Fun and Easy Hobbies for Older Women
One of the biggest benefits of aging is the amount of spare time we have. This means that we can now fill our spare time doing things that we are passionate about or are interested in learning more about. Finding a hobby that you love is important because it can keep your mind and body healthy, happy, and active. But I’ve heard from many of my readers that they don’t have a clue where to start to find something new. So many of us have spent our time working or caring for others that putting ourselves first is a foreign concept. After sharing that I recently started back knitting, I decided to see what other hobbies are out there for us. If you’ve been looking for something fun to try in your spare time, I’ve compiled a list of some fun and easy hobbies for older women to try.
Hobbies for Women over 50 and 60
Pickleball
Pickleball is a game that is a combination of tennis, badminton, and ping pong that can be played as doubles or singles. It’s very popular as it’s easy to learn, and the equipment list is very short, as you only need a paddle and a plastic ball with holes. This game is slower paced than tennis, the short-handled paddle is easier to use, and the court has less ground to cover, making it easy for beginners to learn and, perhaps, excel quickly! It’s a great workout for your body and your brain since it gets your feet moving, it’s social, and puts your hand-eye coordination to work. We took a few pickleball classes when we first moved here, and it was a blast, so I may look into it again this spring.
Gardening
Whether you are just looking to beautify your landscaping or to grow your own food, the best part about gardening is that it can be whatever you’d like it to be. ..if you don’t have a black thumb as I do. Gardening encourages you to spend time in nature, which can be a major stress reliever! Plus, a busy day in the garden is just as tiring as a good workout session, and the creative aspect of designing your flower pots, beds, and window boxes is great mental stimulation. Please don’t forget your sunscreen and your hat to protect your skin from harmful UV rays! If you’re looking for more social interactions, join your local garden club, which often meets on a monthly or bi-weekly basis.
Golf
Spending a few hours golfing outdoors with some female companions is a wonderful way to combine a social and physical activity packaged into one fun-filled hobby! Golf requires mental focus and critical thinking while allowing you to reduce stress. If you are brand new to golfing, I recommend getting started with a few lessons at your local golf course or country club to help you learn the basics, like what clubs to use and when, and how to swing your clubs. Or if your husband plays, this could be a great bonding opportunity! Most courses have a practice putting green and a driving range so you can take your skills for a test drive before using them during an actual round on the course.
Needlepoint
If you decide to try this crafty hobby, you may get hooked on it. I used to pick up canvases on all our vacations to stitch up as souvenirs. Needlepoint is a great way to get creative and a hobby you can do while you’re cuddled up watching your favorite show, on a long car ride, or during the cold winter months when you’re stuck indoors. I like to do mine stretched and stapled to a frame which helps keep it straight. Here are a couple of beginner kits to get you started.
Exercise
While I don’t know if I would consider it a hobby, I do think filling your time with some form of exercise is important. While it could just be going on a 30 min walk each day, you can also get your body moving with an exercise class. It is wonderful for weight management, lowering your blood pressure while improving your heart health, and reducing your risk of disease. There are so many classes to choose from, including yoga, pilates, barre, water aerobics, line dancing, and more that are great for older women. You can of course, do these activities solo, but doing them in a class-style environment allows you to get out of the house, stay accountable, and make new friends. I’d suggest checking out your local community center, YMCA, or gym. I’ve also found some great classes you can take online.
Reading
Whether you like reading non-fiction to learn more about a topic or transporting yourself into an imaginary world via a juicy fictional novel, reading is so beneficial for your brain. I typically love reading with a real book in hand, but I also have a Kindle Paperwhite that is so nice to slip into my purse for traveling. Or if you prefer to listen to audiobooks, I would suggest joining Audible (Amazon’s Audiobook Store and Membership)! I’d love to hear what some of your favorite books you’ve read are in the comments below though.
Puzzles, Crosswords, and Sudoku
Preserve your brain function and memory skills by spending some of your spare time doing puzzles, crosswords, or sudoku. They also help improve concentration and thinking skills. It’s so easy to spend our spare time in the doctor’s office waiting room or drive thru waiting for our coffee to scroll through our phone, but what if we picked up a crossword or sudoku book instead?
Card and Dice Games/Bridge
Stay socially engaged and mentally challenged by joining a bridge game. If there aren’t any local to you, invite a few friends to learn the game with you. If you aren’t a fan of bridge, you could try bunco, spades, or even poker! We are avid card players in our family. My sister-in-law even travels with cards in her purse:).
