Hobbies To Adopt in Your 50s and Beyond

Do you have a jewelry box full of unpaired earrings and broken brooches, or a mismatched collection of cracked china? You’re already off to a great start with this crafty hobby. Mosaic making is a great way to upcycle bits of ceramic, glass, stoneware, or other found materials by arranging them into pretty patterns to make works of art.

With a few supplies from the craft store, you can decorate anything from stepping stones in your garden, to clay plant pots on your deck, to tabletops on your patio.

Acrylic pouring is a very forgiving art form that almost always yields beautiful results, which makes it the perfect creative outlet for artists and non-artists alike. It’s also a great excuse to release your inner child and get a little messy—just make sure you protect your furniture and floors!

Although it’s surged in popularity in recent years, acrylic pour painting has been around since the 1930s. The process involves mixing colorful acrylic paint with a pouring medium, then tipping it onto a blank canvas and letting the paint do its thing. The colors merge and swirl, creating mesmerizing patterns and shapes. The result? Thoroughly original modern art pieces you’d be proud to hang on your wall or gift to your friends and family.

Think of a musical instrument that has always intrigued you—you love the sound, the look, everything about it. Now imagine being able to play it! Thanks to Youtube and skill-sharing websites, it’s never been easier to learn to play even the most unusual instruments, from the accordion or theremin (a stringless harp with a haunting sound) to the medieval shawm or retro stylophone.

After plenty of practice and dedication, you’ll have a one-of-a-kind talent and a unique sound to share with others.

Are you a foodie looking for a hobby besides cooking and baking? Mixology, or the art and science of making cocktails, can give you a new way to experiment with endless combinations of flavors and ingredients—and have lots of fun doing it.

Start by nailing down the basics, like the perfect old-fashioned, martini, and cosmopolitan. Once you’ve mastered those, you can mix up just about anything. (Vintage cocktail recipe books are an excellent inspiration.) Eventually, you can invent your own signature cocktail and invite friends over for a taste test.

Are you an avid photography buff with a passion for astronomy? Astrophotography, or the art of photographing celestial objects like planets, stars, and galaxies in the night sky, allows you to combine your love of both. This intellectually inspiring hobby will allow you to capture out-of-this-world photos as you learn more about the universe.

If you’re already into photography, chances are you have most of the equipment you need. Joining local astronomy or stargazing clubs can turn this solo activity into a social one.

Keeping backyard bees is an outdoor hobby that’s growing in popularity, and now is as good a time as ever to find out what all the buzz is about. By helping the local honeybee population, you’re contributing to the local ecosystem. Beekeeping requires equal parts passion and patience, but this noble pursuit can be very rewarding—and you get honey!

If you have an artistic streak, this hobby can help you fit art into your daily routine and give you a new perspective on the world around you. Bring a small, portable sketchbook wherever you go and start capturing your surroundings—street scenes, people, nature, buildings, and public places, indoors and out. You’ll have a visual journal of the little details most people miss.

You don’t have to be a pirate to search for buried treasure. With a metal detector, you can make amazing discoveries just about anywhere—in the park, on the beach, or even in your own backyard!

Hunting for jewelry, coins, and other artifacts hidden below your feet is more than just a rewarding pastime. It's a great motivation to get off the couch and get your steps in, not to mention some fresh air.

Whether you have travel plans or are just looking for an educational hobby, language learning apps like Duolingo and Babbel make it easier (and more entertaining) than ever to learn the basics of any language in your spare time.

Learning a new language not only opens unexpected doors for you (locals love it when you make the effort), but it’s also a proven way to improve brain and memory function at any age. If you want to level up the challenge, try learning a language that uses a non-Latin alphabet, like Greek or Japanese.

Tired of finding nothing but bills and junk mail in your mailbox these days? Consider signing up for a postcard exchange project like Postcrossing, where you send and receive postcards from all over the world. You draw a random address and send that person a postcard. When they register it, another random person will draw your address, and you'll receive a postcard from them.

It's all random, so you never know where or your next incoming postcard is traveling from. Not only is it a meaningful way to connect with people all over the globe, but there's no better way to build an impressive international postcard collection.