Someone is retiring and you’re busy organizing a retirement celebration and you’re wondering, do you put candles on a retirement cake?
In general, you put a cake topper that says ‘Happy Retirement’ or ‘The Legend Has Retired’ on top of a retirement cake, instead of candles. Also, people write ‘Thank You‘, ‘We Will Miss You’, ‘Enjoy Retirement’, Cheers To Your Retirement’or ‘Congrats’ on a retirement cake with icing or edible letters. Also, you can put numbered candles on the cake to point out the number of working years.
In this article, you’ll find everything you need to know about what to put on a retirement cake. So let’s continue reading.
There are a lot of different and amazing options you can put on a retirement cake, but the most popular one is a sparkling cake topper that says ‘Happy Retirement’. Almost any cake will look awesome with this cake topper, but there are also some other cake toppers that can be a great fit for your retirement cake. Here are my favorite ones you can get on Amazon.
These are a couple of favorites but there are also retirement cake options such as ‘The Queen Has Retired’, ‘We Will Miss You’, ‘Goodbye Tension Hello Pension’ that you can get here.
Best Retirement Cake Candles Ideas
Making a wish while blowing out candles from a cake is a great start to any retirement (party). It’s the official start of an exciting new chapter and that’s why a lot of people like to stick to this tradition. Here are a couple of ideas you can do with candles.
You can put just as many candles on the cake as the years of the retiree’s career or years at the company with beautiful black gold candles.
End or begin a retirement celebration with ‘firework candles’ on top of cake like these.
Use numbered candles to point at the number of years on the job or number of working years in total.
Best Retirement Cake Sayings
Another great idea is to write a funny or sincere saying on a cake to make it more personal. For example, you can put a favorite or go-to-saying of the retiree on top of the cake or wish them the best on their (travel/ hobby) plans in retirement. And to help you out I’ve listed my 10 favorite retirement cake sayings below:
The Best Is Yet To Come
And So The Adventure Begins…
Hello Forever Weekend
Cheers To Your Retirement
Retirement Is Oh So Sweet
When You’ve Survived This, Retirement Is A Piece Of Cake
You Can’t Retire From Being Awesome
You’ve Been An Inspiration, Thank You
No Work Ahead
This Cake Tastes A Lot Like; You’re Not Having To Work Tomorrow
To make a retirement celebration even more special you can get creative with a fun theme for the retirement cake. For example, you can decorate the cake in the same theme as the retirement party or create a cake that matches the retiree’s plans for retirement such as travel, their favorite hobby, the beach, etc. And put matching sayings on top of the retirement cake. Here are 5 amazing retirement cake ideas:
1) Clock Themed Cake
A clock cake is one of the most popular retirement cakes. You can write Wish You The Best Time In Retirement, Great Time For Great New Beginnings, or Enjoy Your Retirement Time and use the words eat, sleep, shop every hour. Here is a video tutorial on how to make this last retirement cake.
2) Travel Themed Retirement Cake
You can make or order a travel-themed cake for a retiree with travel plans and write ‘Bon Voyage’ (boat lover), ‘Adventure Awaits’ or ‘The Adventure Begins…’ on top of the cake. And for someone that has planned a road trip in retirement you can put the text ‘Retirement is Not the End of the Road; It is the Beginning of the Open Highway’ on top of the cake.
3) Champagne Retirement Cake
Champagne is the ultimate symbol for a celebration, therefore a champagne-themed retirement cake can be perfect for any retiree. On top of the cake, you can write ‘Cheers To Your Retirement’ or ‘Cheers, Now Every Day It’s Weekend’.
4) Who Cares I’m Retired Cake
A messy cake with the clock letters all over the place is also a popular retirement cake. And it has the perfect text on top ‘Who Cares I’m Retired’. Here is an example of what the cake can look like.
5) Beach Themed Retirement Cake
Retirement is the time to relax and therefore a beach-themed retirement cake is a great idea as well. And you can put the text ‘Sit Back, Relax and Enjoy’ or ‘Surf Is Up’ on top of the cake.
A teacher is retiring and you’re wondering, how do you honor a retiring teacher?
No need to look further. I’ve listed 11 amazing tribute ideas to honor a retiring teacher in this article. Let’s get started right away.
1) Retirement Tribute Video
My favorite way to honor someone special is to create a video. I’ve made so many videos for retirements, birthdays, weddings, and funerals. And it’s always a hit.
Did you know that a video is worth 1.8 million words? Way more than 1000 words of a picture. As Mastercard would say it: it’s priceless.
So how do you create a retirement video that is fun, easy, and quick?