Volunteering
If you’re looking for a hobby to promote personal growth and enrich your life, look no further than volunteering. Donating your time, energy, and resources to others is so fulfilling and rewarding.
mosaic!
You can do just a candy dish or tray or a whole countertop! I have saved ALL the broken fine China and pottery/Stonewear pieces from 2 moves! I better get going!
Yay!
Just tuned into your Hobby post excellent- I find a variety of hobbies helps you have a full and interesting life also you feel younger and more with it I paint spin knit and read all of I love Enjoy your blog very much keep up the good work
Thanks Hazel. This was a fun post.
I read constantly. I think I kept Amazon in business during Covid buying books since our libraries were closed. To save money, I sometimes buy the “used book” option on Amazon. And you can get used books on Ebay. I also shop as a hobby! lol. I love visiting stores to see what is in style. I’m not crafty at all. I used to knit but don’t need sweaters or scarves in Florida, so I don’t do that at all.
I often buy used books. They’re so much cheaper!
For audible books try chirpbooks.com for reasonably priced audio books. It’s a great website. Or you can also borrow audio books from your local library.
I play Mah Jongg twice a month with a ladies group, I play golf 2-3 times a week, play Bunco once a month, belong to 2 book clubs and am also involved in a charity group that our neighborhood bible study began during COVID. We have an annual fundraiser and the use the funds to help area organizations! Needless to say I am staying very busy during retirement. I did play pickle ball when we first moved here in our community but fell and broke my shoulder in 2 places and suffered a concussion so that was quickly removed from my list of activities. Golf allows me to keep both feet on the ground haha. I never thought retirement would be this fun! ❤️
Another hobby I’d like to add to this list is learning a foreign language. I studied French in high school and college but as an adult I always loved the sound of Italian, so a number of years back I took a couple of introductory classes at our local community college and then shifted to Rosetta Stone and finally Duolingo. This fall I even went to Italian school in Italy for a week! My husband works diligently on his French, taking non credit community college classes and participating in a conversation group weekly. We both feel like this helps keep our brains active and also pays off when we go to Europe, which we love to do as travel is one of our other most favorite joint hobbies.
Love to read but find I do it more during our long winter months but otherwise do at least one cross-word puzzle a day regardless of the season. As to other hobbies over the years I have dabbled in many hand-crafted ones ranging from sewing (my passion) to currently doing artist portraiture. Also as I always have had a keen interest in interior design I am always game for a challenge in it assisting family or friends. In respect to physical hobbies; no longer belong to a gym or a group activity (been there and done that) however do practice tai-chi and have a rowing machine that I work out on (as now restricted to what I can do, due to an old back injury).
-Brenda-
P.S.: As I have difficulty even growing a house plant, I totally admire those who garden as IMO it takes a special talent to do so.
My one house plant isn’t looking too healthy but I aspire to garden 🙂
Most of my career was in design, as a kitchen designer. Many years ago I discovered jewelry design and my hobby was born. I have more time on my hands now, so I can work on my techniques and make more beautiful pieces. It fulfills that internal need to make something beautiful and I get to work with my hands.
That sounds perfect. I love creating too. I suppose that’s why I knit.
I started playing guitar again after I retired and have enjoyed classes and playing with others. Someone I know is learning Vietnamese because he likes the food and the people are friendly. I have always been a reader and a walker, and added weights and yoga to my exercise routine. I highly recommend learning an instrument or a new language!
Jennifer, I love jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles and reading. I have a Kindle Paperwhite and I would be lost without it! I love suspense novels and mysteries. What kind of books do you read?
I read mostly non-fiction. Books on style, color, self-improvement, Feng Shui, biographies, organizing, etc
This is a great list of suggestions! I have recently started French lessons using Duolingo. My goal is to be able to read simple books in French. Nice to have a challenge.
I loved A Man Called Ove, good story. I also use the free library online. I’ve tried a lot of things, Book clubs, Bunco, MJong, Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Hula, yoga, Ballroom dance, line dance, African, Belly Dance, and performing on stage, Zumba, Spin, Weight classes, Water classes, Hiking, Surfing, Bocce (long time ago, my husband is Italian)Biking, Tennis, and walking. I sew, weave, spin yarn, and draw. I don’t garden as much since we moved to a super hot location, but I used to do much of the gardening. Ive added photography lately , as I like to post on Instagram for fun. Dancing and exercise , has been my constant for over 40 years. I have burnt enough food and pans, to exclude cooking 🙂 oh well there is a limit to my talents, he, he.
