Just because a senior is getting older doesn’t mean they can’t have hobbies.
In fact, it’s been shown that seniors who get out and about and have activities and interests they can actively pursue are much happier, less lonely, and tend to be healthier than those who have nothing to do all day.
Many recreational activities are available for seniors, but it can be challenging to know what’s a good fit, especially if a senior has specific physical or mobility-related limitations.
The good news is that there are plenty of physical, mental, artistic, and social activities seniors can engage in, regardless of their ability level. It’s just a matter of finding an appropriate match!
In this guide, we’ll explore over sixty recreational activities well-suited for elderly seniors. To start, let’s talk about how to assess which hobbies will be best depending on an elderly individual’s needs.
Choosing Hobbies & Activities for Seniors
The best way to find recreational activities that suit a senior’s preferences is by answering a few questions about their interests and abilities.
- Did they play an instrument in their younger years?
- Are they crazy for puzzles?
- Do they like a bit of competition through sports?
Regardless of whether recreational activities come from a structured program or involve self-directed participation, they should:
- Provide gentle exercise for the body without over-stressing themselves
- Offer opportunities for social interactions with others in similar life circumstances
- Work mental faculties that are at risk for deterioration
With that in mind, here are some questions you’ll want to consider when choosing an appropriate hobby for an older loved one:
- What mobility level is required? If the activity is a sport, is it low impact? What kind of physical mobility would the individual need for this activity?
- Does it build mental skills? Will this activity help improve or maintain a senior’s memory, hand-eye coordination, or fine motor skills? While certainly not required, it might be a good idea to look for activities that build on specific mental skills a senior wants to maintain.
- Which muscle groups will it work? For some seniors interested in exercise or sports, it can be helpful to reflect on which muscle groups the activity will work. Are these areas of the body that will benefit from the activity? Or do these regions of the body suffer from injury or pain that might make the activity too challenging or dangerous?
- What social benefits are provided? Does this activity provide some kind of social benefit of group comradery for the senior? Seeking out social-oriented recreational activities is an especially good idea for more lonely seniors who are looking for companionship.
- Does the activity need some kind of senior-friendly modification? (for example, some board game clubs revolve around very complex board games, which might be hard for a senior to learn. In this case, try to find a board game club that focuses more on senior-friendly board games or games the individual is already familiar with)
Ultimate List of Activities for Seniors & Elderly Individuals
Let’s jump into our giant list of awesome great age-appropriate activities and hobbies for elderly seniors!
We’ve divided our giant list into subsections, so feel free to jump ahead, or browse through them all one by one.
Arts & Craft Activities for Senior Adults
Knitting
Knitting is a great craft that can be enjoyed by active and limited-mobility seniors alike! Some seniors may enjoy knitting socks, scarves, hats, and mittens for their loved ones or to give as gifts.
Plus, once you master the basics (which aren’t usually too difficult to pick up) you can find tons of free patterns online.
Knitting can be enjoyed while listening to music or the news, or can be done in a knitting group, which some local rec centers may promote and run.
Scrapbooking
Scrapbooking is a great craft activity for seniors because it combines creative flair and nostalgia.
Many seniors enjoy tracing their lives through photos from the past, and scrapbooks give them a space in which to do this, as well as share memories with other family members. Viewing and reflecting on old photos can also help jog lost memories.
It’s also an activity that can be fun to enjoy with children and grandchildren as stories are shared. Many senior centers will even have scrapbooking classes where seniors can get help cutting and gluing together their various photos and memorabilia.
For a variation on traditional scrapbooking, consider encouraging a senior to collage various materials on a posted and print a favorite inspirational quote about getting older – now they’ll have some new wall decor!
Painting
Painting is an enjoyable artistic activity for any senior who has always loved or enjoyed art but never got around to taking a class!
Some painting may be done on a canvas with oil paints, while other artists may work with more senior-friendly mediums like watercolors or acrylics.
Plus, painting is a great activity to maintain and improve hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. If a senior isn’t quite ready to commit to an ongoing class, enlisting in a local or online Paint Nite might be a great place to start!
Pottery
Pottery is another great artistic activity that many seniors greatly enjoy.
