Is your father’s retirement approaching, or has he already retired? Are you worried about what he’ll do in his leisure time? If the above questions disturb you, you may find a solution here. You’ll find an exciting list of hobbies that’ll keep your dad cheerful and busy.
The list contains sports activities to make your dad feel active each day. Reading books and playing videogames to keep the brain busy is another fantastic hobby. So, without delaying further, let’s begin with our list of retirement hobbies for dad.
10 fun retirement hobbies for your dad
Cooking
Many of you may find this cliché, but it works. Cooking gives a sense of achievement. And, the best part is, with little practice, anyone can become an expert. Cooking can help bring families together, and your dad won’t feel alone. Another great benefit is home-cooked food is always healthy.
You can help your dad maintain his health by teaching him cooking. And, if you praise the food your dad cooks, it’ll keep him motivated. This is something every father seeks.
It is quite simple to start. You can teach him how to use YouTube if he doesn’t know that already. YouTube has almost every dish, from the simplest ones to the most complex ones. Your dad can learn cooking online and hit the kitchen right away.
Sports
Now that your dad has retired, maintaining good health should be the top priority. According to a recent survey, most people over the age of 60 spend more than ten hours sitting or lying down each day. And this poses a risk of heart diseases and obesity.
So, you should suggest your dad indulge in some light sports activities. Numerous lightweight sports can help your dad stay fit and active. Here are some examples: –
- Squash
- Golf
- Tennis
- Walking Football
Such sports activities will keep your dad occupied. And, he’ll definitely look forward to these each week.
Fitness Exercises
Not everyone’s body allows sports. But that shouldn’t stop them from staying fit. If your dad can not indulge in sports, light fitness exercises can do the job. Here are some common examples: –
- Regular Stretching
- Stationary Cycling
- Light Calisthenics
- Walking
- Yoga
- Fitness Classes
The above-listed options can help your dad stay fit with minimum effort. Also, if your dad has friends around, nothing can beat the joy of cycling together. You can help your dad socialize more and enjoy the fitness classes with his friends.
Gardening
Gardening has a different fan base. If your dad gets the hang of it, it is hard to stay away from gardening. It’s quite satisfying to sow a seed and watch it grow season after season, right? Your dad can grow the flowers of his choice and the vegetables of his liking.
If you have ample adequate space in your backyard for a garden, gardening is a great hobby. It has both physical and mental benefits. Here are a few:
- Your dad will feel a sense of achievement
- It’ll help him reduce stress levels
- It’ll keep your dad occupied all day long
- Your dad can grow his fruits and vegetables, which are more nutritious
Video Games
Don’t think of video games as out of the league. With each passing year, the number of people older adults playing games has only increased. Also, older people have started to embrace gadgets like smartphones and tablets.
If your dad is not that much into it, try teaching him from the basics. Buy him a smartphone or a tablet or a gaming console. Install those good old games like scrabble or Snakes and Ladders and let him enjoy. Such games are a real-time killer and will bring back old memories.
Also, try to teach your dad some console gaming. It’ll help him prevent memory loss and will be an excellent exercise for his brain.
Social Media
If your dad lives far from you, it’s the family he’s going to miss the most. So, it would help if you made sure he socializes regularly. Amid the pandemic, physical interactions have been minimized. However, one can still manage to interact with friends, distant relatives using social media.
By 2020, 58% of people falling in the 55-64 age group have a social media account, which is quite motivating. Several social media platforms are easy to understand and operate like:
- Skype
By using the above platforms, your dad can interact with others safely and push away boredom. Also, it’s relatively easy to learn, implement, and enjoy.
Reading & Writing
Who knows the importance of reading books more than our dad? In those days, books were the only means of proper knowledge. There was no internet, therefore no YouTube or any other medium of knowledge. So, if your dad doesn’t already read books, ask him about what he likes reading.
It could be anything from rocket science to fairy tale storybooks. Reading will help your dad gain knowledge and stay active. Here are some excellent books to read and learn:
- Mastering Homebrew: – The Complete Guide to Brewing Delicious Beer – Available on Amazon
- How to Build a Boat: – A Father, His Daughter, and the Un sailed Sea – Available on Amazon
- The Lifelong Gardener: – Garden with Ease and Joy at Any Age – Available on Amazon
If not reading, writing can be pretty amazing. Almost everyone has a story to share some useful information that can add value. Motivate your dad to write and publish his own book. Your dad can write a short e-book of around 5-6K words and post it on Amazon. This way, he cannot only share the information but also earn money on the side.
Musical Instruments
The last thing you’ll ever want to see is your dad suffering from dementia at old age; it’s quite important to keep the mind busy with new challenges. And, learning something new, like a musical instrument, is quite a challenge for the mind.
Who knows, your dad may develop a profound love for music? The founder of the world-famous Kentucky Fried Chicken or KFC started to become successful when he was in his sixties. And your dad can do something similar too.
You can register your dad for a music class. It’ll help him socialize and learn at the same time; there are numerous instruments your dad can learn like: –
- Saxophone
- Piano
- Drums
- Violin
- Guitar
- Flute
It’ll help your dad improve hand and eye coordination, which is essential for our senses.
Keep a Pet
Keeping a pet is one of the best options if your dad lives alone. The most common pet, yes, you guessed it right, is the dog. Once you buy your dad a dog, he’ll have to feed, clean, and go out with him. The pet will be like a new member of the family.
This will give your dad a sense of responsibility and will keep him busy all day long. Your dad will walk with the dad for his sake, and this will keep him fit. If you choose a dog, it’ll protect your dad from strangers or any other trespassers.
Join a community
Sometimes social media is just enough. Physical interactions with people living around you are quite important. If your dad lives alone, you can help him join some local communities. Here your dad will not only interact with others but will learn a lot too. Some common examples are: –
- Dancing School
- Art & Craft
- Board Game Groups
- Spiritual Groups
- Sports clubs
- Reader clubs
There are so many more options. But the ones given above are quite common. Your dad will definitely make new friends and will fill his schedule with happy activities.
Wrapping Up
Give a slight pat on your back for being a caring son/daughter. Children usually don’t pay enough attention to what their parents or dads do after retirement. But they deserve your love and care. Suppose they are all alone, risks to their health increases. So, make sure that your parents have someone around once they retire.
However, you can suggest one or more hobbies from the above list. The list has only the most curated hobbies suited for a retired dad. Don’t forget to share this info if it was insightful enough to help you find a hobby for your dad.