- Retirement is the ideal time for couples to reconnect and pursue new experiences, activities, and hobbies together. Studies show that couples who share novel and engaging activities—whether it’s traveling, geocaching, or volunteering—report higher relationship satisfaction and create lasting memories that strengthen their bond.
- Engaging in both physical and mental activities together can contribute greatly to a happy and healthy retirement. From taking dancing lessons to working on brain games like puzzles and crosswords, these activities not only keep your minds and bodies sharp but also help you connect and even resolve challenges and disagreements.
- Finding activities that foster vulnerability and intimacy is a gamechanger when it comes to deepening your relationship. Regardless of how long you’ve been together, learning new things about your partner and how they’ve evolved into their current stage will only connect you closer together. Whether it’s starting small or diving in deep, explore different options like playing card games with creative questions, having a private book club that can spark meaningful conversations, expanding your deeper goals and passions together, embarking on couples retreats or deepening your spiritual journeys.
- You can also get creative and find light, fun, romantic, and low-cost activities. For example, geocaching turns a walk into an adventurous treasure hunt, while visiting second-hand stores becomes a fun way to find unique items and even make a little extra money together.
- Making a commitment to a new activity is the most important step. Choosing a hobby and intentionally carving out time for it in your calendar, whether it’s a daily ritual, weekly date, or annual excursion, can transform your routine and help you thrive both individually and as a couple.
We highly recommend having “couple time” more than once a week.
And if at all possible, try to work physical exercise into your couple time. We help older adults live their best life every day and what we see a lot of is this: couples that exercise together – whether biking, hiking, running, or other physical exercise – appear to be the happiest (and healthiest).
Beyond physical exercise as a couple, we made a categorized list of 8 activities and hobbies for retired couples, so that your date nights are more than just a dinner and a movie.
#1 For Growth: Travel
Whoever says you can’t be adventurous after 60 couldn’t be more uninformed. The world is your oyster when you are retired. There are so many places to explore, cultures to experience, and people to meet. Traveling together can bring you closer than before. Research tells us that couples who travel together rate their relationship higher on every single factor compared to those who don’t:
And think of all the great memories you’ll create on your travels. You can always talk about your adventures — “It was so funny when we…” or “Remember that time in New York…”.
Even if it’s not traveling around the globe to far-off lands, it’s still worth taking even a day trip somewhere to create memories.
In fact, a study examined the positive effects of reminiscing in older adult couples, such as a significant reduction in depression symptoms and significant improvement in psychological well-being, life satisfaction, and self-esteem.
Pro tip: Whether it’s near or far, try adventuring to somewhere new. There’s more bonding when you both have brand new experiences together.
#2 For Adventures: Geocaching
If you’re a couple who’s always up for some adventure and creativity, geocaching might just be your next favorite hobby. Geocaching is the activity of finding hidden containers, called caches, using GPS coordinates. It’s a modern-day scavenger hunt.
#3 For Giving Back: Volunteer
Volunteering together as a retired couple can be rewarding in so many ways – from giving back to the community, feeling fulfilled, being creative, and staying active – but most importantly, it helps keep relationships strong. In fact, 80% of couples who volunteered together stated that their relationship is better because of it.
And remember, volunteering doesn’t have to take on a traditional format. Think beyond the local library and Red Cross (unless, of course, you’re passionate about it).
Try to brainstorm creative ways you and your spouse can give back by helping just one person or family.
Whether it’s helping a neighbor, leaving a family legacy, offering driving services or companionship, feeding the less fortunate, or kickstarting a non-profit project, giving back takes on as many shapes as you can think of.
Pro tip: If volunteering opportunities sound interesting, here are 20 volunteer websites (or even more virtual volunteering sites) that are perfect for retirees who want to spend more time together while also making a positive impact.
#4 For Finance: Shop at Second-Hand Stores
One of the more unusual hobbies for retired couples is thrift shopping. There’s this feeling you get when browsing through thrift shops, like all of your knowledge about other hobbies is put to use in one big treasure hunt. You never know what you might find at an antique store or garage sale. Flea market shopping gives you the opportunity to lead interesting conversations, save money, and even help your local community. Pro tip: If you’re looking to make extra side money, why not start a small side hustle? Try re-selling items on websites like Ebay or Etsy (check out this guide on starting an online second-hand store).#5 For Romance: Take Dancing Lessons
Dancing is one of the best activities for retired couples looking to rekindle their romance. Achieving new goals together fuels attraction, especially if it’s a physical activity. Not only does learning a new skill together, like dancing, help keep your relationship fresh and exciting, it gives you the physical benefits too. In fact, the gentle touch involved in dancing increases the gratitude couples feel.