Lol!
I recently read somewhere, “what do you have an abundance of?” My answer “too many unfinished projects.😂”. I love gardening which, thankfully, is something I can do almost year-round where we live. I also like to read, knit, crochet, needle point and quilting. But, like I read in someone else’s comment, arthritis is making needle work difficult. It’s important to me to stay busy so I am now trying my hand at refinishing a small piece of furniture. I wish I liked exercising, but I don’t, not even a little.😳🫣
I’ve enjoyed reading on my Kindle (get free books through Book Bub or at least pay no more than $3.99/book), Tai Chi at the nearby Senior Action Center, walking on our treadmill plus weight bearing exercises. My husband and I enjoy going to performances at our local theater & walking with friends at parks. Genealogy has also been a hobby of mine for 12 years & I just love it. Since retiring early in 2020 (a week before the pandemic hit), I’ve revisited the interests of my childhood & college years: taking Spanish classes & art classes. I also have Spanish language exchange partners in Bogota, Colombia & Costa Rica whom I met through the Tandem app! It’s been so interesting practicing one another’s language & learning about each other’s cultures. I’ve also been a part of a Bunco group for 24 years and do some volunteering in my congregation. Retirement has been fun!
LOTS of reading, Mah Jongg in person and online, knitting and other needlework, yoga, crossword puzzles, NYT spelling bee and wordle bible study both in a group and on my own, jigsaw puzzles.
Yay for Mah Jongg. I suffered with Bridge but LOVE MJ!
I play at least once a week and also on realmahjongg.com.
Hi Ladies,
I also love Wordle on my phone. I really love to cook now that I have more time.
I like all sorts of word games and I really like Lumosity for keeping my brain active and functioning. I also love photography and would like to set up a website to sell some of my pieces.
I live adjacent to a golf course, but I have never golfed. My two hobbies are genealogy and gardening. One for the mind and one for the body.
I wish I made time for gardening. I have a feeling I might like it.
Just a note to any seniors thinking of playing pickleball – it is now the #1 sport that causes injuries, especially to seniors. I can attest to it myself. It has totally ruined one of my knees, and now I’m having shoulder problems. I’ve played tennis my whole life and never had any issues but pickleball has been a whole new ballgame (no pun intended) for creating aches and pains. On the court I’ve seen concussions, 2 bad wrist breaks (with exposed bones, gulp, wonder we didn’t all pass out on the court!) and numerous falls. Every time I tell a doctor I’m playing I hear “UGHHH, you’ll be seeing me soon.” So, even tho I love it it’s not as harmless a sport as it’s made out to be.
My husband broke his wrist at pickle ball and won’t have anything to do with it now.
Knitting, reading, volunteering to name a few. I also started weaving potholders again after many, many years. What a blast. I purchased the loom and loops from a company called Acorn & Twigs. They offer 7” and 10” looms; I opted for the larger one. I’ve made some for myself as well as family and friends. So fun.
Also…check to see if your Medicare plan includes Silver Sneakers. I was able to join a local fitness center for just $10. So many of the classes are free with Silver Sneakers.
All lovely ideas, Jennifer. You’ve covered the gamut of sedentary and non-sedentary pursuits. My only question is “what spare time???!!!” Smiles!
Exactly!! 🙂
I did all types of needle work, quilting, sewing for grandchildren and knitting until my arthritic hands just couldn’t. I listen to audio books and color with art pencils in adult coloring books I found on Amazon. I love Joanna Basford books the best. I will try to get to the library to get a card so I can get ebooks and audibles free. Great idea and will save a lot of money!
I joined a Newcomers club when I moved here and through that joined a book club, garden club and decor club. I also joined the Horticultural Society. Over the years groups have fallen apart. We all got what we needed from those groups and have remained friends. I’m currently looking for a new book club to join. I always have a book on the go and love to meet with others to discuss. I walk my dog every morning without fail. I tried different exercise groups – yoga, Pilate, Tai Chi, Zumba and Aquasize. The pool work out is my favourite. It’s easy on my arthritic joints. I spend hours in my garden. It is my Zen place. I think I will take up bridge again. I played a lot in my late 30s & 40s, then it dropped off with a busy life and multiple military moves. A refresher course will introduce me to new groups to join.
