12 Fun Things For Bored Seniors To Do At Home

It is important for seniors to stay physically and socially active and keep learning new things. Keeping yourself busy with fun activities helps you avoid boredom and loneliness and is great for your mental health. Having mobility issues should not stop one from having fun.

Aging in place doesn’t have to be boring.

Technology enables you to make your free time fun and productive. Whether you want to socialize online or try new recipes in your kitchen, there are many fun activities you can do in your home.

12 Things For Bored Seniors To Do At Home

These are the 12 things for bored seniors to do at home to minimize boredom, loneliness and depression. Internet access and technology enable older adults to do many activities without leaving their homes.

1. Learn Something New

You’ve got some free time and you can make the best of it by learning a skill that you always wanted to learn but never had time. It might be the perfect time for you to learn a new language or get yourself introduced to new technology.

The research shows that the act of learning helps build “neuron connections” making the brain stronger. Learning fuels creativity and makes us happy. There are plenty of free online resources and learning materials from YouTube videos to tutorial sites to help you. The first step to learning something new is to start.

2. Cooking

Experiment with new recpies that you never tried before. It is natural to lose interest in cooking as you age but proper nutrition is vital for healthy aging. Many seniors stop trying new recipes because of changing taste buds or eating-alone experiences.

There are many online resources with easy recipes that require minimal prep and have fewer steps to make. Cooking is one of the regular activities for seniors at home, so why not make it interesting?

Try some Korean cuisine by Maangchi who is a world-famous cooking expert in her 60s and regularly shares Korean recipes on her channel. Cooking is one of the best therapeutic activities for seniors.

3. Share Knowledge and Wisdom With Others

As sayings go, “If you have the knowledge, let others light their candles in it” and “wisdom comes with experience, which comes with time”. Technology makes it possible to share the knowledge and wisdom, that you acquired as you age, with others. There are multiple ways to do so – you can start by creating a YouTube channel or starting a new blog.

Out of all the things for bored seniors to do at home, this is the best way to give back to society and learn along the way. You will make many new friends online by building an online community and may earn some money. You can also participate in online forums of your interest if YouTube or blogging is not your thing.

4. Establish an Exercise/ Yoga Routine

Center for disease control and prevention suggests that an average American aged 65 and older should ideally incorporate 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity in a week. This may sound like a lot but it can be achieved by establishing a daily workout routine of 25-30 minutes.

Developing and following a workout routine is one of the best activities for elderly at home. Balance exercises such as Tai Chi or Yoga are a great way to develop balance and avoid accidental falls. There are many indoor exercises and Yoga practices if you are unable to go out for a walk, cycling or swimming.

You can find many YouTube channels dedicated to senior fitness for exercise and yoga routines. There are also some great android and iPhone apps to help you out. The idea is to sit less and move more and you will see physical and mental health benefits.

5. Play Video Games

Playing online (or handheld) games, either alone or as part of a group, is one of the fun activities for seniors at home. The games eradicate boredom and relieve stress.

According to research by AARP, 44% of older adults over the age of 60 play video games every day. The research further states that the top reason gamers say they play video games is “to have fun”.

Seniors and elderly have a variety of senior-friendly games to choose from – they can play games online, on a tablet or smartphone, on handheld gaming devices or even on a paper.

6. Solve Puzzles

Keeping your brain active is as important as keeping physically fit. Brain games and solving puzzles are great brain workouts that boost your cognitive function. A study found that older adults who regularly do numbers or word puzzles have a brain function of ten years younger. You get real joy and a sense of achievement that comes with solving a puzzle.

Whether you like crossword puzzles, sudoku or jigsaw puzzles there are plenty of ways to play them online, on mobile, on a tablet or on paper.

7. Read a Book

The next activity in fun things for bored seniors to do when they are alone is to read a book. You can use a kindle, an iPad or any other E-Reader and have unlimited access to a huge library of e-books, magazines or audiobooks using apps like Scribd (for a single low monthly fee).

There are tons of programs from various apps and retailers for getting free e-books weekly or monthly. You can get e-books from ebooks.com, Apple Books, Barnes and Noble’s online store. If you still love traditional paperback books, you can visit amazon and find a book of your interest.

8. Reach Out To Family and Friends

Social isolation is a major cause of depression and loneliness among seniors who live alone. It is important for older adults to keep in touch with family and friends to avoid boredom and keep themselves updated.

Technology makes it easy to reach out to your loved ones via phone calls, WhatsApp messages and video calls.

Connect with faraway friends on Facebook and via email or WhatsApp. Send cards and share photos to keep update of your loved ones. Seniors and elderly always feel younger and happier when they are connected with family and friends.

9. Find a Hobby

Find something that you enjoy doing and can do in your home. It can be anything from gardening to painting or making your own candles. Some hobbies can even provide an additional source of income. You can go online to learn to play a new instrument or explore new things in gardening or start learning knitting.

There are many things for elderly to do at home, the idea is to find something you love and explore it. A simple Google search will give you many hobby ideas to pursue.

You always enjoy a hobby more when you make some income from it, check out the retirement jobs that pay a small fortune.

Related Article: Best iPad activities for Seniors

10. Take a Free Online Course

Online courses are convenient and flexible. You have free online courses that cover just about every skill or hobby you can imagine. You do not need to go back to school to learn new things as long as you have access to a smartphone, tablet or computer with internet.

11. Freelancing

According to a recent survey by GOBankingRates, more than half (58%) of Americans plan to work after retirement. 66% of Americans are worried that they will run out of money while 50% are concerned about unexpected health expenses.

Whether you are worried about money or not, it is not a bad idea to make some money from your skill, working from home.

There are many jobs on different freelancing websites that seniors can join for free.

You will be surprised to find out how many seniors are taking freelancing to work and make money from home.

12. Join Social Media Networks

Researchers found out that the use of social media networks is beneficial for the overall health of the elderly. Humans are social animals and cannot live in isolation. You will find many people on social networks that have the same passion as you. There are many Instagram users, YouTubers and Twitter users of your age to follow.

These are 12 things for bored seniors to do at home. Whether you are living alone or with your family, you can try some of these activities when you feel bored and depressed. For caretakers, these are ideas to keep the elderly busy and entertained at home.