Many recreational centers offer pottery classes where participants throw their own pieces on the wheel or hand-build them using traditional pottery methods.
The process of forming a shape with clay, firing it in the kiln to harden, and adding glaze often results in functional pieces of art seniors can be proud of and show off in their home!
Some seniors may also choose to paint pre-made ceramic pieces to create a one-of-a-kind works of art during a single session. There are many services that offer the option to paint premade pottery and pick it up that or the following day. Plus, paining pre-made ceramics is often an activity that grandkids can enjoy as well!
Mosaic Art
Crafting mosaics is another art form that allows seniors to exercise their artistic side.
Artists place small pieces of glass or stone beside one another and glue the pieces in place to create a unique image.
Mosaic work requires less precision and fine motor skills than some other art forms, making it a great option for those with limited mobility who have an artistic flair!
Woodworking
Woodworking is a recreational activity that offers many practical benefits, from keeping hobbyists busy to producing useful goods they can use and show off at home!
Many seniors enjoy woodworking as a hobby and may choose to create handcrafted furniture or home décor items such as bowls, plaques, or small decorative items.
Woodworking is also a great activity to focus the mind and focus on exercise hand-eye coordination as well.
Craft Fairs
Seniors who enjoy crafting can find it rewarding to sell their creations at local craft fairs! From painted pumpkins to seashell picture frames, there are plenty of elder-friendly crafts a senior can engage in and sell for a profit.
Alternatively, many seniors enjoy getting together and simply pursuing local craft fairs to see the various creations.
Quilting
Quilting is a fun crafting activity that seniors can engage in themselves or with friends and family members.
Many quilts are crafted to honor someone, such as a loved one lost to war, but they can also just be made for fun. Children or grandchildren may enjoy making their own quilt with band t-shirts or old school t-shirts!
Plus, the end result will be something soft and cozy you can clutch in the winter.
Embrodiary / Needlework
Some seniors find great fun in embroidery or needlework. While it does require fine handling and some finger precision to loop the needle in and out of the material, seniors with enough dexterity may find it fun and rewarding to embroider pillow cases, dish towels, and all kinds of other things!
Sewing
Similarly, many seniors also enjoy sewing, which can be employed to make everything from clothes to clutches. Modern sewing machines make sewing easier than ever, and there are tons of free patterns and templates online that can be printed out.
Flower Arranging
Flower arranging is another low-key recreational activity well-suited for elderly seniors that involves composing and styling an arrangement out of flowers.
This activity is both calming and creative, allowing individuals to take their time in putting together an artistic creation. Flower arrangements can be given away as gifts or even sold if one wants to make a little money off of them. Many florists even regularly purchase arrangements from amateur flower arrangers!
If you’re interested in learning more about how to get started with flower arranging, YouTube has several excellent videos on the subject, allowing you to learn from your own home.
Paint Nite
For those who like to spend their free time getting creative, but need a bit more guidance, a paint night is just the thing!
With a Paint Nite, all the supplies from canvas and paints to brushes are provided as an instructor walks you step by step through the painting process as you re-create a pre-selected final product.
Paint night events can be held in restaurants, community halls, or even at private residences. Local recreational centers may also host these events once a month for seniors looking for something new to do.
Jewelry Making
Jewelry making is often an enjoyable craft activity for seniors as it combines a number of skills into one hobby, involving creativity, fine motor skills, artistry, and even some math!
From beading and leatherwork to wire earrings, there are tons of jewelry options that will allow a senior to exercise their sense of style. Jewelry pieces can be given as gifts or even potentially sold at local craft fairs!
If you’re looking to get started with jewelry making, there are numerous online resources such as YouTube and Skillshare to help you learn the basics of this hobby.
As a bonus tip, look for jewelry-making supplies on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or at local garage sales – it’s not unusual for folks to sell their jewelry-making gear once they’ve grown tired of it.
Photography
Photography is a fantastic hobby that allows seniors to document the world around them or get creative. While there are certainly more advanced photography classes out there that focus on using a standard digital or manual camera, many photography classes will focus on just taking great photos with your iPhone or Android phone camera!
