Retirement Hobbies

Retirement Hobbies bring JOY to your retired life!

Retirement hobbies are really very good for you -- they keep you active! We need activity, mental and physical, in retirement. We need to socialize and meet new friends -- and hobbies help there too!

What will YOU do all day, every day, 24/7?

Retirement Hobbies aren't JUST Hobbies... they are our interests, the things we do to keep the mind active and creative, keep you physically active, and hopefully bring new friends into your life!

In Retirement, hobbies truly provide meaning and purpose to our lives! Sometimes Income too!

You don't have to do a hobby full time, or daily, or even weekly -- as that's the beauty of retirement, you can spend your days anyway you like.

If you are a night owl, do your hobby at midnight while the rest of the world is deep asleep. If you get up really early, play with whatever hobby for retirees that you find interesting!

You might just find yourself in one of the most rewarding "jobs" of your life... and you'll think it's play, because its FUN!

Find a Retirement Hobby that Feeds your Soul...

That's my husband, the guitar player at church.. first a hobby, now almost a job he practices and plays so much! He loves every minute  too!

You might love crocheting, or flower arranging, or making fancy chocolates or candles to share with friends. Whatever it is that makes your heart go WHOOPEE -- go for it!

Find a Retirement Hobby that Pays...

Diana is a methodical, organized gal. She has a bachelors degree in English literature, but she is considering starting a small business to help home owners organize their home and life. Now she has something to keep her busy while padding up her savings accounts at the same time. Perfect!

Wendy (that's me!) is a Retirement Geek -- what does she do with that? She writes a website and has retired to the internet - helping people learn about retirement.

Back to my husband, Terry, he hadn't used that old electric guitar (hidden under the spare bed) for over twenty years and guess what? He now plays for two churchs, three services, every week. He loves every practice, connecting with the other musicians, and doing his guitar magic! He isn't paid in cash, but the reward is great!

FIND THE PERFECT RETIREMENT HOBBIES that you enjoy!

Let your Mind, Body and Soul Fly High!!

  • Aerobics, after all, it's all about maintaining what you have already got, physically.
  • Art, be creative!  
  • Have you ever considered brewing beer as a hobby? This might well be a new business for your retirement years! 
  • Biking is a good hobby to keep physically well.
  • Blogs - Why not write your own Blog like these retirees did? I'll start a blog for you if you need help!
  • Cake Decorating is a great hobby -- everyone loves cakes (and cup cakes). Great hobby to business too.. even simply by word of mouth!
  • Calligraphy is a beautiful art form, words as an art form! This is something that anyone can do with practice. 
  • Carpentry is one retirees hobby, which he really enjoys!
  • Chess is a great mind game to keep your mind active. Find a few fellow chess players and test your skills. 
  • Crochet is a great retirement hobby done almost anywhere -- watching tv, at the cottage, doctors waiting room
  • Crossword Puzzles a great way to keep yourself mentally alert. Truly, crosswords are really good for your brain! 
  • Dog walking is a good physical exercise, as well as a potential income! 
  • Some of us just love our doll houses. Sandy is a Doll House collector! 
  • Are Ebay Auctions a hobby? It’s my website so I say it is! You can work on decluttering your home, and make money at the same time! 
  • How about a Fish aquarium? It's a nice visual element… and its fun to decorate them with cool fishes and accessories! More here.
  • Garage Sales are fun (some of us get rid of stuff via Ebay, above, and some of us buy stuff (and then resell on Ebay for a profit)! 
  • Geocaching - interesting hobby with GPS coordinates like scavenger hunts! Another retiree is geocaching too!
  • Looking for a Senior Pen Pal? Travel the world from the comfort of your own home!
  • Another art form, for creative folks, are quilts...check out these memory quilts. 
  • Bet you never thought of Spinning wool as a hobby... but it is another idea for you.
  • Radio, old time radio!
  • Wood Working is a great retirement hobby. I remember one retiree got wood-working equipment from his kids as a retirement gift - he was excited!

Share your Retirement Hobby here... help others find the perfect interest for their retired days!

Share your Retirement
Hobby with Visitors...

Do you have an interesting hobby that you'd like to share with other retirees?

Do you collect antiques?
Do you create artsy cards to send to friends?
Do you keep a journal?
Do you play bridge?