Wonderful post with ideas I wouldn’t have thought of!
I used to do needlepoint and knitting. I enjoyed needlepoint more and still have some pieces to complete; although that hobby has been on the back burner for many years.
I also used to make jewelry that I sold at craft shows. That was a fun and social hobby. Again, it’s been on the back burner. What I’ve enjoyed lately is making silk flower arrangements for our home, including seasonal and holiday arrangements. They may be “out” as far as decor, but not for me!
I also enjoy organizing. That may not really be a hobby, but it’s very satisfying and I sure spend a lot of time on it! Ha!
I really need to “pull” exercise into my retirement equation. I truly hate it, but need to do it! Your post is inspiring!
I’m pushing myself to do the exercising. I just have to.
Great post. Before I retired I started playing tennis. Love the challenge. I have played competitive as well as just for fun. I learned how to knit and crochet when I was younger, but now retired for several years I knit for a ministry at church that gives a beautiful box of garments and a card, etc. for mothers who loose their babies. What a blessing to know we can bring some joy to them at a difficult time.
Lately I have started putting puzzles together and really like working with the ones that are sectional. My Kindle goes with me for reading while waiting for various appointments. Retirement is good and I find many things to do.
This is such a fun post today — what an active and creative group of women here! I am not retired yet, but I simply cannot understand when people say how bored I’ll be when I do. Are you kidding? There are so many activities to look forward to (which I do now but plan on spending more time doing when I retire). I make greeting cards and collage art, love word puzzles, gardening and walking (just to name a few).
This group of women is amazing!!
After retirement, I have been able to enjoy many creative activities. I love reading, cross stitching, quilting and gardening. The projects just seem to multiply.😊
I’ve enjoyed reading all the comments – I’ll have to check back later to see what other hobbies have been added!
I enjoy reading, especially during the week between Christmas and New Years. Maybe the Christmas to New Year reading is a holdover from my school teacher days when hours of uninterrupted reading were quite the luxury. Year round, I enjoy reading the Bible through – I learn something new every time.
My husband gave me a pickleball set for Christmas last year, and we played frequently last spring. It’s great fun, but we haven’t branched out to find others to play with.
I’ve played Bunco off and on for years. My group tends to laugh – a LOT- when we play. Good strong belly laughs are SO beneficial!
I’ve never been able to get the hang of crochet, but enjoy knitting from time to time. My favorite knitting projects are dishcloths. I can finish one over the course of a few evenings and then have a useful item (and it doesn’t really matter what it look like). Confession – I actually know only one knitting stitch, (and that’s all I care to know right now) along with how to cast on and bind off (is that the right term?), but it’s enough for me! 😉
I have a pottery studio. Pottery is messy and muddy (or maybe it’s just me…), and working the clay is sometimes difficult for my hands (I have some arthritis in my fingers), but it can also be great exercise for my fingers. I thought when I retired 5 years ago, that I would do pottery “all the time”, but it hasn’t worked out that way.
My newest interest is woodturning! I’ve taken a few classes and think that it’s so much fun. My goal is to create a turned Nativity set.
I would LOVE a line dancing class! My local Y has a class a couple of times a week, but not at a time that works for me. Occasionally I’ll play a Youtube video and dance along, which is good exercise, but not as much fun as dancing with a room full of people.
Bind off is correct! You are busy.
Here in the frozen tundra, cabin fever is real so I try to exercise both my body and my mind. I love doing jigsaw puzzles in the winter but my current project is a Diamond Art picture (just like paint by number but you’re using diamond shaped beads). I am also trying to learn a bit of Spanish for an upcoming trip, and am participating in a program to read the Bible in a year. I’m also contemplating learning to play the ukulele just for fun and trying to get the nerve to tackle 30 years of family photos! So many choices to keep our minds active!
Jennifer, thanks for this thoughtful message. In retirement, I’ve enjoyed a lot of these activities – golfing, knitting, Mahjong, Canasta, book club, gardening – and the benefits you mention are absolutely spot on. It’s so important to challenge our brains, exercise our bodies and enjoy socializing with ithers. Thanks for a great message.