You’ll learn about everything from lighting and composition to framing and subject matters as you practice taking photos.
Not into the idea of a formal class?
There are plenty of local photography groups that meet via Meetup or Facebook Groups. It’s not unusual to even find hosted photography walks, where a guide will escort groups through parks, museums, or other interesting neighborhoods to take unique photos you might not otherwise capture!
Cooking Class
If you love to cook but feel like your skills could use a refresher course, some recreational centers or adult education programs offer cooking courses to help seniors learn all kinds of fun foreign meals, from dumplings to homemade pasta.
Cooking classes can build upon a senior’s existing cooking skills (however advanced or limited) and can boost confidence and independence!
Learn an Instrument
For seniors who are physically able to play, picking up a new musical instrument or brushing up on an old one can be fun and rewarding.
Music can be incredibly beneficial for seniors, sparking up memories that would otherwise lie dormant. Seniors can also connect with local members of community bands that plays all kinds of music, or they might even learn a piece from favorite movie or oldie hit of their childhood.
Homebrewing
Many seniors who like to entertain guests might enjoy home brewing as an at-home hobby.
There are many easy to setup DIY beer-making kits that can be purchased online, allowing a senior to proudly ferment and bottle their very own brew!
Improv Class
Improve is another fun rec activity for seniors that also stimulates creative thinking!
In improv comedy classes, instructors teach students how to get in touch with their imagination and think up skits and stories on the fly.
Seniors may enjoy joining an improv class and appreciate how it teaches one how to be more open-minded and witty in conversation. Many performers find that improv helps them deal with stage fright and promotes confidence. It’s also a great way to meet new people and socialize with different individuals.
Community Theatre
Similarly, engaging in community theatre is another recreational activity for older individuals that exposes them to a variety of new people and may lead to an opportunity to perform.
Community theatre performances usually are fairly relaxed about who participates- especially if the elderly performer doesn’t mind only having a small role.
Even if the participant doesn’t want a speaking roll, seniors will have a lot of fun behind the scenes working on costumes, collecting and managing props, or other backstage duties while also enjoying the perks of watching their friends act on stage and being part of a team!
Games for Senior Adults
Card Club
Card clubs are a great recreational activity for social seniors. Sometimes these groups meet in recreational centers, but many times they meet at members’ houses. These cards clubs can focus on one particular card game or several popular ones with the goal of friendly competition and perhaps even cash prizes.
Some card games that might be popular among recreational card players include canasta, bridge, pinochle, euchre, and poker, among others.
Plus, games like these are great for working and maintaining a senior’s cognitive skills.
Chess
This strategy game likely needs no introduction, but we’ll provide one anyway! Chess is a fun, brain-boosting activity that can be enjoyed by all ages. Chess is a complicated strategic game involving moving your pieces against your opponents’ in a series of moves.
Chess may require some concentration, but it’s also incredibly calming to play, as there is very little to do besides focus on the board in front of you and consider each move. Some recreational centers or social clubs may offer chess programs where participants can meet up at a designated time each week to play with one another in friendly games.
PokemonGo
PokemonGo is a mobile phone game that utilizes augmented reality to help players find and capture various digital creatures. PokemonGo is especially enticing for seniors who enjoy collecting, as there are hundreds upon hundreds of creatures to find and capture, each with their own unique skills.
The creates often populate parks and outdoor areas, encouraging seniors to get out and walk. Some especially powerful and rare Pokemon can only be captured by teaming up with other players, helping add to a sense of community.
PokemonGo has become incredibly popular with people from all walks of life, from children to the elderly. There’s often great social interaction between the players as they team up together to battle strong Pokemon and capture regions.
Want a group to play with? There are numerous locally-based PokemonGo meetup groups and Facebook groups you can join to coordinate hangouts! Plus, the game itself is free to download, so it’s easy to try out and see if it’s a good fit or not.
Bingo
Bingo is a fun activity that appeals to many seniors, and senior rec centers often host regular bingo events on a weekly or monthly basis. In many cases, organizers will arrange for fun door prizes or even cash to be awarded to bingo winners!