Retirement Hobby Ideas
from Visitors

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

My Great New Healthy Hobby: Audiobooks 
Hi Everyone, I'm spending this extremely hot summer indoors, and loving it. I have discovered audiobooks...and I don't just sit and listen to books …

Retirement Hobby: My Old Car is a Metaphor of Myself 
I had a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Sport Coupe when I was 20yo in 1966. I dreamed of my car having more power and shiny wheels. I sold it when I joined the …

Never too late 
At the young age of 80, I learned the art of doing Haikus. Talk about falling in love! I was smitten with using words in specific patterns to create …

Family Film and Video Digitizing 
I found what I think is a great indoor hobby, especially for cold winters and pandemic restrictions. I decided to go through all the family 8mm films …

Retirement Hobby: Leather Craft 
As a teenager, I liked doing leather craft in the Western style of Western saddles. I only made small things, like a wallet and a belt, but I kept the …

My Bump in the Road of Cycling 
Biking, that is, bicycling, (that is, with pedals) has always been something I get great pleasure from starting from way early childhood. So when I …

Retirement Hobby: Calligraphy (lettering) 
I am a retired Speech Therapist who has, for years, been trying to find a lucrative side job that I could do from home. I have pages of ideas that have …

Find a sport 
One of the best things about being retired, for me, is being a member of a lawn bowls club. It gives you social contact whilst playing a competitive …

Stain Glass Windows 
In 1980 to 1995, I have made stain glass windows, smaller lamps and some mirror designs. After I retired in 2006 to now it has been very little but …

Follow up on my peacock needlework story 
Back in August I had written about my project doing a beaded needlework showing a peacock. I included a picture of the finished canvas. It had not yet …

Retirement Hobby: Doing puzzles and plastic model building 
I am recently retired at 62 1/2 and searching for different hobbies. Two hobbies I enjoyed when I was younger was building plastic model planes and tanks …

Found something to keep me busy (beaded needlework) 
I have been at loose ends and trying to find something that peaked my interest. I've always done things with my hands. I've sewn clothes, painted …

Writing and Beading 
Always loved to write. Have not done it for a while, but the motivation is coming back and I am welcoming it. I also discovered beading, which I …

Retirement Hobby: Djembe for fun 
If you never learned a musical instrument before and would like to have some fun playing your own music, Djembe can be your choice. According to …

Large Paper Mache Sculpture 
Instead of hauling away newspaper to the recycling depot I've decided to keep it for something constructive. Or lets say I will construct just something …

Second Childhood: Adult Coloring Books 
I recently found Adult Coloring books. I have entered my second childhood. Bought colored pencils and pens and when I am bored or anxious, …

In Retirement, Feed the squirrels! 
My great-aunt worked part-time well into her 90's. She lived until 105. My grandmother worked part-time into her 80's, and lived until 95. What did …

Retirement Hobby: A Doll House! 
This may seem silly to some, but when I was a little girl I had a passion for doll houses. I made them out of boxes and other 'stuff'. So here at …

Retirement Hobby: Try Haiku 
I am fortunate in two ways. Local Senior Center has a group meeting to stir up creative ideas in writing. The leader suggested we try Haiku (groans). Many …

Looking To Fill In The Time: Lawn Bowls 
I retired at 55 after more than 32 years in public service. I spent a year going back to school to finish a degree then settled into a routine of looking …

Whist, Bingo, Bar Billiards, T.W.G, Tracing my Family Tree, Sending Jokes 
I enjoy playing whist at a club near me. its nice to meet other people once a week. I play bar billiards in a league, mainly men. I am also the treasurer. …

Retirement Hobby: Scuba Diving 
If you can float in water, if you enjoy snorkeling, you can dive! I'm a 60 year old, 5-foot tall woman who is semi-retired (casual work). I'm definitely …

Sewing Fun: Qullts for Vets 
If anyone is interested in doing volunteer work as in sewing here is a site to contact. These folks make quilts for our US Veterans as a way of saying …

What Hobbies Help Retirees Stay Mentally Alert and Smart? 
As I sit here, I suddenly wondered: What Hobbies Help Us Stay Mentally Alert and Smart? I think READING would be top on my list. My dear friend, Phyllis, …

