Enjoying time with friends is one of life's greatest treasures. Whether you're looking to reconnect with old friends or meet someone new, participating in fun activities for seniors is a great way to start. Plus, picking up a new hobby offers physical and mental stimulation — which becomes increasingly important as you age.
Below, we share a few fun activities for seniors. From group fitness classes, starting your own book club, and creative art projects, you're sure to find fun ways to stay connected — both in-person and online.
4 Exercise Classes for Seniors: Attend Group Fitness Classes
Staying physically active benefits your mind as well as your body. Studies show that regular physical activity helps improve your mood, lower blood pressure, and helps you live longer. Plus, it prevents a number of degenerative diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and osteoporosis.
Search for a number of safe, low-impact group fitness classes in your area to stay physically fit. Check with Silver Sneakers gyms, your local library, community center, or local Facebook groups to help start your search:
Group yoga: Yoga is low-impact and helps improve strength and flexibility. If you can't find a group class, try an online yoga flow in your living room.
Tai-chi: Tai-chi trains your aerobic system, improves your breathwork, and taxes your flexibility. Plus, it's a suitable form of exercise for people of all ages.
Chair exercises: If you're slightly unbalanced on your feet, chair exercises are a safe way to build strength. Check to see if there are in-person chair workouts in your community, or try one online.
Wii: You can still enjoy the sports you loved as a kid. With a Wii, you can play a computerized version of golf, tennis, soccer, and other fun activities.
3 Gaming Activities for Seniors: Test Your Trivia
Group games offer social interaction, mental stimulation, and a good dose of competition — all rolled into one. Create a game club with your friends, playing your favorite board game or card game, or installing a weekly trivia night.
Here are some fun gaming ideas to get you started:
Create a game night: Initiate a bi-weekly game night with friends. You can either meet at someone's home or a coffee shop or host a Zoom call to play online. (Plus, having a regular meet-up offers an opportunity to stay in touch with old friends.)
Play a solo game or puzzle: Need a night to yourself? Crossword puzzles, Sudoku, and jigsaw puzzles are great activities when you need a night in.
Get competitive online: Or, if you can try playing games online, on your phone, or on your tablet — AddicitingGames.com and Arkadium offer a number of different gaming options. Remember never to give out personal information online, even if it seems harmless.
3 Reading Activities for Seniors: Begin a Book Club or Writing Group
Have you ever been caught up in the middle of a can't-put-it-down good read, and thought, "I wish there was someone to share this with!?"
Launching a book club offers a wonderful way to stay in touch with loved ones — plus it keeps your mind sharp. Select a monthly read (your local library and Good Reads have great options), and come together either in person or online to discuss your thoughts. Here are some ideas to help get you started:
Have everyone cast their vote: Not sure which book to read first? Have everyone nominate a book, then perform a group poll to select your next novel, memoir, or self-help book.
Transform it into a writers’ group: Love writing as much as you enjoy reading? Alternate between writing and reading — perhaps you can ever write your family history or life story.
Host online or in-person meetings: If some of your friends no longer drive, it may be best to meet online rather than in person. Host your book club on Google Hangouts or Zoom so you can interact, chat, and see one another — even from different corners of the world.
3 Arts Activities for Seniors: Get Creative
Have you always had an artistic eye, but never found the time for creative projects? Sewing, painting, scrapbooking, and other activities are wonderful options for older adults. Art projects encourage self-expression and self-care — plus, you can show off your creations to family members and friends.
Here are some ideas to help get you started:
Start a scrapbook: How many boxes of old photographs are laying around your home? Take a trip to your local crafts store for supplies, and transform old photos into a book you can flip through for years to come. Or, if you have limited mobility in your hands, consider making a scrapbook online through Snapfish or Shutterfly.
Take a sip and paint class: Painting watercolors is always more fun with friends (and a glass of wine in hand). Enjoy a "sip and paint class," where an instructor walks you through painting a certain subject with an open bar. Or, order an at-home painting kit through MusePaintBar.
Take a pottery class (or other art class): Many senior living community centers offer various creative art classes. Sign up for a creative group activity with friends, and make an outing of it. You can even find at-home pottery kits on Etsy — FaceTime a friend and have an online pottery date.
3 Gardening Activities for Seniors: Spend Time Outdoors
Spending time in the sunshine offers a number of health benefits — including increasing vitamin D levels, boosting your mental health, and improving your overall quality of life. Find safe, yet creative ways to spend more time outdoors, gardening, going on walks, or even taking a field trip to the zoo.
Ask friends and family, read in your church bulletin, or contact your local senior center to see if any of the below options are available to you:
Take part in a community garden: Many urban living areas contain group gardens, looked after by a number of individuals. See if you can help maintain the garden or nursery. Or, to maintain social distancing, order a book on urban gardening and plant a little greenergy on your windowsill.
Take a plant potting class: Floral shops and nurseries sometimes offer classes to the public. Learning to make your own flower bouquet, plant a succulent, or start an urban garden are just a few fun activities for seniors. You can also find pot planting classes online.
Take an online class: These days, there is an online course for everything. If you're looking for a fun, home activity, take a gardening class from Udemy, Masterclass, or GardenDesign.com.
3 Cooking Activities for Seniors: Try Your Hand at a New Recipe
Let's face facts: Enjoying dinner out with friends is a fun activity at any age. However, continuously dining out can easily become expensive.
Instead of dining at a restaurant, do the home cooking yourself — either with a caregiver or a group of friends. Here are a few activity ideas combining two of life's greatest things: friends and food.
Start a bake-off: Whether it's the holiday season or just a regular ol' Saturday afternoon, you can create a bake-off with other friends and family. Bake cookies, bars, or cinnamon rolls, then send them home (or mail them off in airtight, zip-top bags) to all your friends. Or, drop them off on your neighbor’s doorstep — it’s a great way to make new friends.
Take a cooking class: Many community colleges, local organizations, and even restaurants offer cooking classes, which could be a unique, group activity. Or, you can always take a cooking class online — have all your friends log into Zoom, then follow along together.
Perform a progressive supper: If you live in a retirement community, here's a fun idea to share with your neighbors. Perform a "progressive supper" where you visit a different friend's apartment for each course — appetizers, dinner, and dessert. Or, simply FaceTime your friends to have a virtual dinner date.
There Are Countless, Fun Activities for Seniors
Group exercise classes, playing a game of Scrabble, or trying your hand at a new recipe are just a few fun activities suitable for senior citizens.
Participating in new, fun activities provides social interaction, mental interaction, and can improve your physical strength. It offers a way to stay in close contact with old friends, and even forge new relationships.
As your social or activity calendar fills up, be sure you have Snug installed on your phone. Snug is a daily check-in app designed for seniors living alone. You and your friends can list one another as your emergency contacts, and Snug will alert one of you if the other misses a check-in.
And while you're checking in on each other, you can remind your friend that you still demand a trivia re-match.