Bridge
Many seniors enjoy recreational bridge (also called “contract bridge”) and other card games. There are countless recreational clubs that offer opportunities for seniors to meet up, socialize, and play recreational card games such as bridge. Playing recreational games like bridge can help keep your mind sharp by exercising the brain while also offering several benefits
Jigsaw Puzzles
Jigsaw puzzles are a fun, relaxing activity that seniors and children alike can enjoy. The elderly can greatly benefit from jigsaw puzzles, as these types of puzzles require spatial problem solving and sorting of multiple small puzzle pieces, stimulating focus and concentration skills.
Crossword Puzzles
Crossword puzzles are great for improving mental agility and memory. They also foster creativity, problem-solving, and the ability to think critically about word meanings and definitions.
Best of all, there are free large-print crossword puzzles that can be found in newspapers, magazines, and online! There are also plenty of affordable crossword puzzle books seniors can purchase at discount stores and complete at their leisure.
Fantasy Sports League
Fantasy sports leagues are another fun pastime for sports-obsessed seniors.
Fantasy sports are played just like they sound: players pick simulated lineups of real athletes to compete with other teams in weekly leagues. Some fantasy sports leagues will even meet locally or watch games together online to see who will win each week!
Board Game Club
Board game clubs are another recreational activity that allows seniors to socialize while also having a great time. Many board game clubs will play classic board games like Parcheesi, Monopoly, or Sorry. Some may offer more modern titles like Settlers of Catan, which is wildly popular. Just beware, as some newer board games can get quite complicated and might be too complex for a senior to pick up on.
Board games allow players to practice strategic decision-making skills and think in a strategic manner. They’re also great for players with limited mobility since all you need to play is a comfy chair and a large table!
Social Groups for Senior Adults
Amateur Radio Club
Many seniors enjoy amateur radio (also called ham radio) as a recreational pastime.
These clubs teach seniors how to properly use their radio equipment and may require a fee for membership. Some groups may even show members how to build their own radios from the ground up!
Book Club
Book clubs are recreational activities for seniors who enjoy reading or learning about a specific topic in-depth. Book clubs usually meet weekly or bi-weekly to discuss certain books together and some even host special events around their selected book with talking points and discussion questions.
Movie Club
Movie clubs are a great activity for any senior film aficionados. Movie clubs usually involve watching films or a film series, followed by a discussion afterward.
Watching and engaging in film analysis can promote socialization, communication, and build on critical thinking skills. Seniors who enjoy movies will have plenty of opportunities to make new friends, as there are many different movie clubs that meet at local libraries or senior centers.
Museum Docent
History-loving seniors may want to consider signing up at local museums to volunteer as a docent! Museum docents volunteer at their local museum and provide tours or help staff the front desk during museum events.
Docents share a passion for history, culture, art or science that they can share with others. If you have a love of the arts, history, or science then this may be a great recreational activity for you and a nice way to give back to the community and share your passion with others!
Story Slams
Often hosted at libraries or local community centers, story slams are events that offer an open-mic opportunity for participants to read one of their favorite poems, stories, or even diary entries in some cases.
Story slam events can be a great opportunity for elderly individuals to share a moving or powerful story from their life with younger generations. Plus, if family members choose to help a senior editor and tighten up their story, they may learn something new about the elderly individual that they never knew before!
Computer Class
Many seniors find that mastering computer skills is very useful in helping them access store and restauarant hours, communicate with friends or family members online, or simply entertain themselves.
Local community colleges or libraries may even offer free computer classes for seniors, often taught by their own staff members!
Language Club
If you’re the type who loves to chat and want to brush up on your foreign language skills, join a language club!
For those with weaker skills or no experience in certain languages, recreational centers can often arrange for language classes and one-on-one lessons taught from local experts. Language clubs are also popular among retired individuals who may already have a high level of fluency and want to learn more about the history of their favorite language or practice their skills before prepping for an overseas trip.
Not into learning a new language? Culture clubs are another option! Culture clubs involve celebrating a specific culture but don’t necessarily need to involve language skills. For example, a French culture club might spend one Saturday a month dining on croissants and sampling French wine. Who knows? You might pick up some basic language phrases on the side too!