Hi Jennifer! I started playing golf when I retired at 60. My friend talked me into trying it with her, and I am hooked! During warmer weather, I play with a couple of lady friends once a week, and we play with our husbands as a group on Fridays. I also play with my husband and our golf-fanatic son, who is a high school coach and a great teacher (and is also very patient with his mom!) I enjoy reading, usually on my Kindle, and doing Wordle and the New York Times spelling bee and crossword puzzles. I used to cross stitch quite a bit and was just thinking about finding a project to get me through the winter. I found when I made a few ornaments recently that I don’t see as well as I used to and require good lighting! I need to get motivated to spend some time on our treadmill, too. We get together with a small group of friends at least once a week for dinner and often play cards as well.
I love knitting! Though I now have Rheumatoid Arthritis, my physicians, which also include a hand surgeon, have promised to keep me knitting! I also enjoy reading either a real book or on my Kindle. However, spending time with my two incredible teenage grandchildren brings me the most joy! Whether it’s going for coffee together, cheering at their baseball games and tennis matches, or just chatting, it’s the best. I’m lucky that we are able to see each other several times a week, and we love making memories together!
Now that I am retired, I have time to read what I want to read (rather than student work). I also have time to work out more (at home since I don’t like a gym setting) – yoga, vibration plate, arms and upper body weights, low impact HIIT (AARP on youtube). I also love to bake and cook. I just started to bake and donate mini loaves to a local church. I baked 110 mini loaves. I am going to start on the next ones this week (freeze until I have 110 to donate.) I also knitted some hats for preemies in the NICU. I hope to do more mini loaves and hats. We also try to walk as often as we can.
My husband loves to do the outside work (gardening, landscaping, vegetable garden) so as the weather warms, he will be back outside. As the harvest comes in, I freeze and can.
None of my activities are social oriented, and I know I should get out more to meet new people. I am really not one to go out and find new friends. Just getting to know our neighbors (we are in a rural area so not a neighborhood.) We love having them over for dinner and conversation.
The days do seem to fly by, and we are busy most of the time. I do need to learn to take things slowly now that I am no longer working. It’s a hard habit to break.
Learning to slow down is harder than I imagined!
I’m surprised no one has mentioned “creating art”. I always loved to draw as a child, took a few art studio classes in college, but then for 20 years didn’t have time to touch any art materials. Started taking drawing and painting classes 20 years ago (when I quit full-time work). And have met many (mainly women) in those classes. Almost all were near-beginners at first. Although I no longer need classes from a technical/knowledge standpoint, I find that occasional classes let me see what others are choosing to work on and opens my eyes to possibilities.
I also garden, golf, read, cook.
I’d like to respectfully add learning to play a musical instrument. It is never too late! Adult learners have many advantages over children. I happen to be a private music instructor. Currently approximately half of my students are over the age of 60. Some are returning to music lessons after a long hiatus from lessons in their youth. Others are studying music for the very first time. I love working with my older students and seeing the pleasure they experience in making beautiful sounds.
Love this post, so many great ideas.
Yes! Playing a musical instrument is such a fulfilling pursuit, and is also a proven way to maintain a healthy brain: https://www.pennmedicine.org/news/news-blog/2017/january/playing-an-instrument-better-for-your-brain-than-just-listening. So grateful for my wonderful Steinway grand and the time to play all that music I never had time for!
Thank you Jennifer for the great ideas. I love Libby which is a digital book library linked to your account with a partnership with Amazon. I read avidly and it has saved so much money for me and l put bestsellers on the waiting list and think ahead as to what l want. Books l have loved are The Thursday Murder Club,Mrs .England by Stacey Halls and Lucy Foley. I am working on a quilt for my daughter and l am thinking of joining a walking club. My mother is in a local orchestra playing the flute at 89 as she played in her younger years and loves the interaction!
That’s fabulous! Your mom sounds amazing.
I have boxes of yarn I collected from thrift stores for pennies on the dollar over the years. As someone prone to overeat in the evenings, I enjoy occupying my hands with crochet projects that I create and then donate to shelters and hospitals. Projects can be small, medium, or as large as I want and are always appreciated.
I play Mahjongg with a group of friends every Wednesday and also play BUNCO once a month. I’m also a quilter, I make quilts for my family and a charity organization. When I retired years ago I did a handful of paint-by-number kits. I loved doing them as a child and it was really fun.
I learned how to quilt during retirement, sewing with my sewing machine different shapes to make lovely quilts . I joined a quilt group that makes quilts for ill, or people who are facing surgery. The group is social, we meet once a week, have lunch together and share ideas. Quilting is no problem for arthritic hands.
