Retirement Activities – One of the best ways to maintain an active old age and stay young is to keep your mind active by learning new skills.

Here are some thoughts on activities and hobbies that will be fun and engage your mind at the same time.

Take a class

There are places that offer instruction in just about any field. Most schools and universities offer a substantial discount for senior citizens. Some colleges offer free classes to those over the young age of 65. Always wanted to get that degree or PhD? Now’s the time.

Classes may cover traditional academic fields such as math, science, literature, psychology or applied subjects such as culinary arts, interior decorating, computer skills or gift basket design.

I have relatives who take a cooking class once a month, and then host a party for their friends featuring their gourmet treats. Each event has a theme, such as a particular country or region.

Learn an instrument

You are never too old to learn an instrument. There are so many to choose from. While your neighbors may not appreciate your new-found love of drums, many instruments are relatively inexpensive and easy to learn.

String instruments, such as guitar, banjo and mandolin are some of the most common. Wind instruments, including clarinet, saxophone, trumpet and even the harmonica can be mastered in a short time.

Keyboard instruments, which includes piano and organ are available in both standard and portable formats.

Most instruments can be purchased used at a local music store or from the free classifieds such as Craigslist. A few years back I won an old banjo at a local auction for $35. All it needed was a set of new strings and some minor adjustments. Yard sales are another excellent venue to find great deals on musical instruments.

Instruction can be obtained from a music store, by private instruction, or online. Youtube has many videos dedicated to teaching musical instruments.

Enjoy a new hobby

There are hundreds and hundreds of hobbies to take pleasure in, depending on your taste and activity level.

If you’re good with your hands, learning origami or magic sleight-of-hand will provide hours of amusement that you can share with children and adults. These types of skills can be learned from books or video. Again, there are countless resources on the internet to provide free instructions in most any subject.

Painting is a hobby that can be enjoyed, no matter what your skill level. You can choose from watercolor, charcoal, pencil and oil-based mediums. Choose your own style, from folk art, impressionism, to whatever strikes your fancy.

Stained glass is easy to learn, requires only a few basic tools and can be displayed in your home. After only a few classes you’ll be able to start creating your own masterpieces.

Teach a Class

Everybody has something to teach others, whether it be sewing, yoga, cooking, tennis, or any other skill. Opportunities are often available to teach in senior citizen centers, YMCA’s, libraries, community centers, and more.

One of the advantages of teaching your own class is that you get to choose when and where to provide your instruction. You can make your class a one-time offering, a set number of classes or an ongoing instruction program.

Write a book

Only about 5% of the population has ever written a book, but a much larger percentage have aspired to put their thoughts into writing. With the technology available right now, it’s easier than ever.

You can either write an ebook, try to find a publisher or publish it yourself through some of the new print-on-demand formats. You now longer have to get thousands of books printed at one time.

Simply outline your book by identifying chapters and subheadings and start writing. There’s no longer any excuses, just do it!

Volunteer

There are more opportunities to volunteer than ever before. Nonprofit groups and churches are constantly looking for individuals who wish to provide the gift of their time to help others. Simply choose a cause you believe in and volunteer your services.

As you can see, all the above retirement activities will help you stay young in your active old age. The most difficult choice is what activity or hobby to choose!