Volunteer Work
Volunteering is another activity that many seniors enjoy. There are always many opportunities to volunteer for local organizations and charities, and there are often a variety of tasks with plenty that can be performed by those with limited mobility. Plus, volunteering may allow one to develop new friendships with other volunteers, all while giving back to the community.
Toastmasters Club
If you’re looking to develop your public speaking skills or just enjoy the opportunity to connect with a group of different individuals, consider getting involved in Toastmasters!
Toastmasters is a network of locally-based clubs that meets regularly for public speaking practice as well as social events. Older members can discuss speech skills with peers and get constructive feedback from an unbiased perspective.
Antiquing
Some seniors who like collecting nostalgic items from the past may enjoy antiquing as a recreational activity.
Many older individuals will collect items such as antique watches, coins, stamps, or keepsakes from their childhood like baseball cards or miniature cars. Seniors can visit local antique stores, travel to out-of-state brick and mortar stores, or go on online shopping sprees to find the perfect antiques.
Pub Trivia
Lovers of trivia will enjoy pub trivia nights! These popular events bring together bar patrons and curious minds, where everyone can have a great time enjoying cocktail specials and getting involved in general knowledge quizzes!
Pub trivia is a fun way for retirees to connect with others who share their love of history and knowledge. Plus, winning teams will often earn bar tabs or other prizes! Pub trivia also doesn’t require a senior to be especially mobile, so long as their mind is sharp!
Car Restoration
This is a great hobby for any senior who is a fan of classic cars! Many classic cars from the 1950s, 60’s and 70’s can be purchased at auctions and then cleaned up and worked on. If the senior has experience as a mechanic or is familiar with cars, restoring a vintage vehicle to its former glory can be hugely rewarding.
Plus, there are classic car meetups across the country that allow car enthusiasts to meet and talk shop. Heck, even if you lack the mobility to work on car mechanics, classic car meetups are a great place to go and chat with fellow car enthusiasts and make like-minded friends!
For those who love vintage transportation and really want to get their hands dirty, restoring old recreational vehicles is an excellent way to spend time and have some fun!
Genealogy
Elderly seniors who enjoy history and family preservation will have a lot of fun with genealogy!
Genealogy involves researching the history of one’s family, archiving old birth and marriage records to piece together your personal ancestry, which in turn can teach you more about yourself! Modern archive tools and subscription websites like Ancestry.com make it easier than ever before to unearth your family’s past and connect with past generations. Many local rec centers will host genealogy classes too, giving seniors an opportunity to chat and connect with others who share similar values.
Part-Time Job
For seniors who are feeling energetic, taking on a part-time job at the local grocery store, pharmacy, or even fast food restaurant can be very rewarding.
Seniors can really benefit from light part-time work as they get to socialize with customers and coworkers alike while also earning extra income!
Greeter Job
Volunteering as a church or event greeter is an especially good job for seniors with limited mobility, because greeters are typically encouraged to stand (or potentially just sit) at their post and simply welcome customers with a friendly face!
Outdoor & Nature Groups for Senior Adults
Gardening
Gardening is a great recreational activity that takes some initial patience but reaps great rewards. It encourages a senior to get regular fresh air and only requires basic movements and can be enjoyed even by those with more limited mobility.
Gardeners can spend time during the growing season watering, weeding, and (in some cases) harvesting their plants. In the winter, those who have acquired a green thumb can continue their gardening with greenhouses, germinating plants indoors for next year, or through the use of an Aerogarden.
RV-ing
Traveling with recreational vehicles or motor homes allows seniors to see distant places and enjoy a vacation in the comfort of their own mobile home!
RV’s are especially great for traveling campgrounds that are near beaches, parks, and forests; seniors can even pitch a pop-up tent or expander to extend the space inside of an RV to make things roomier.
RVing makes travel as easy or challenging as a senior desires; sights can be seen from the vehicle’s interior chairs for a vacation with minimal walking, or more mobile seniors can park the RV and then spend the day exploring the sites. There are plenty of great RV clubs for seniors too, which allow older RV-ers to meet up with like-minded travelers.
Of course, the senior must have good eyesight, experience towing trailers (or familiarity with driving larger vehicles) and an up-to-date license to embark on RV travel.