I read mostly fiction on my Kindle (read in low lighting and can change the font). I get free books from the library online. So easy to borrow and send back. I recently read Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis. I read it in 2 days.
Do any of you play Worlde? You get one word a day, and have 6 chances a day to guess the word. My husband and I always check to see who gets it in the least amount of tries.
I joined the local parks and recreation center, and use their gym and exercise equipment. They also offer many types of exercise classes, swimming classes, and over 50 classes if you want those. I like the bike and elliptical, so easy on joints . My husband goes with me when he is not playing golf.
My husband loves wordle.
Challenge yourself and try Quordle also! My sister and I solve Quordle and Wordle daily and text the results across the miles to each other. A fun way to keep in touch daily.
As a voracious reader and a frugal one, I read all my books on my Amazon Fire through my library. It is free and easy. I can read a book or get an audible version. Not often but a book may not be available, and I’ll turn to Amazon to purchase a book, but with patience a book on hold comes fairly soon to my in box & meanwhile I’m reading other fun offerings. I highly recommend your readers check into their own local library’s on-line offerings. It keeps me endlessly in marvelous books!
I have taken up quilting and it is not sewing, which I hate.
I truly love to put these angles and squares together to create something beautiful.
Also love puzzles and reading and do my best to get in exercise daily. All makes for a happy me. Need to try new things to keep our minds sharp.
I just found out about a serious community choir and joined it. They have weekly rehearsals with a bit of time to chat with others so the social aspect is there but limited. It is taking me a lot of time to learn my part during the week to prepare for rehearsal, but I love the challenge. There were no auditions (that was important!). In the spring, there will be a concert. It is very nice!
I like to read and garden. My choice for books is the public library. Purchasing books does get expensive although in some places there is a used bookstore that will pay you a pittance to purchase used books. That is why the public library is so beneficial to fixed or low income people. I joined a book club and serve as the secretary, since I have good computer skills. I also lead a support group. I enjoy fashion but I don’t have need for business clothes since retirement. I have noticed many of my friends no longer dress in current styles or trends and it ages them. Your column has me observing what people wear again like I did when employed.
Playing MahJongg is my favorite hobby! It is a challenging game, and it offers tons of opportunities for socializing with friends. I play several times a week in person, and I play every night online at RealMahJongg.com.
Reading (I belong to two book clubs) and volunteering (at a food cupboard and clothing closet) also take up my time. I must get back to a regular exercise routine, though!
Thanks for the reminder, Jennifer.
Yay for Mah Jongg. I suffered with Bridge but LOVE MJ!
I play on realmahjongg.com, too.
I can vouch for folding garden kneelers. I inherited a similar one from my mother, and find it very helpful for my hips and knees. I’m the age she was when she bought it.
Washable gripper gloves are essential, so I stock up every year. I wash them in cold water and hang them to dry. There are always a few clean pairs ready at the door. I managed to wear out four pairs this year. I have quite a few left leather gloves, because only the right ones wear out!
Sloggers last years for me, so I only need to replace them occasionally. A new pair is waiting for spring. The new ones are floral. The old ones had a cow print. Always fun to check out the new designs.
Gardening has been frustrating the past few years, due to wildfire smoke and drought. Nothing grows like it once did. Maybe it’s time to switch to lower-maintenance xeriscaping with perennials and add a new hobby to my repertoire.
Thank you for including Volunteering as a way to occupy those “extra” hours! Volunteerism is the best way to stay connected to, and to improve, the community in which you live. Many volunteer organizations do not expect large donations but could use our “elbow grease” to make an impact. Check out places like Assistance League (120 chapters nation wide), your local food bank, school district, or animal shelter for ways to pitch in! Whether you are distributing clothing to schools and emergency rooms, reading to classrooms, bagging groceries, walking dogs or lending your professional expertise (finance/governance/organization) to leadership positions in the organization, you will be enriched by the time you spend helping make your little corner of the world better!
Thanks for all the great ideas! I didn’t realize how many of those things that I do. My husband and I are obsessed with golf. We love playing together and can sometimes get competitive. We even plan our vacations around golf. Unfortunately we live in the NW so in the winter we walk everyday. I love to read and do word puzzles. I used to love to crossstitch but my arthritis won’t allow that anymore. I think pickleball sounds fun but we don’t seem to have it around here.