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Hobby of creation. O.P.Joshi 
I retired 17 years ago and written nearly 10 books. A few years ago I started painting. First I painted 44 Presidents of USA and their first ladies …

You know I can't dance! 
I wanted to learn something besides working 2nd shift for recreation so I took up dance lessons. Dance lessons for a man is somewhat awkward at first. …

I do weight training on Tuesday and Thursday  
My church offers weight training and areobic for two dollars each session. I could use myYMCA for free because we are chartered. members of the …

Vintage Sewing Machine Collecting 
I have shared previously that my retirement hobby is quilting. This hobby has evolved into vintage sewing machine collecting. I have always been …

Retirement Hobby: Radio Controlled MultiRotor Aircraft 
I am an 84 year old retired photographer. I live in Homeland, California, where we have as many quad pilots as we get rain. NO, I have to take that …

Retirement Hobby: Quilting 
I am working my way through the remaining quilts which my Great Aunt Dora pieced, the tops. She did this 24/7 b/c she was an insomniac and pieced quilt …

I crochet baby blankets 
My hobby is a craft, a pleasure for me. l crochet baby blankets for young moms' & their newborn babies. I usually have 8 maybe 9 finished by the time …

PATIENCE, PLEASE (aka Solitaire) 
Hi. I’m a senior with too much time on my hands, so I thought I was being clever when I bought a Solitaire game for my computer. The one that came with …

Reading 
I like an interesting variety of short articles to read. I have a site saved to my favorites called Magatopia.com, which lists free online magazines …

Retirement Hobby: Document Family History 
I joined Ancestry.com recently as a free member. I am adding all my family members simply as a historic record to try to gather as much as possible for …

Hobbies: Genealogy 
I have the McDowell back to 1792 Stoke Damerel Devon uk and Dumbrell family tree from Sussex uk which i have reached a brick wall. I am still hoping to …

Retirement Hobby: Painting and Tying Hand-Made Fishing Lures 
I went fly fishing one day to a local lake to fly fish for crappies. I had 2 flies with me- both the same color. The first fly I broke the hook off and …

Retirement Hobby: Circus Model Building  
This hobby started as a model railroad project many years ago but the circus became a larger interest. I have volunteered at the Circus world Museum …

Kid's crafts 
Hello! 3 years ago I started doing crafts (something I like to do since 40 years) for the children at a local daycare, such as: I crocheted blanket with …

The Writers' Drawer 
As a retired editor, I set up a website, The Writers' Drawer, http://www.thewritersdrawer.net/, for "drawer" and beginner writers. They can submit poems, …

Retirement Hobby: Poetry and Song Lyric Writing 
I was forced to retire in 2009 because of health reasons and basically watched tv, played poker, but then remembered I used to write song lyrics for many …

Creative Retirees Unite! 
I feel I need to add more creativity to my life. I need more whimsy, more dreams, more playfulness! I myself work too much. I am guilty of writing …

Retirement Hobby: Audio Books and Old Time Radio 
I collect audio books and old time radio programs on tape and CD. I like listening to them.. Today, I rarely pay for them. I use the Internet Archive …

Retired: No hobby, honey 
I really enjoy being retired. I have found plenty to do and started volunteering. My only problem is with my husband. He has retired and all he wants …

Retirement Hobby: Furniture Refinishing 
For the past eight years I have been going to furniture refinishing classes through the local Board of Education General Interest courses offered in my …

Retirement Hobby:
Collecting ball point pens 
I have perhaps the largest and most unusual ball pen collection around. I would love to share thoughts and ideas of others who do that. I would love …

Retirement Hobby: I love Walking! 
I started by taking long walks with my puppy through the various trails and paths in the woodland in my backyard. This is a county park that also ends …

Retirement Hobby: ART 
Art and music have become one of my greatest hobbies. Art is endless. The lighter side can make you happy and full of life and the dark side can awaken …

Retirement Hobby: Tennis 
Tennis is one of the best and most fulfilling hobbies a retiree can take up. While that is the case for a variety of different reasons, the biggest reason …

Retirement Hobby: Genealogy 
I retired last year, after working for a solid forty years for the same gas company. All four of my children have grown up and started families of their …

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Retirement Hobbies: Video Games 
I actually recently took up video games. As strange as that sounds for a retiree it has been great. Video games have allowed me to maintain the hand …