Senior Hiking Club
For those who love to hike in the great outdoors, take a look for senior hiking clubs locally.
Senior clubs, rec centers, and even Meetup groups will often host meetups for hikers once or twice per month. Seniors can join others of a similar age bracket on treks through local parks or trails that offer varying levels of challenge that are well-suited for an older population.
Bird Watching
Seniors may get a thrill from bird watching, which is a great outdoor activity for seniors that helps one see and appreciate nature in a whole new way!
Bird watchers seek out and identify different varieties of birds, sometimes while also taking pictures. This popular pastime can expose seniors to the great outdoors, including forests or beaches where they can watch colorful birds soar above them.
You can start bird watching by seeking out local Audubon Society tours – or just grab a bird field guide and a pair of binoculars! Many groups will also organize birding trips or organize competitions to see how many birds can be seen in a given day, so there’s plenty of room for socializing.
Plus, birding is an activity that can be well-suited to the mobile and immobile alike. While those who can walk easily will be able to explore forested areas with ease, even those with limited mobility can park their car near a bird hot spot and search out different birds from the comfort of their chair.
Sailing or Yachting
This recreational activity is great for the retiree who enjoys spending time on the salty sea! Seniors can purchase and sail their own boat, or go on yacht tours helmed by an experienced sailor so the passengers can sit back and relax. Some yachts also offer recreational activities such as snorkeling, fishing, scuba diving.
Plant Walks
For the green-thumbed seniors out there, plant walks are a fun way to explore and learn about local flora.
Especially for retirees with limited mobility, walking tours of botanical gardens can be an excellent recreational activity that also offers some light exercise benefits.
There are a wide range of plant walks, from edible walks teaching how to identify and harvest local edible plants, to walks through garden centers explaining the origin and purpose of various plant species. Choose whichever type piques your interest the most!
Sports & Exercise for Senior Adults
Golfing
Golf is a popular recreational sport for many seniors, especially men. It’s a great choice because it requires light walking and some minimal exercise, along with plenty of social interaction and fresh air!
Volleyball
Volleyball is an easy recreational activity for seniors and recreational programs that are specifically for older adults often include it in their program lineup! The sport
Swimming
Swimming is a recreational activity that can be enjoyed by almost anyone. Many recreational centers are equipped with pools, although other opportunities for recreational swimming may include local community pools or the beach!
People enjoy recreational swimming for its physical benefits, as it provides a full-body workout that can help improve muscle tone, weight loss, and more.
Swimming is also an exercise-based activity that even those with limited mobility can enjoy. The water provides support and less resistance to movement while also keeping exercisers cool in warm weather.
Some swim classes focus on lap swimming for fitness, while other recreational swimming groups focus on aerobic movements while staying stationary in the water.
Dancing
Dance classes are offered at many local rec centers and seniors centers, and many senior citizens enjoy taking dance lessons! Dancing can not only provide a social outlet to meet and chat with new people, but it also provides physical exercise as well as mental stimulation as individuals work to remember various moves and motions.
Various types of dancing can require different levels of physical ability. Line dancing, gentle swing, and jazzercise are all great places to start. More advanced seniors might consider ballroom dancing, salsa, or tap dancing.
Some studies have even shown that people who regularly engage in social dancing tend to exhibit lower levels of depression!
Yoga
Yoga is a wonderful, gentle sport that can help a senior improve balance, coordination, and foster a sense of relaxation and inner calm through its breathing components.
However, there are many different types of yoga, from Bikram (aka hot yoga) to vinyasa yoga. Look for slow, meditative-focused yoga and avoid yoga that is fast-paced and exercise-focused, as this may be too challenging for elderly participants. Many yoga centers even have special yoga classes specially geared for seniors with more gentle, slower movements.
Juggling
Juggling is a fun activity that mobile seniors can enjoy while promoting hand-eye coordination and balance skills. Seniors can also enjoy the mental challenge of juggling multiple objects at once, whether it’s balls or clubs.
Beginner jugglers can start off practicing with juggling scarves, made of light and soft material that billows down slowly, giving the participant more time to move their hands and grab the scarves!