Hi Jennifer,
I began volunteering at a local food pantry seven years ago when I retired! It is both rewarding and humbling.
We walk every day and I love a good book.
Thanks so much for the great ideas.
Just a warning. Pickleball is addicting🙂. When we moved to our retirement community 3 yrs ago I didn’t really know what it was but now I’m playing every day (sometimes twice) and am on a league team. It’s such a great social sport and good exercise. I also read a lot, do sudoku every day, take fused glass classes, play cards and am in a hiking group. Never a dull moment here!
That sounds fun!
This column came at the perfect time since my birthday is in 2 weeks! I have gardened for 47 years, and I don’t have a kneeler or closed in gardening shoes. So those are on my birthday list! My dentist told me to read, “Why We Sleep” by Matthew Walker so I did. It’s an important book. When one city started high school at 9:00 instead of 8:00, car wrecks from 16-18 year olds went down by 60%. The part about sleep deprived doctors and residents is a sad testiment about our medical system.
Right before Covid, I took up the oboe! I played flute through college and then life got in the way and I stopped playing. I always missed playing music. So after I retired, I decided to try the oboe. What was I thinking?! I could not get a sound out of it and learned it’s one of the most difficult instruments to play. But I kept it up, and am still playing and taking lessons and I’ve come a long way. Thanks to Zoom, I was able to keep going during the pandemic. I second Susan’s book pick, A Man called Ove. But I also loved A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. I belong to Audible and listen to my books while I exercise. Makes the time go by faster!
How fun!!
I play bridge in two groups twice a week, participate in two book clubs, swim and walk daily ( still over weight🥺), do puzzles, make jeweled trees, listen to audio books and read constantly, read too many blogs…..the days are not long enough. My husband walks miles a day and listens to audible so we have books to talk about.
What are jeweled trees?
Those are great ideas. I would like to add that Canasta is another fun card game that I have learned after retirement. Volunteering is a wonderful way to help in the community.
I volunteer twice a week and plan to start my first garden this year (at 66 y/o!) then preserve the fruits of my labors. I need to be more active because my passion is reading, I occasionally read a biography but the majority of my reading is light fiction. I’ve long been a Nora Roberts fan and she recently mentioned a book by Sarah Addison Allen. Loving it!
Volunteering is very rewarding.
My favorite book of all time is The Rent Collector. I started a book club when I retired and have a group of 11 women who meet on a regular monthly basis and discuss a book. We also enjoy good wine and food. It was the best decision I ever made in retirement.
Thx for ideas. I play pickle ball & teach a Silver Sneakers class twice a week. I love it & have so much fun. I need to sit & do crosswords, word search etc. I also have fun playing Rummikue. Have you played? Also I play Hand & Footbwith a group. Retirement is great!!!
I am a knitter but currently taking a class to learn to crochet…there are a lot of knitting patterns that use crochet as well and I just wanted to get a bit more confident with it. My husband is a puzzle guy and I have been joking that his puzzle collection is starting to compete with my yarn stash! We both like to play crib and also play pool once in awhile.
I make jewelry. I started about 15 years ago. I needed a necklace for an outfit and could not find the right color so I went to Michael’s craft store and decided to try my hand at beading. Every time I got a new topper jacket, I made a piece of jewelry to match it. but beading is simpler than you ladies think, and can be an expensive compared to some of the other hobbies
I’ve tried that too. It is fun.
My post retirement activities are golf and gardening and my winter sport was curling till the fun of being on a cold rink for a few hours lost it’s appeal.
Golf is a great way to make friends – I’ve joined 4 different ladies’ leagues over the years and have met many wonderful ladies from that. None of my long time friends live close by, so hobbies are the only way to meet new people.
That is some good advice. I have a set of clubs but haven’t played in years. My husband plays but he has his friends and many leagues. Perhaps a women’s league would interest me?
I loved curling, I use to do it in school many decades ago, but living in the US I find it is not very popular.
You’ll enjoy a ladies league Susan. Women are so much more fun and relaxed to play with, and in my experience much more supportive. Plus there’s the apres golf refreshments 🙂
My daughter keeps encouraging me to take up golf
I bought an Ashford 24 inch rigid heddle loom from The Woolery, and my husband and I have spent wonderful hours this winter making simple dish towels, placemats, and scarves. Bonus: we made most of our Christmas gifts this year. We taught ourselves easily using You Tube and some books. Come spring, we will tend our vegetable “garden” in big pots we’ve put alongside the house as our knees don’t like working a regular garden anymore.