You can go for the classic photo slideshow or career high lights, however, a group video is an even better idea. Together with other people, you can share well wishes, funny stories, or dance to the retiree’s favorite song in a (music) video.
I highly recommend using VidDay to make an amazing group video. It’s one of the best online group video makers that do all the work for you. It’s easy, quick and no skills are needed. Everyone can contribute and can honor the retiree by simply clicking on the link your send out. It’s so easy that anyone can easily create a video montage.
Another amazing way to honor a teacher is to give him or her an award. For example a “Thank You Award”, “Award Of Excellence“, “The Best Teacher Of The Year/ Decade/ School/ Century”. Or go for funny ones that also inspire them with ideas for retirement like “Most Likely to Jump Out of an Airplane/ Buy A Boat/ Hit All 50 States/ Annoy His or Her Spouse, etc.
An award is a tangible way of saying thank you and showing your appreciation for all their hard work and dedication of the years. For example, this crystal glass award with Sunny Days Ahead with free personalization is a perfect award to hand out to a teacher on his or her last day of work or at their retirement party.
3) Give A Speech
If you would like to honor the retiree with words, then giving a retirement speech is an awesome thing to do. This can be a sincere speech about how much the retiring teacher means to you. A funny speech filled with hilarious anecdotes, a summary of their career highlights and accomplishments, their life journey, or a combination of all of these things. You can even create a PowerPoint presentation or a photo slide show that empowers your story.
Even a 1-minute toast with a glass of champagne to kick off their retirement party can be a great way to honor them without having to prepare an entire speech.
4) Host A (Surprise) Retirement Party
One of the most popular ways to honor a retiring teacher is to host a retirement party. You can do this with all students, co-workers at school, or celebrate at home, a restaurant, a public park, or another venue.
A cool idea is to surprise your retiring teacher on their last school day by decorating the classroom and inviting (old) students from each past year. Once they walk in the room they see their whole career pass by with all the familiar faces that have shown up to honor them.
Giving a retirement gift is an amazing and tangible way to honor your teacher. And while you’re planning an amazing tribute, your retirement gift could be a part of it. The tribute leads up to the moment of giving your gift. And to help you out I’ve listed some amazing retirement gifts below.
Top 5 Best Retirement Gifts For Teachers
1) Masterclass Subscription (My #1 Favorite!)
Masterclass is my favorite retirement gift of all time. And it’s perfect for teachers. With Masterclass you give a retiring teacher access to 100+ online masterclasses from the world’s greatest. Now they can learn from their idols. They can follow cooking classes from Gordon Ramsay, Thomas Keller, Aaron Franklin, and many more renowned chefs. And a gardening class from Ron Finley, sports classes from Serena Williams, Stephen Curry, and other great athletes. Science classes from Neil deGrasse Tyson and so many more world’s greatest in music, business, art, writing, designing, etc.
One of the secrets to a happy and successful retirement is to keep learning, doing fun things, and exploring new activities. And this gift fits right into that. You give the retiring teacher the opportunity to find their new passion, explore hobbies and upgrade their existing skills. All of the comforts of their own home while they learn at their own, pace, time, and device.
Whether plans the retiring teacher has for retirement, this tumbler always comes in handy. It will put a smile on their face with every sip and remind them of you every day in retirement.
You can give a retiring teacher the best start to their retirement day with the best coffees in the world with a World Tour Coffee Gift Box. Enjoying a cup of coffee without rushing to work is the ultimate retired feeling. So if the teacher is a coffee addict then this is a great retirement gift.
This personalized retirement plaque is also a great retirement gift for a retiring eacher. They can hang it up at home and will make them feel proud every time they look at it. You can add your text at the bottom of the plaque.
A lot of teachers have plans or dreams to go traveling in retirement. And for that one of the best gifts is this 50 States, 5000 Ideas illustrated book created by National Geographic. It is filled with 5000 ideas of the best experiences in every state, from the more obvious ones to the unexpected. A great retirement gift for a retiring teacher with travel plans but also for someone that has no plans for retirement. This gift gives them new inspiration about all the possibilities out there.
Most teachers love poems. So why not write a beautiful poem to honor their hard work and wish them all the best in retirement. And don’t worry if you don’t have any inspiration. Here is a great poem you can just copy and paste:
It takes a special person, To teach a child in class, To keep his attention, in a world that moves so fast.
