What are Good Hobbies or Projects that a 60+ year-old Could Do in Retirement?
Over the last 50+ years operating numerous retirement communities, Acts Retirement-Life Communities has seen many retirees with interests as far ranging as woodworking, welding, and electronics to quilt making, learning a new language, tutoring students, and so much more. Many retirement community campuses have woodshops, hobby shops, studios and other dedicated areas for hands-on work with specialized tools for you to try out. No need to buy more tools or free up any workspace.
Here are some of the hobbies we’ve seen talented residents take up:
Woodworking & Carpentry
- Furniture Making – Crafting tables, chairs, cabinets, etc.
- Woodturning – Using a lathe to shape bowls, spindles, and other rounded objects.
- Carving & Whittling – Creating sculptures, relief carvings, or functional art.
- Pyrography – Burning designs into wood with a specialized tool.
Metalworking & Fabrication
- Blacksmithing – Forging tools, knives, or decorative ironwork.
- Casting & Foundry Work – Melting metal and pouring it into molds.
- Jewelry Making – Crafting rings, pendants, or intricate metalwork.
Electronics & Technology
- Amateur Radio (Ham Radio) – Building and tuning radio equipment. Westminster Village, a community in Spanish Fort, Alabama, has an amateur radio club and residents work with FEMA to broadcast emergency communications!
Other Shop-Based Hobbies
- Leatherworking – Making wallets, belts, holsters, or bags.
- Glassblowing – Shaping molten glass into artistic or functional pieces.
- Stained Glass Work – Designing and soldering intricate stained-glass panels.
- Model Making – Creating scale models of buildings, cars, or military vehicles.
- Pottery & Ceramics – Using a pottery wheel and kiln for functional or artistic ceramics.
Continuing care retirement communities are a great place to never feel bored. There’s always something to do—and you don’t need a hobby right away. Lots of people who move in find their niche and in turn, fulfilment. It’s the best thing you can do for your mental health.
And the best way to find a great continuing care retirement community is to explore the 28 options from Acts Retirement-Life Communities, one of the leading non-profits in this space.
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