The Top Seven Retirement Activities, Part 5

We’re continuing our series on the Top Seven Retirement Activities—the key habits and routines that make for a fun, meaningful, and well-rounded life after work.

So far, we’ve covered:

• #1: Exercise and Staying Healthy
• #2: Building and Maintaining Strong Social Connections
• #3: Some Form of Work (Parts A and B)
• #4: Challenge Your Mind

If you missed any of these, be sure to go back and check them out to catch up.

Now, it’s time to dive into the fifth essential activity — a topic most of you have probably been wondering about…when do we have fun? Hahahaha.

Let’s get to it!

5. Enjoy Life (Have Fun)

This is why we retire, isn’t it? To do what we want and enjoy life, right?

Well, in this post I’m going to encourage you to do more than simply take life and enjoy it. I’m going to suggest you plan for it and live it up!!!!

Let’s begin with this:

What do you enjoy doing?

Or, let’s dream a bit and go with this?

What would you do if you could do anything?

Pretty simple questions, right?

The first is to get you started with things you could participate in immediately.

The second is to get you to consider what’s possible — looking for bigger (and probably more long term) ideas. Some ideas you come up with will be ones you may not be able to do because of money, family responsibilities, and so on, but there is probably a version of your dream that you can make happen…that you might have otherwise skipped if you hadn’t let your imagination run wild.

So have at it, take some time and make a list answering both of these questions.

Work to get at least 10 ideas and hopefully closer to 20 (or more).

For example, here’s some of my list for things to do now:

• Pickleball
• Video games
• Reading
• Writing about money
• Family time
• Chess
• Exercising
• Learning
• Hitting the pool
• Millionaire Money Mentors
• Watching TV/Movies/YouTube/Sports
• Meeting friends for lunch/coffee
• Sudoku

And here’s my list of things I might like to try:

• Tai Chi
• Volunteering 
• Take a class
• Teach a class
• Travel in NC – beach and mountains
• Visit Washington, DC (again)
• Spend summers in cooler climate 
• Learn to sail
• Become a mentor
• Upgrade house with projects

I’ve probably forgotten several things I do/want to do but you get the idea – I have a lot of ways to have fun!

FYI, the other things we’ve discussed in this series can also be fun – exercising, social connections, work, and challenging your mind. 

That’s the great thing about the list we’re putting together – you won’t need 100 things to hit all seven activities as many of the suggestions cover several areas.

I love when I get 2+ benefits out of one activity!

More Ideas for Consideration 

To help you out as you brainstorm, here are some ways to have fun I found from the internet:

• Join a book club
• Host game nights (board games, cards, trivia)
• Attend community events and festivals
• Join social clubs (Rotary, Toastmasters, garden clubs
• Meet friends regularly for coffee, lunch, or happy hour
• Explore national parks
• Take RV road trips
• Go on international vacations
• Visit all 50 U.S. states
• Try adventure travel (zip lining, snorkeling, hiking tours)
• Do local weekend getaways or “staycations”
• House-sit or pet-sit in different cities or countries
• Painting, drawing, or sketching
• Photography
• Woodworking or carving
• Knitting, crocheting, or quilting
• Writing (journaling, blogging, memoirs)
• DIY crafts or home décor projects
• Music (learn an instrument, sing in a choir)
• Learn a new language
• Do crossword puzzles or Sudoku
• Play chess, bridge, or strategy games
• Attend lectures, workshops, or museum talks
• Read books across different genres
• Watch documentaries or educational YouTube channels
• Gardening or landscaping
• Watching classic movies or favorite series (in moderation!)
• Birdwatching or nature walks
• Sitting on the porch with a good book
• Fishing or leisurely boating
• Listening to music or audiobooks
• Napping guilt-free
• Walking or hiking
• Swimming or water aerobics
• Golf
• Biking
• Joining a fitness group or gym
• Participating in local races or charity walks
• Volunteer at local charities or nonprofits
• Mentor youth or professionals
• Join a church ministry or service team
• Fundraise for causes you care about
• Help with community improvement projects
• Take cooking or baking classes
• Start a YouTube channel or podcast
• Go to live shows, concerts, or plays
• Become a local tour guide
• Try geocaching or treasure hunts
• Attend retreats or spiritual workshops

Getting any good ideas? I see several great ones on here. I may need to expand my list…

Making Fun Happen

From all this idea generation, I would suggest a few things…

Have at least three fun activities that you love enough to do regularly. As you’ll notice, I have many options that range from daily/almost daily (like Sudoku and exercising) to every now and then (local travel). You’ll want to be sure you have a solid core of things you do for fun regularly.

Mine would be:

• Reading
• Writing about money
• Family time
• Exercising
• Millionaire Money Mentors
• Watching TV/Movies/YouTube/Sports
• Meeting friends for lunch/coffee
• Sudoku/Chess

So well over three – I’m having too much fun! LOL!

Next, you need to plan for/schedule these. If you don’t, there’s a chance you’ll develop a “go with the flow” lifestyle which can miss out on some things you really want to do.

I actually have many of mine listed as tasks in Todoist so I’m regularly reminded to participate in them (or at least consider participating). 

