Best Winter Activities for Retirees

Winter can seem like a long season of cold days and dark evenings, but there’s lots to be enjoyed in this period. It’s important for your retirement lifestyle to keep active and healthy which we’ve covered in our helpful tips blog during November. It’s also great to take advantage of the many Christmas-themed activities available, as well as the myriad of Christmas Fairs and Markets you can go to in the local area. Along with those wonderful things, it’s also good to find activities to do for yourself which don’t have to be Christmas themed. We’ve gathered some Winter activities in this blog post to inspire you.

Taking brief walks

It can be easy to write off walks altogether during the winter months. It is wise to make sure that you look after yourself and don’t expose yourself to unpleasant weather. However, that can easily lead to never going outside during the winter months! The truth is, we all need sunshine and fresh air and it’s amazing what it can do to boost our spirits. So, during winter when it can be easy to do no walking, why not just change the types of walks you go on? You can go for a brief walk around the block, or if you feel more adventurous, walk into town. Make sure you wrap up warm, using lots of layers and insulating fabrics and don’t forget a hat, gloves and scarf. Once you’re appropriately dressed get out there and you’ll be surprised by the beauty in winter, whether it’s a frosty morning, a stunning sunset, or the surprising warmth of the afternoon winter sun.

Watching classic films

After you’ve had your fresh air on your walk why not spend a crisp winter evening watching a classic film. There are so many wonderful films and this can be the time you finally get to watch them! You might want to do the Christmas themes and watch White Christmas and listen to Bing Crosby sing the film’s namesake. Or perhaps a thriller such as Pimpernel Smith is more up your street? Or a sweeping historical like Lawrence of Arabia. If you’d rather catch up with the latest releases then why not book a night out to the cinema? Going with a friend can be lots of fun and if you’d rather go in the day there are lots of matinee performances you can make the most of.

Cooking and baking

If you want to keep busy but would rather not spend too much time outdoors then why not consider doing some baking? When you’re only cooking for one or two it can take the fun out of it, so why not invite friends over for dinner? Or you could bake for Christmas gifts or charity. Cooking and baking are the sort of activity that one doesn’t have lots of time for when you’re juggling the families activities, but now you can really hone those skills. You could bake the perfect biscotti for a Christmas present or perhaps make some wonderful spiced chutneys. This is one of many perfect winter activities to undertake in our Monterey property where you can enjoy a spacious kitchen in your retirement apartment! You could always try some of the recipes we gathered together in our autumnal recipes blog post.

Christmas trips with friends

Doing Christmas shopping can be a daunting task. Often we do it alone, struggling under the heavy burden of lots of shopping bags and sometimes having trouble thinking of gift ideas. Well, why not do your Christmas shopping with a friend this year? A task which is usually a chore can be made into a day out if you go with friends, stop for mid-morning coffee and perhaps go out for lunch. The best thing is having someone to bounce ideas off. If you’re not sure on a gift idea you can ask your friends what they think. Suddenly something which is usually difficult and solitary can become a communal pleasure!

Christmas crafts

Whether you are incredibly gifted or not, Christmas crafts are great for everyone. From a simple home-made card created using a themed stamp and folded card to wreath-making, there’s lots to do and be enjoyed when it comes to creating decorations and Christmas themed crafts. This is another activity which is great to do with friends. Why not ask a neighbour for coffee and pool craft supplies? Perhaps you’ll even be able to make things to give away as presents for Christmas or just as special gifts around this time of year.

Platinum Skies host lots of Winter activities like these mentioned at our new development Monterey. If you’d like to find out how we can help you get the retirement lifestyle you want why not call us on: 01202 471461 and book an appointment to meet the team and find out more.