Retirement Hobby: My Computer ( and Facebook) 
My guilty pleasure retirement hobby is Facebook on the computer. It is like being a peeping Tom into others lives; depending on what they write about themselves. …

Retirement Hobby:
Greeting Card Creating 
I have trained a few retired women with interest in artistic work to create greeting cards. Greeting cards are prepared on recycled hand made paper. …

Retirement Hobbies: Keeping Tropical Fish  
Thirty-odd years ago, I kept tropical fish and belonged to the local aquarist society, thanks to a colleague of mine who was the then society secretary. …

Retirement Hobby: Fused Art Glass 
Handcrafted Fused Art Glass, unique one of a kind Jewelry, Home Decor, Garden Art and Studio pieces. I also do custom orders. I have a company Coastal …

Retired and 1.3 Million Geocaches to Find 
1. I want to travel and do stuff before I get too old and infirm 2. I'm tired of waking up on someone else's schedule 3. I hate winter 4. …

Retired, and I Collect Boxes 
You ask about collectors; what do you collect, where do you find them, and where do you keep them? Yes, unfortunately, I do! Collect: Boxes, autographs, …

Retired and I collect Longaberger Baskets 
My Basket Longaberger Collection There are 86 baskets in my Longaberger basket collection! They are handmade in Dresden, Ohio and beautifully handcrafted. …

Retired and I collect Beaches! 
*From an old issue of my pen pal newsletter, Inky Trail News -- just to show you there is something for everyone -- hobbies and odd collections galore! …

Retiree with Hobbies 
After retiring from work at 63, and talking to the local villagers and joining the library, I was bored! I have lived a full life, not always easy but …

Discovering my Ancestors 
Recuperating from a 1989 Heart attack, I decided to continue my investigation started when I was four years old and was at My Grandfather Henry Enderby's …

Artsy Retiree makes Creative Greeting Cards 
I make beautiful creative greeting cards using artwork I've obtained from the internet or magazines and my own special poetry. I match the poetry …

Designing and building cardboard model cars. 
I design and build my own cardboard model cars, and I make cardboard model car kits that people can build for themselves, and sell them on eBay.

Artist Trading Cards 
I just got interested in Artist Trading Cards. They are blank pieces of sketch book paper or illustration board about the size of a playing card that …

Writing Fiction 
If you want to start writing check out this great on-line resource: http://www.internetwritingworkshop.org/pwarchive/ I belong to the short fiction …

Digital Photography 
Try digital photography! This is really nice because you don't have to buy film, so your saving money there and your not waiting for the film to be …

Clay sculputure is my retirement hobby... 
My hobby is clay sculpture. I belong to a cooperative studio. The cost of clay and low firing is minimal. Studio space probably costs more. A cooperative …

Retirement Hobby: I love carpentry! 
For the past five years as a retiree, I have been enjoying my time in the garage spent on carpentry. I usually run to the local Home Depot or Lowe's …

Retirement Hobby: Restoring a classic car 
Being retired allows you to have time to do things that you may have never done, but have always wanted to do. I personally have always loved cars …

Singing is a Hobby too! 
My name is Josephine P. and here in the deep south in New Orleans, music is a vocation, an avocation, or a hobby for many citizens and visitors. I …

So Many Retirement Hobbies! 
MUSIC makes the heart sing , and there are a hundred ways to approach it. Collect records? CDs? Audiotapes? Refine your collection of a particular style …

Woodworking,
great retirement hobby! 
After I retired, I took up woodworking as a full time hobby. I had dabbled in it some while working, but didn't have enough time to devote to it seriously. …

Photography 
I started taking pictures in the Queen Charlotte Islands but my camera was not good quality and we also did not get a lot of sunshine, so many of the pics …

Retirement: Pick up a martial arts! 
I took up a martial art - Muay Thai to improve my fitness, reduce my fat level, helps with my body coordination and reduce stress. It is fun and a great …

Retirement Hobby:
Geocaching 
I really enjoy Geocaching. It is like a scavenger hunt where the Latitude and Longitude coordinates are given on a website and a person must locate …

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Photography 
For many years, writing has been an avocation. Finding good photographs to go along with my subjects was always a challenge. I began taking my photos. …

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