Charity Walk
Older adults who are physically able to walk can find that participating in a charity walk or run is both fun and fulfilling. Charity walks can be more leisurely paced, while 5k runs may get seniors moving and breathing hard.
Plus, participants usually receive t-shirts and other promotional materials for free, which can be a fun bonus!
Biking
Seniors who are physically able to ride a bike should consider taking advantage of all the fun of cycling! Cycling is a great exercise for cardiovascular health while remaining low-impact, making it a fantastic choice for seniors.
Just make sure you’re outfitted with a properly sized bike that’s fitted well to the rider. After that, you can cycle around the neighborhood or hook the bike to a can or SUV through a bike rack and bring the bike to forested trails or larger parks to bike safely off busy roads.
Concerned about balance? There are some great three-wheel adult tricycles for seniors who aren’t confident enough with their balance to manage a two-wheeled bicycle.
Seniors may also want to consider cycling at a slower pace with fewer hills to avoid any joint pain. Still, cycling is an easy recreational activity for seniors and offers fresh air and great exercise!
Bocce Ball
“Bocce ball” is an Italian pastime that has become increasingly popular in North America as a recreational activity. Bocce ball is a simple senior-friendly outdoor game that may be played on the beach or in a park, but many recreational organizations often build special courts for bocce ball enthusiasts to enjoy.
This sport involves two teams competing against each other to see who can toss the closest balls closer to the “target” ball (called the pallino). While it requires some light tossing and rolling of various balls, it’s a relatively easy, gentle, low-strength sport that even most seniors with limited mobility should be able to manage.
Dog Walking
A lot of dog lovers don’t realize that walking a dog is actually great exercise and can be very rewarding for both a senior as well as the dog! Plus, many owners will pay for someone to walk their dog while they are at work, so dog walking and/or dog sitting can provide a bit of extra income as well.
However, seniors will have to be careful about what kinds of dogs they opt to walk. Only walk dogs who can walk calmly and politely on leash. Some elderly seniors may also only feel comfortable walking smaller dogs over larger ones.
To keep safe, senior dog walkers shouldn’t let the dogs off-leash and should avoid overly crowded areas.
Dog walking is a great way to get outside, meet people, enjoy fresh air, and reap the therapeutic benefits of time spent with a canine companion!
Fishing
Fishing is a relaxing activity that gets elderly individuals in touch with nature and out on open water! Fishing can be enjoyed from the shore or while using a boat, and it doesn’t require much skill when you’re fishing with bait.
Tennis
Tennis is a popular sport for seniors as it doesn’t require too much exertion when playing doubles, and it is relatively low impact and easy on the joints compared to some other sports.
It also helps to build on hand-eye coordination and decision-making skills!
Seniors can get into tennis by first finding a local clinic that offers free or low-cost lessons from experienced tennis coaches. From there, players can join local teams to reap social benefits too!
Tai Chi
Tai chi is a gentle and low-impact form of exercise that is becoming increasingly popular among seniors as a recreational activity.
This traditional Chinese martial art consists of slow, flowing movements that are designed to improve balance, flexibility, and coordination, as well as to promote relaxation and mental clarity.
Tai chi is one of the best martial arts for seniors, as it doesn’t put a lot of stress on the joints and muscles, making it ideal for seniors who may have arthritis or other mobility issues. It’s also an effective way to improve balance and reduce the risk of falls among seniors.
The slow, deliberate movements help seniors develop better awareness of their body position and improve their sense of balance.
Tai Chi is also fantastic in that it can be practiced alone or in a group setting, making it a great social activity for seniors. Participating in a tai chi class can provide an opportunity for seniors to meet new people and develop new friendships.
It’s also super adaptable — seniors who use a wheelchair can still participate in many of the movements with modifications (just like wheechair yoga).
We hope this list of great recreational activities for seniors has provided inspiration for older individuals looking to take up new hobbies!
Don’t forget that this list isn’t where options need to end – just about any activity a senior would like to pursue can be modified to become a doable option.
Are there any other activities or hobbies you think are well-suited towards elderly seniors that we overlooked? Let us know in the comments!
