Old age is often referred to as the ‘second childhood‘. During old age, most of the people tend to behave like a small child, becoming stubborn and not listening to what others say. Therefore, it’s the duty of their children to give the senior citizens special care & attention and treat them like their own kids. Keeping them busy in recreational activities might be a good idea, to overcome the boredom that comes along with retirement and old age. We have listed down a few recreational activities that you can get involved in:
- Get yourself enrolled in a club that organizes activities involving the active participation of volunteers. If the club organizes rehab and health camps, hobby classes or competitions, it will be the best option for you to put your time to productive use.
- A fun way to keep yourself busy for the maximum time is to arrange arts and crafts competitions. Try to go on day trips with your ex-colleagues or your neighbours which would help you rejuvenate the spirit.
- Dedicated volunteering in schools, colleges and local community centers can help you attain self-satisfaction that you have rendered service during the post-retirement period, without sitting idle and most importantly enjoy the art of giving back to the society.
- To kill the boredom, play easy & fun games with your grandchildren, when you are spending time with him/her. This could be as simple as the good old ‘passing the parcel’ game.
- Reading books is something that the majority of senior citizens like to do, after retirement. Purchase some books or get a library membership, so that you get the supply of your favourite books all through the year.
- Give food to their brain – organize mental exercises, like puzzles, for the senior citizens. You can also get some printed brainteasers, like Sudoku and crossword puzzles.
- If you are a movie buff, try to catch up few movies in a cinema hall. Although you won’t manage to see superstars like Rajesh Khanna or Dev Anand, you can atleast get to see the cinema of the youth.
- Get a membership of a local gymkhana so that you can continue your engagement with sports like carom, bridge or billiards.
It is important for senior citizens and those who care for them to seek out recreational activities even at this time when they may be reluctant to do so. Research indicates that seniors who participate in these kinds of activities tend to remain active once they begin.
All said and done, it’s necessary that you keep yourself involved or busy in one or the other activity which would help you forget the soreness of your life which might have been caused by your closed ones or the family members and to lead a healthier life.
Remember the old saying “All work & no play makes Jack a dull boy.”
(Image courtesy: deluxplace.com)