I wanted to add that this is a table loom, so we can easily move it around and take it in our RV, too.
How fun that you do it together. I love that.
I love your web site and you have imparted some very useful ideas since I found you. I understand the need for advertising but the flashing ads are very distracting to this ADS (adult distraction syndrome). I love Talbot’s but I’m not a fan of flashing ads. Thanks, for letting me rant.
I’m sorry, they’re flashing. I’ll check with my ad agency.
Jennifer, I’ve increased my volunteer efforts and they are fulfilling. Our card game is Hand and Foot, a family favorite. You’ve enticed me to knit again, but only after I finish a long term needlepoint piece. Cooking, has become a favorite as I love to research and experiment with recipes. Yoga and walking are required to balance my kitchen efforts. Thanks for all these ideas!
I have just started learning bridge and I’m enjoying the class, and learning something new. Meeting people is the extra bonus.
It’s so important to stay social
I taught myself to crochet via You Tube about 8 years ago. I have made so many baby blankets and baby hats as gifts. My struggle is to keep my yarn stash at a minimum! I also have made my grand-daughters a large collection of amigurumi animals – which they love. I am now going to attempt to teach myself to knit via You Tube (suggestions please?). I am still working so I work on my hobbies mostly at night to relax.
Yarn stashes are a hazard of these hobbies but there are worse vices 😂
I have been crocheting in my spare time for 15 years and especially like making sweaters. In two weeks, I am taking a beginner weaving class from a local yarn shop. If I like it, I will buy the small loom. I have to use up my yarn stash faster!
I knit and use my skills and stash to make baby/child sized afghans for Project Linus which provides them to hospitalized children. I typically try to use a soft synthetic yarn which is affordable, cuddly, and washable.
My hobby is scrapbooking. I work on my albums at home and at monthly “crops”. It’s a nice creative outlet and social time as well. Think I might try needlepoint after your suggestion, we spend a lot of time on long car trips, might be a nice time filler.
So long as you don’t get car sick 😁
I am just recently semi retired and have some spare time for the first time in my life. I never had time to develop hobbies so I’m looking for something to do. In spring, summer and fall I do the yard work/ gardening and that occupies alot of my time, plus I have 3 dogs that keep me busy, but in winter I’m at odds.
I like to read but that is short lived because I have sjogrens and my eyes are very dry and my vision goes blurry after 20 minutes. By the way I use Restatis eye drops and they help alot.
I need to get the motivation to exercise on a regular basis. I can procrastinate like no other!!
Best book I ever read is A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Bachman. I weeped buckets, it’s a happy book.
Have you considered getting an e-reader of some sort (I have an I-pad mini, but there are others). I check out e-books and audiobooks from my local library. An audiobook would allow you to enjoy ‘reading’ without eye strain. If you read a lot, buying books can be expensive. Also, if I don’t really like a book, I just return it without a trip to the library. I’ve read dozens of books since I retired 6 yrs ago.
I also crochet and have recently started sewing clothes for 18” dolls (American Girl, Our Generation, etc). I made so many that I started an online ‘business’ through a Facebook page (Linda P Designs) and set up a booth in a local French Market.
Last year I joined a Silver Sneakers class at the YMCA, and I love it!
My husband and I also travel in our RV for about 3 months to escape the heat in the south and to visit our family in a Oregon. We take time to see the sights as we traverse the country.
I love retirement!
I wish our mega-Y had those classes. Instead, they call them gentle 50+ classes, but any age is allowed to join. The younger people in my class voted to become a rigorous regular class, so I could not keep up. Grrr! Why not join a regular class, if that’s what they want? (Just like so many gyms, the mega-Y counts on people dropping out.)
Linda, thank you for the tip, I am going to check out the audible books at the library. Inexpensive and easy on the old eyes.
Congratulations! What a great business.
Is that on Facebook you have Linda P Designs? Thank you
I recently learned to play Mah Jonng and I love it. I was lucky to find a couple of ladies who know the game well and were patient enough to teach a friend of mine and me. I may have to hang up my tennis racket due to injuries but have a pickleball lesson already scheduled! It seems like pickleballers are having so much fun and I want to have fun and laugh!
I’ve only played Mahjong once and it was a blast!