Make scheduling these fun activities a habit so you’ll never go long without having some planned fun. BTW, spontaneous fun counts too! lol 

Retirement Communities 

For those of you having trouble thinking of what you might want to do for fun — or maybe you can think of things but have no idea how to make them happen — I want to mention an option for built-in fun in retirement: living in a retirement community.

In fact, it’s not just fun that many retirement communities offer, but they cover the other areas we’ve discussed as well…they have lots of options to exercise, be healthy, connect socially, and challenge your mind.

Retirement communities offer all this and more. Here’s a quick overview of their benefits:

• Built-in Social Community – Easy access to peers in a similar life stage encourages new friendships, group activities, and daily social interaction—helping reduce loneliness and isolation. This is especially true if it’s a new construction area and all neighbors move in around the same time (as we did when we moved to Florida.)
• Low-Maintenance Living – Most communities handle yard work, home maintenance, and even some housekeeping—freeing up time and energy for what matters most to you. We had to do the house stuff ourselves, but retirement communities often have tons of companies willing to do the work (like mow the yard).
• Safety and Security – Gated entrances, on-site staff, emergency alert systems, and well-lit environments give residents peace of mind. I would check this out in advance for any potential place I’d live. No one wants to live in an unsafe environment.
• Access to Amenities – Many retirement communities include fitness centers, pools, golf courses, walking trails, libraries, and hobby rooms—all within walking distance of home. This is the reason people move there, right?
• Organized Activities and Events – From game nights to fitness classes to excursions, these events help retirees stay engaged, have fun, and maintain an active lifestyle. If there’s not a group that’s doing your favorite activity, you can start one!
• Wellness and Healthcare Services – Some communities offer on-site or nearby healthcare, physical therapy, medication management, or even assisted living options—making transitions easier if needs change. I would certainly check out the healthcare options near any place you might move to. My guess is they vary dramatically from one community to another.
• Lifestyle Convenience – Many are located near shopping, restaurants, pharmacies, and cultural attractions, with transportation often available for errands and appointments. Not only this, but make sure they have the sort of places you like to frequent (for example, chains versus locally owned restaurants.)
• Sense of Belonging – A shared environment with like-minded neighbors fosters a sense of community, purpose, and belonging that enhances emotional well-being. This is almost always built into the community.
• Age-Appropriate Design – Homes are typically designed with seniors in mind—think single-story layouts, wider doorways, slip-resistant flooring, and walk-in showers.
• Freedom and Independence – With fewer household responsibilities and convenient services, residents often feel more independent—not less—than they did in their previous homes.
• Supportive Environment – If you’re single, recently widowed, or adjusting to retirement life, being surrounded by a support network can help ease the transition and reduce emotional stress.
• Opportunities for Personal Growth – Many communities offer lifelong learning programs, volunteer groups, clubs, and spiritual gatherings to foster personal development and fulfillment.

Sounds like they address almost everything, huh? 😉

The Villages and Other Retirement Communities 

We lived in The Villages for almost two years and visited it before that. I can 100% testify that it is a ready-made retirement maximizer. If you can’t accomplish the items we’ve listed at The Villages (TV), you’re going to have a tough time doing them anywhere else.

That’s not to say TV is required to find great retirement activities, but I am saying that if you need help with a lot of these areas, TV is built to make finding them super easy.

Now TV is a premier retirement community, probably the best in America, so I’m not saying every retirement community delivers what TV does. In fact, we looked at retirement communities when we moved to NC and they offered a pittance compared to TV — for 2-3 times the price!

That said, if you can find a retirement community that has activities you love, it can be a great choice as you’ll knock off several of the things we’ve discussed in one place.

For example, many retirement communities commonly feature:

• Golf
• Tennis
• Pickleball
• A clubhouse for social gatherings/activities
• Schedule group activities, including educational activities 
• A pool
• Game room (pool table, shuffle board, etc.)
• Fitness area/exercise room

So if you’re having trouble finding fun activities (or even exercising options, social connections, and so forth), you might want to consider a retirement community.

Now you may be wondering why we moved from TV if it was so great?

Well, two main reasons:

• It’s in Florida which is hot most of the year. I can take three months of heat per year (still not my ideal, but I do it for my wife.) But if I’m going to be sweating 10-11 months of the year, it’s a no-go for me. Plus our kids were not interested in living in Florida, so if we wanted to be near them, we had to move.
• It’s a small town that’s not part of a big city. I prefer to have more options readily available in life, better/more healthcare choices, and the like. But I also like a smaller town/city feel. That’s what our current city offers. TV, on the other hand, is a small town/city with limited options for shopping, restaurants (at least in variety), healthcare, outside amenities (like a great gym), and so on.

If TV was located in Cary, NC, we would almost certainly live there as it would offer all we wanted, plus be near a bigger city and have better weather.

I will say TV, because it is isolated, also feels a bit artificial. Seeing only people of a certain age and (mostly) certain backgrounds is a bit unusual. I never thought I’d say this, but I prefer a bit more diversity in ages, backgrounds, etc. than what TV offers. It’s funny to admit that since I grew up in Iowa which had age differences but almost no other diversity.

So now it’s your turn. Let’s have some fun!

What are your top three fun activities in retirement? 

Include them in the comments below and we’ll see if we can add any new ones to the lists above.

Additional ESI Money posts to read for more on this subject include: