Great Hobbies for Older Adults 

Often times, for a variety of reasons, life takes unexpected journeys that force us to put aside our interests or prevent us from fully exploring them. With retirement and lessened responsibility to (now adult) children, seniors are particularly suited for diving into the different interests they’ve accumulated over their years. Despite society’s misconception that life ends after a certain age, there is so much life to be lived in older age, and there’s often more time and freedom for seniors to discover it. 

Here are some hobby ideas for seniors to enjoy, regardless of age, physical ability, or living situation: 

Cooking/Baking

Seniors can have some fun in the kitchen with cooking or baking. This therapeutic activity offers the benefit of customization, which is great for those looking to get creative with new dishes or tweak recipes to accommodate any dietary requirements. Depending on what an older adult hopes to get out of this fulfilling activity, cooking can be as social or personal as desired. They can invite friends, grandkids or neighbors to help out with the preparations, or use that time for self reflection. Share those special dishes with others at summer celebrations or enjoy those treats yourself on a peaceful day. 

Dancing 

Not only is dancing fun, but it’s a great way for seniors to improve balance. Given the fact that three million older adults per year are treated for falls in emergency departments, this is an exciting approach to something as serious as fall prevention. This entertaining activity can be done solo or with a partner with professional instruction. Alternatively, it can be a casual way for seniors to socialize. No matter their music interests, there’s an accompanying dance genre that complements it! 

Volunteering 

Though older adults are perfectly capable of living exciting lives, the natural course of life is to slow down in later years. This slower pacing can become monotonous, which can eventually lead to depression or loneliness. A rewarding way to break up this monotony is by volunteering. Whether seniors are diving back into a passion related to their career or picking up a brand new interest, there are plenty of ways for older generations to lend their time, talents and wisdom to a cause. Giving back in a way that has a special, personal meaning is the best way to give oneself a renewed sense of purpose. 

With the amount of technology and resources today’s era offers, there’s a wealth of knowledge at everyone’s fingertips. Older adults can pick back up old hobbies or develop new ones by immersing themselves into classic literary works available at local libraries, a new language with the help of apps like DuoLingo, a new instrument with free online music courses, or documentaries on topics ranging from historical to contemporary, airing on television and/or available on popular streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video, HBO and more. No matter the topic or interest, there are ways to access information about them from the comfort of one’s home.  

Even the most ambitious among us can look back and easily list a few things in life they wished they’d explored. Fortunately, it’s never too late to learn something new. Get started by using this list for inspiration!