Summer is a time of fun and adventure, but some dog days of summer are just too scorching to go outside. Rather than succumbing to boredom at home, why not try new, fun indoor activities for seniors?
We’ve created a list of some of our favorite summer activities for seniors to help you beat the heat, stay active, and enjoy the summer to its fullest. Keep reading to see if any of these entertaining hobbies for seniors pique your interest.
1. Channel your inner chef
Cooking and baking can be some of the most rewarding indoor activities for seniors. Transform daily meals into exciting culinary adventures right in your own kitchen. Try making refreshing summer recipes, like fruity frozen popsicles, zesty salads, or chilled soups, or bake up a sweet treat to share with friends. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new flavors, cooking techniques, and healthy ingredients to delight your taste buds all summer.
Cooking classes are also great summer activities for seniors. Catch a ride with GoGo Rides to local cooking classes, where you can learn new cooking tricks and make new friends. You can also take a virtual class online. YouTube has tons of free recipe videos to get you started, or you can sign up for formal classes through websites like Cozymeal, Masterclass, or BBC Maestro.
P.S. Get all the ingredients you need delivered right to your door with GoGo Grocery. That means you can keep trying cooking hobbies for seniors without having to face the summer heat.
2. Host a movie marathon
If you’re looking for family-friendly summer activities for seniors and grandkids, transform your living room into a cozy cinema. Pick a movie genre for the evening, like timeless classics, horror favorites, or romantic comedies. Get your favorite snacks and candies delivered with GoGo Grocery. Grab some snuggly blankets and watch as many movies as you can in one sitting.
You can host the marathon for yourself or invite your family and friends. Movie marathons are great indoor activities for seniors who want to stay social without battling the heat and humidity.
3. Throw a board game party
A list of fun, party-worthy summer activities for seniors wouldn’t be complete without board games. Dust off your favorite games and gather your loved ones for a spirited night of friendly competition. Some beloved board games include Scrabble, Chess, Checkers, Dominoes, Ticket to Ride, Bananagrams, Mahjong, Catan, Taboo, Scattergories, Pictionary, Bingo, Trivial Pursuit, and Codenames. Grab plenty of snacks, turn on some music, and let the laughter and competition begin!
4. Explore the world from your living room
Embark on awe-inspiring travel adventures right from the comfort of your own home. Virtual travel has become one of the most popular indoor activities for seniors, allowing you to explore exotic destinations, historical landmarks, and cultural attractions whenever and wherever you like. Some of the benefits of virtual travel hobbies for seniors include:
- If physical limitations or health concerns prevent you from traditional travel, you don’t have to miss out on experiencing some of the word’s iconic landmarks, like the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu.
- Virtual travel allows you to experience the history, art, and traditions of cultures around the world, allowing you to expand your knowledge and keep your brain active.
- Travel can be stressful, but virtual travel lets you explore while staying safe and stress-free.
You can find virtual travel options with Google Arts and Culture, Explore.org, National Park Service Virtual Tours, AirPano, YouTube, and travel websites, blogs, or museum sites. Whether you’re dreaming of the Amalfi coast or the wonders of the Taj Mahal, virtual travel is one of the best hobbies for seniors itching to see the world.
5. Get your heart pumping with chair yoga
If you’re looking for exercise-based summer activities for seniors, look no further than chair yoga. Chair yoga is a gentle form of yoga that increases flexibility, strength, and range of motion. You perform gentle stretches and poses while seated in a stable chair, making it more accessible for seniors who find traditional yoga poses uncomfortable or inaccessible.
Chair yoga also offers mental and emotional benefits. By focusing on breath and purposeful movement, it helps reduce stress and improve mood.
GoGoGrandparent offers free chair yoga classes on YouTube. These classes are led by professional instructors who understand the mobility needs of older adults.
6. Get groovy with a dance party
Dancing is another of the best indoor activities for seniors looking to boost their physical health. Dancing promotes cardiovascular health, lung health, muscular strength, endurance, motor fitness, balance, and coordination.
And it’s easy to get started with dancing hobbies for seniors. Just turn on your favorite music and start dancing! You can dance freeform for fun or find dance classes on YouTube to help you find your rhythm. If you’re having fun, you won’t even realize you’re exercising!
Consider taking a local dance class to meet new friends and try new moves. GoGo Rides will take you there, so you never have to worry about driving in bad weather or traffic.
7. Try out your green thumb
Transform your home into a vibrant oasis by taking up gardening. Nurture houseplants, tend to small indoor gardens, or grow herbs right in your house. Gardening is one of the most beneficial indoor activities for seniors, as it lets you express your creativity and add natural beauty to your surroundings.
Key benefits of gardening summer activities for seniors include:
- Growing plants provides a sense of purpose and responsibility
- Gardening is a healthy type of low-impact physical activity
- Tending to plants can be meditative, promoting a sense of calm
- Caring hobbies for seniors, like gardening, reduces stress, anxiety, and feelings of loneliness
- Gardening is good for the brain, and it may be associated with a lower prevalence of dementia
8. Dive into a good book
Books are the go-to summer activities for seniors who want to unwind, explore new worlds, and engage their minds. Whether you’re diving into the intricate plot of a mystery novel or learning about whales in a nonfiction book, there’s a book to suit everyone’s preferences.
Reading offers numerous cognitive and emotional benefits. Research shows that regular reading can improve memory, cognitive function, and mental acuity, reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Reading has also been linked to lower stress levels, improved mood, and increased emotional intelligence.
Buy a book from a local bookshop, loan one from the town library, read on e-readers, or listen to audiobooks. When the weather is nice, you can take your book outside and keep enjoying book-based hobbies for seniors.
Enjoy stress-free summer activities for seniors
Even when summer temperatures soar, you can still get out and about with GoGoGrandparent. GoGo Rides arranges safe, reliable transportation wherever you want to go. You can visit the library, go to a friend’s house, or attend a local cooking course – all without the headache and hassle of driving. GoGo Rides gives you the freedom and flexibility to try new summer activities for seniors.
Click here to learn more about what makes GoGo Rides beloved by thousands of seniors.
Indoor activities for seniors
Embracing some of these indoor activities for seniors will help you make the most of your summer. Whether stretching with chair yoga or traveling the world virtually, there’s no shortage of hobbies for seniors to have fun and beat the heat.
GoGoGrandparent helps promote safe indoor activities for seniors. With rides, grocery delivery, meal delivery, and more, you can stay cool in the AC while still having access to food, transportation, and more. Register with GoGo to get started.
