!
Joining Local Meetups
Meetup.com hosts a lot of different special interest meetings around the world, so it could be very easy for you to find a social circle built around a hobby or pastime.
Crafting
Crafts are an excellent way to keep your mind active and even if someone has dementia, there are some really easy crafts for seniors with dementia to participate in too.
Gardening
Green fingers give you the opportunity to help create and maintain new life. Gardening is also great exercise.
There’s even research that says the more green, natural things we see, the happier we are.
Going For A Walk
It could be a walk around the block just taking in the sights of your neighborhood, or it could be a walk in a national park under the cover of trees or on the open plains.
It’s your life, live it where you want and walking is a fantastic form of exercise too.
Photography
Taking photos is easy and fun and in the age of smartphones. Cameras as a feature of smartphones are ubiquitious. Almost everyone has a camera in their pocket nowadays.
You don’t need to create the finest art to have a great time creating memories.
Studying
We’ve got an awesome list of online courses for seniors and studying is an excellent thing to do in your downtime.
Why? Because it keeps your brain active and might ward off dementia.
Dancing
Why let the youngsters have all the fun? You can join a dance night aimed at seniors and there’s almost certainly one nearby (just get on Google to find it).
You’ll meet new people, stay fit and it will be super enjoyable.
Karaoke
Prefer to sing rather than dance? Then head out to a karaoke, or invest in a karaoke machine at home and then invite some friends round to join you.
Doing Board Games
Anything from Monopoly to Scrabble can be a ton of fun when you’re looking for something to do with friends.
Board games are pretty cheap as entertainment goes and you can use them again and again. Better still, many manufacturers will make games for seniors with mobility or vision issues.
Keeping Pets
There’s a ton of evidence that keeping pets helps you feel young, engaged and much less lonely.
Cute things are good for you.
Bird Watching
One great hobby to take up is bird watching. You don’t even have to leave home to enjoy it.
As long as you have some binoculars and an open window, you can work out what the birds in your neighborhood are.
And trips in the great outdoors can greatly enhance the fun of this hobby.
Joining A Book Club
If reading by yourself isn’t fun enough, then one way to make reading a truly engaging hobby is to join a book club (or set one up if there isn’t one in your neck of the woods already).
Reading a book as a group and then discussing the finer points can be very exciting.
Jewelry Making
Making jewelry is nowhere near as hard as you might think. Join a class locally and soon you’ll be silversmithing with the best of them.
Take A Road Trip
The road trip is a great American tradition and there’s nothing to stop you from enjoying one at any age.
Grab an Atlas and start planning!
Final Thoughts On Interesting & Fun Activities for Seniors
We firmly believe that the only limits to the fun you can have as a senior are the limits you place on yourself.
We hope this list of interesting and fun activities for seniors has sparked your imagination and, of course, there are many, many more things you can do that didn’t make this list.
Go out and enjoy yourself!