The short answer
- Body, mind, hands and people, most weeksA good week usually has something from each of these: movement, a mental challenge, something made by hand, and time with other people.
- Move a little every dayThe NHS advises older adults to be active daily, even if that is only light activity, and to build strength and balance twice a week.
- Regular hobbies are linked to a lower risk of memory problemsOne study found that people who did craft activities such as pottery or woodworking in both midlife and later life were less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment.
- If a hobby has stopped fitting, adapt it rather than drop itA short version of an old favourite usually works better than something brand new, and it is worth reassessing after a fall or a spell in hospital.
Companion carers on PrimeCarers charge £15 to £20 an hour with our fee included, for anyone who would rather try these activities with somebody there.
Why it matters
Why a week with a bit of everything works better than one big hobby
A long list of hobbies is not much help by itself, because half the suggestions will suit one person and not another. What tends to work better is checking that a week has a little of four things: movement, something to think about, something made by hand, and time with somebody else.
Body
A little, every dayKeeps joints, balance and stamina working, and lifts mood as much as it lifts fitness.
- A walk, or a gentle hike
- Gardening
- Dancing, or a chair-based class
Mind
A few times a weekGives the brain something to solve or follow. Regular mental activity is linked to a lower risk of memory problems developing.
- Board games, cards and puzzles
- Reading, audiobooks and the radio
- Learning something new
Hands
Whenever there is timeSomething made or finished gives a sense of achievement that a passive afternoon does not.
- Knitting, woodwork or pottery
- Painting, drawing or music
- Cooking or baking
People
Most days, even brieflyLoneliness becomes more common in later life and affects health as much as any single activity on this page.
- A book club, class or group
- A regular phone or video call
- A companionship carer
Keeping the body moving
Walking, gardening and dancing, and how much activity is enough
Movement helps balance, strength and mood at almost any age, and none of the ideas below need a gym. The guidance underneath applies to anyone who is not already under a GP or physiotherapist for a specific condition.
Walking and time outdoors
Most days
Gardening
Any pace, any ability
Dancing
Improves balance and posture
Strength and balance work
Twice a week
The full guidance is in the NHS physical activity guidelines for older adults: 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity for somebody already active, plus strength and balance work on at least two days. Ask the GP or a physiotherapist before building anything up after a fall, a hospital stay or a new diagnosis, and see how far should an 80-year-old walk each day? and swimming for seniors for more on specific activities. If unsteadiness on their feet is the bigger worry day to day, mobility and falls care is the fuller guide to that side of things.
Mind, hands and hobbies
Crafts, games, reading and music that keep the mind occupied
Almost everything below works seated, needs no special equipment to start, and gives a reason to look forward to the next session.
Crafts and making things
Knitting, woodwork, pottery, sewing
Board games, cards and puzzles
Solo or with others
Reading, book clubs and writing
For any level of eyesight
Music and painting
No previous skill needed
That craft study, reported by the American Academy of Neurology, looked at people who were already free of memory problems, so it shows an association rather than a guarantee. It is still one of the better reasons to keep a hobby going rather than let it lapse. If mobility makes any of this harder to organise, home care activities has ideas a carer can help set up at home, from a craft laid out on a tray to reading aloud.
If things change
What changes if their needs start to shift
Needs in later life change gradually more often than suddenly, and it is easy to keep offering the same list past the point it still fits.
Signs it might be time for a different approach
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Worth checking
Activities for elderly parents matches ideas to four levels of ability, from still getting about independently to being cared for mainly in bed, and is the better starting point once any of the above sounds familiar. If memory or confusion is the main change, 37 activities for people with dementia has ideas built around what already has meaning for that person rather than a general list.
Where to find groups
Where to look for classes, clubs and company nearby
Most of what is on this page is free or low-cost, and the hardest part is usually knowing where to look first.
- 1
Ask at the library
FreeMost libraries lend books, ebooks and audiobooks free with a library card and can point to reading groups, craft circles and other clubs that use the building. - 2
Check the council leisure and adult education programme
Low-costCouncils publish a term-by-term programme of exercise classes, dance, art and language courses for any age, usually on their website under leisure or adult learning. - 3
Contact the local Age UK, or a U3A branch
Free to join most groupsLocal Age UK branches run lunch clubs, day centres and activity groups, and a U3A branch offers peer-led classes and interest groups for anyone retired or semi-retired. - 4
Look at a companionship carer if getting out alone is harder
Free to searchSearch companionship carers by postcode and see their rates, experience and reviews, then message the ones who share an interest. Every carer has interviewed online, and their identity, right to work and enhanced DBS are checked before they appear, and they are insured while they work.
The companionship care pages have more on what this kind of support looks like day to day, including how a visit is arranged and what carers typically charge.
Questions
Questions families ask about activities in later life
A mix across four areas works best: something that moves the body such as a walk or gardening, something for the mind such as a puzzle or a book club, something made by hand such as a craft or an instrument, and regular time with other people. Aim for a little from each most weeks rather than one big hobby.
The NHS recommends 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity for somebody already active, plus activities that build strength and balance on at least two days. Anyone starting again after a fall, an illness or a hospital stay should check with the GP or a physiotherapist first. The full NHS guidance has more detail by activity.
A 2015 Mayo Clinic study followed people in their late eighties for four years and found that those who did craft activities such as woodworking or pottery were 45% less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment than those who did not. That shows an association rather than a guarantee, since people who are already more active may take up crafts for other reasons too, but it is a good reason to keep a hobby going rather than let it lapse.
Offering something specific and familiar usually works better than asking an open question about what they would like to do. A hobby from years ago, taken up again, tends to get further than something brand new. If refusal has become more frequent than it used to be, how do you get someone to accept care? looks at this in more depth.
Start with the library, the council leisure and adult education programme, and the local Age UK branch or a U3A group, all of which run or list activities for older adults. Most are free to join or low-cost, and staff are usually happy to suggest something to try first.
Yes, and it becomes more common after retirement, bereavement or losing the ability to drive. A standing phone or video call at the same time each week, a local group, or a free telephone friendship service all help. A regular companionship carer is another route to reliable company.
Yes. A companionship carer's visit is built around conversation, hobbies, meals and trips out, matched to how your parent is feeling that day. Companion carers on PrimeCarers charge £15 to £20 an hour with our fee included. Activities to try with a companionship carer goes into what a visit looks like in practice.
Doing it with other people
Joining something, and why company matters as much as the activity
Loneliness becomes more common in later life, particularly after retirement, bereavement or losing the ability to drive, and it is worth treating as its own thing rather than assuming a hobby will fix it by itself.
Ways to build regular activity and company into the week
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Local groups and classes
If getting out alone has become harder
If loneliness is the issue rather than a lack of hobbies
The University of the Third Age runs the peer-led classes and interest groups mentioned above in most parts of the country. Age UK's Telephone Friendship Service and the Silver Line both offer free, regular contact from a volunteer, and NHS social prescribing is the route into local groups through the GP surgery. Activities to try with a companionship carer goes further into what a visit looks like in practice, and how much does a companion carer cost? sets out a full week at different visit patterns. Mental health in later life and the research on whether a lack of social contact raises the risk of dementia both go further into why company matters this much.