Retirement Activities List: 120+ Ways to Stay Healthy, Happy, & Busy

Staying engaged and active during retirement can lead to numerous health benefits. Busy minds and bodies are just healthier. Hobbies like arts and crafts can stimulate your mind as well as provide a sense of accomplishment. Picking up a hobby and sticking to it a few hours a week will help give a sense of fulfillment. Hobbies provide a perfect outlet for eustress, otherwise known as good stress. Eustress refers to the stress that is not necessarily bad or taxing. Anticipation for a new job, tension during a scary movie, or even being excited to finish a small project are all examples of this. It is vital to keep this sort of stress in your life as it keeps you excited and engaged with your day to day life.

Hobbies are often a fantastic social outlet, as well. If you enjoy a particular type of crafting or skill, there are always guilds or clubs you can join with people who have the same interests. When picking a hobby, consider something that you liked as a kid! If you loved art class, why not pick up some paints and try again?

Arts and Crafts

1. Crochet
2. Knitting
3. Sewing
4. Quilting
5. Embroidery
6. Jewelry Making
7. Paper Crafting and Collage
8. Sculpture and Pottery
9. Watercolor
10. Photography
11. Oil Painting
12. Coloring
13. Learn a Music Instrument
14. Writing 
15. Cooking
16. Poetry
17. Spoken Word Poetry
18. Origami
19. Acting or Community Theatre
20. Singing
21. Swing Dancing
22. Ballet
23. Macrame
24. Card Making

25. Collecting
26. Learn a New Skill
27. Gardening
28. Woodworking
29. Board Games
30. Homebrewing
31. Chess
32. Beekeeping
33. Model Building
34. Video Games
35. Thrift Shopping
36. Fashion or Styling
37. Magazines

New retirees often struggle to find a sense of purpose. Without job responsibilities every day, it can be challenging to figure out how to spend your time. If you're looking for a way to fill that time meaningfully, consider volunteer opportunities. A study from Psychology and Aging found that volunteering around 4 hours a week leads to a decrease in participants with high blood pressure. 

Getting out of the house and doing something significant helps you gain perspective which can lower your anxiety and stress levels. Just make sure not to overcommit. 

Great Places to Volunteer:

38. Church Organizations
39. Sunday Schools
40. Nature Centers
41. National Parks
42. Animal Shelters and Organizations
43. After School Programs 
44. Summer Camps
45. Libraries 
46. School Lunchrooms or Classrooms
47. Roadside Clean Up
48. Colleges and Universities
49. Meals on Wheels
50. Head Start
51. Park Clean Ups
52. One-Time Events like Festivals
53. Girl Scout and Boy Scout Troops
54. 4H

Learning a new skill or sharpening old abilities is a rewarding way to spend your retirement days. A great opportunity for single retirees or couples, education and classes not only fill the time but also has a ton of healthy, fringe benefits. Classes, for example, provide a structured opportunity to socialize. If meeting new people is difficult for you, bonding over classroom material helps foster new relationships. Classes can also help increase your confidence, keep you motivated, and offer a sense of belonging - according to a study completed a study from the University of Oxford.

55. Art Classes
56. Photography
57. Cooking Classes
58. Baking Classes
59. Computer and Technology Classes
60. Community College Classes
61. History and English Classes
62. Creative Writing Courses
63. Exercise Classes
64. Yoga
65. Sewing and Quilting Classes
66. Online Classes
67. Get Certified to Teach ESL (English as a Second Language)

Joining social organizations like churches, clubs, and alumni groups are a fun way to strengthen the social and networking opportunities a job no longer provides. Depending on how you like to spend your time, there are likely plenty of organizations in your hometown. Check out local papers and internet listings for church events, book clubs, and alumni organizations. If you're already a member of one of these groups, offer to take a more active role.

68. Churches
69. Book Clubs (Start Your Own)
70. Lunch and Dinner Clubs
71. Hobby Clubs like Quilting Guilds or Birdwatching Clubs
72. Volunteer Organizations
73. Rotary Clubs
74. School Alumni Clubs
75. Military Organizations
76. Libraries

If clubs or organizations are not your cup of tea, there are plenty of other lower commitment ways to socialize. Consider carving out some time with friends by trying out the following ideas:

77. Host Weekly Dinner Parties
78. Host Crafting Parties
79. Teach a Class Yourself
80. Start a Walking or Jogging Group
81. Game Nights (Board Games)
82. Football / Basketball / Baseball Game Parties
83. Event Watching Parties (like the Oscars or Olympics)

Retirees who are not as mobile as others or just plain shy often find it easier to socialize online. The internet is an amazing way to reconnect with old friends as well as make new friends. If you are not comfortable with the internet or computers, take a computer literacy course or have a loved one teach you!

Consider trying out the following online activities. 

84. Meet New Friends Online
85. Start a Social Media Account (Like Facebook)
86. Learn a New Language Online
87. Join Facebook Groups
88. Join Online Forums
89. Write Emails to Old Friends
90. Start an Instagram (for Photos)

No matter what your mobility levels are, you are sure to find a way to spend some time outdoors. Outdoor hobbies are an excellent way to get out of the house and spend some time with your loved ones. According to Harvard Health Publishing, participating in outdoor activities can increase your levels of vitamin D (from the sun), happiness levels, as well as guarantee that you get more exercise. While the hobbies below take some time, they're worth the trip. 

91. Hiking
92. Camping
93. Birdwatching
94. Kayaking and Canoeing 
95. Fishing
96. Hunting
97. Gardening
98. Skiing
99. Biking
100. Swimming
101. Snorkeling and Scuba diving
102. Geocaching
103. Plant Identification

Even if you only commit to 20 minutes of walking a day, making sure you are physically active is imperative to staying healthy during retirement. When you're in the working world, your default state is a lot more mobile. Make sure to get out of the house for a walk or even a light run. If you're looking for something more, consider one of the sports or exercise ideas below. Always be sure to consult a doctor before committing to a new exercise routine as you do not want to over-exert or injure yourself.

104. Walking
105. Running / Jogging
106. Join a Gym
107. Racketball
108. Tennis
109. Golf
110. Team Sports
111. Bowling
112. Join a Gym
113. Baseball
114. Basketball 
115. Touch Football
116. Horseback Riding
117. Mini Golf
118. Biking

While retirement, by definition, means you stop working, it never hurts to have a little bit of extra income. Whether you have some unexpected expenses or just want a productive way to keep busy, a part-time job or even a freelance gig can help supplement your savings as well as keep you occupied and productive. Before taking on any new work, make sure that you are willing and able to complete the task. We recommend taking on a little at a time by starting with 4 to 5 hours a week. You can easily explore income options that allow you to shape your own schedule through opportunities like selling items on eBay or blogging.

119. Americorps
120. Part Time Jobs
121. Work for a Non-Profit
122. Pro-Bono Work in Your Field
123. Selling on eBay
124. Freelance Writing and Copywriting
125. Driving Lyft or Uber
126. Blogging
127. Making and Selling Things
128. Babysit or Nanny
129. Substitute Teach