#6 For Mental Health: Engage in Brain Workouts
Keeping each other on your toes mentally can do wonders for your relationship as well as your mental health in retirement. Brain games such as chess, cards, puzzles, sudoku and crosswords do more than just prevent cognitive decline. Research suggests that engaging in brain workouts together helps couples get over arguments. If games aren’t up your alley, consider learning a high-challenge activity together. Which can range from digital photography and cooking new recipes to learning a new language or musical instrument. Pro tip: Plan these cognitively engaging activities during your morning routine and start every day by spending time together and exercising your cognition.#7 For Intimacy: Play Card Games
Believe it or not, one of the best ways to get closer and know your partner better is playing card games. Not just any card games, though. These creative quiz-and-game sets are full of interesting questions that’ll make you and your partner think differently about each other:- We’re Not Really Strangers
- Love Language: The Card Game
- TableTopics Couples: Questions to Start Great Conversations
- Uncommon Questions
- Deeper Connections
- The Ultimate Game for Couples
#8 (Just) For Fun: Private Book Club
Starting a private book club is one of the more fun activities for retired couples. You can read a book together and discuss it over dinner, coffee, or while taking a walk. Maybe take turns reading chapters from one of your favorite books together until you finish it. According to a SuperSummary survey, 98% of couples who spend their time reading together are satisfied with their relationship, and 62% are very satisfied. The key is picking books that interest both of you and then making it a routine to sit down for 30 minutes each day before bedtime. You’ll be surprised how much richer your relationship will become by investing in this small act. Pro tip: Try listening to audiobooks before bed together to enjoy the entire activity as a couple. Whether it’s reading a physical book or listening to an audiobook, aim for consistency to really see the positive benefits.Make a Commitment
Make a commitment to each other that you’ll give one of these activities for retired couples a shot. Just put it in your calendar and do it for a minimum set period of time. If you take it one micro-step at a time, you’ll be traveling the world or dancing tango before you know it. And more notably, you’ll strengthen the bond you share with your partner. P.S. If you’re looking for more fun activities for retired couples, check out our comprehensive list of 101 things to do in retirement for inspiration. They’re great for individuals and couples.Frequently Asked Questions
What are fun things for older couples to do together?
Fun doesn’t have to mean elaborate plans – some of the most popular hobbies among retirees show that joy often lives in the everyday. In the US, the top activities include cooking and baking (44%), reading (42%), and spending time with pets (39%). For couples, that might look like trying out new recipes together, reading the same book and sharing reflections over coffee, or enjoying slow walks with a furry companion.
Other favorites like gardening (34%), traveling (29%), and DIY or arts and crafts (26%) open even more possibilities. Whether it’s planting a small garden, taking a weekend trip, or working side by side on a creative project, the key is less about the hobby itself and more about how it creates space to connect. Shared curiosity, laughter, and collaboration can turn ordinary activities into the glue that keeps a relationship vibrant in retirement.
What happens to couples after retirement?
Retirement can be a shock to long-standing routines, and couples often feel that adjustment first. Research shows the rate of divorce after age 50 nearly doubled between 1990 and 2015, and many couples initially report strain tied to shifting roles and the division of household labor. It’s not unusual for the first phase of retirement to feel bumpier than expected.
The hopeful part is that most couples don’t stay stuck there. In one study, more than half (53.3%) of older husbands and wives said their marriage actually improved over time as they found new rhythms together. With open communication, renegotiated roles, and shared purpose, retirement can evolve from a point of tension into a stage of deeper connection and renewal.
What can couples do for fun indoors?
Indoors can be the perfect playground if you approach it with curiosity. You might turn the kitchen into a mini cooking show, blindfold each other for a taste test, or create a “restaurant at home” night where one person cooks and the other plays server. Even something as simple as rearranging a room together can feel like a fresh project when you treat it as a team adventure.
You can also turn ordinary evenings into little rituals: record a “two-person podcast” just for fun, make a travel bucket list and plan imaginary itineraries, or pick a theme (Paris, the 70s, your first decade together) and build an evening around it with music, food, and stories. Indoors doesn’t have to mean routine, it can be a space to invent, laugh, and rediscover each other in new ways.
How do we balance time together with personal space in retirement?
It’s common for couples to feel a shift when retirement suddenly means more time together than ever before. Research shows that the quality of that time matters more than the sheer quantity. A study of married couples found that those who spent more of their time together talking (not just handling tasks or arguing) reported higher satisfaction, greater closeness, and more positive views of their relationship. On the flip side, couples who spent more time arguing were less satisfied overall.
What this means in practice is that balance comes from being intentional. Carve out space for shared activities that foster connection – simple things like taking walks, cooking together, or having unhurried conversations. And just as important, honor your individual space by pursuing your own hobbies, friendships, or quiet time. The couples who thrive in retirement usually find a rhythm that mixes togetherness with independence, so both partners feel nourished. It’s not about keeping strict score of hours apart or together, it’s about cultivating both connection and breathing room.
How can we make everyday routines feel more meaningful together?
Sometimes, the smallest shared actions are what actually strengthen a relationship. Research shows that couples who engage in daily connection rituals, like sharing a moment of check-in, exchanging a meaningful look, or a simple shared gesture, report higher marital satisfaction and deeper emotional connection.
It’s not about filling your day with grand plans, but about weaving gentle, intentional habits into your routines. Whether it’s a nightly “high-low” conversation (what made you smile, what made you pause), a shared task with real attention, or a quiet moment of togetherness – these micro-moments anchor your connection, reminding you both that you’re still fully seen, even in the familiar.