To show a child, he is unique, With many talents deep inside, To help to build his confidence, So he can beam with pride. To show a little patience, For a child who lost his way, To a child who feels abandoned, Who has seen better days. To inspire and to motivate, So a child can learn and grow, To go into this big wide world, With many highs and lows. You are a special person, Who always give their best, And for every child who was in your class, Their life is truly blessed.
If you like to get creative then creating a memory book for the retiring teacher is a unique way to honor them. You can create a memory book filled with photos and memories you two have shared together, a scrapbook of their career highlights, or collect memories, well wishes, and photos from (old) students, co-workers, friends, and family members. It’s a very thoughtful way to honor their life.
Besides filing up a scrapbook or photo album, there is also a more easy way to create a memory book online with Newlywords. You only have to share a simple link to n invite others to contribute pictures and messages digitally. After that, you can personalize it, share the link or print it out to give to the retiring teacher.
8) Host A Quiz or Roast
A humorous way to honor a retiring teacher is to host a quiz with funny questions about their life such as favorite things, most embarrassing moments, how many years at school, which subjects he or she failed in high school, and what are her children’s names, etc. It’s a great way to break the ice on a retirement party and get people engaged.
And if it’s payback time hosting a roast is an excellent idea to get a taste of their own medicine. You can ask a total of 3 to 4 people to roast the teacher and give the retiring teacher the last word. You can get inspired just by watching a couple of celebrity roast shows.
9) Decorate Classroom
Surprise the teacher on their last day by decorating their classroom with all sorts of retirement decorations. A couple of balloons, garlands and a Happy Retirement banner makes a world of difference. It adds that extra spark to their final day on the job. Check out awesome retirement decorations here.
10) Sing A Song
Do you want to share your singing talent or want to surprise a music teacher? Then singing a song is a great way to honor them. For example, you can rewrite your teacher’s favorite song and sing it with the entire class, school, or all teachers on their last day in school or during their retirement party. Or you can personalize some classic songs that are also perfect songs for retirement:
“9 to 5”- Dolly Parton
“Hit the road Jack” – Ray Charles
“Born to be wild” – Steppenwolf
11) Do A Flashmob
A very unique and special way to honor a retiring teacher is doing a flashmob with the entire school, all teachers, or with family and friends. It was very popular a couple of years ago, so no one would expect it anymore.
It will be a huge surprise for the retiree but also all the other people that aren’t in on the secret.
You can find many flashmob choreograph videos on YouTube that you only need to send the link to all participants to rehearse and practice and you’ll be good to go. Here is an example:
Just like a picture is worth 1000 words, a video is worth 1.8 million words. And that is why making a retirement tribute video is an amazing way to celebrate your teacher’s retirement. It will definitely put a smile on his or her face for a long while after their retirement celebration.
You can make a video together with the entire classroom and many other people that want to be involved very easily with VidDay. It’s one of the best group video makers that do all the work for you. It’s easy, quick and no skills are needed. Everyone and anyone can create a video montage.
Doing a fun game is a great way to honor the retired teacher in a special way, while also having a lot of fun!
And that is why I have created a printable Retirement Party Game Bundle with 10 amazing party games. The perfect addition to any retirement celebration. Just download, print, and play!
A retirement party is always a good idea to celebrate retirement. You can end the last day of school with a retirement party in the classroom, lunch hall on campus, or another venue. Order some drinks, food, retirement cake and invite people and you’ve got yourself a party. Here is a complete checklist for a retirement party if you need some extra help organizing.
One of the best things you can do is to give a nice retirement gift. It’s a tangible way to wish someone a happy retirement. And to help you out, I’ve made a list of the best retirement gifts for teachers below:
Best Teacher Retirement Gifts
Masterclass Subscription (My #1 Favorite!)
Masterclass is my favorite retirement gift. And it’s perfect for teachers. With a subscription to Masterclass you give your teacher access to 100+ online masterclasses from the world’s best for their first year in retirement. They can follow cooking classes from Gordon Ramsay, Thomas Keller, Aaron Franklin, gardening classes from Ron Finley, sports classes from Serena Williams, Stephen Curry, Science classes from Neil deGrasse Tyson and so many more world’s greatest.
The keys to a happy and successful retirement are to keep learning, doing fun things, and exploring new activities. And Masterclass fits right into that. You give your teacher the opportunity to find new passions and hobbies while they learn at their own, pace, time, and device. It works just as easily as Netflix.
It’s a perfect group gift ($190 for 1 year) to gift your teacher with other students/ parents.
This ceramic ring dish has a beautiful text that is perfect for a female teacher: “Never Underestimate the Difference You Made, and the Lives You Touched.”
Whether your teacher is has planned for retirement, this tumbler always comes in handy. It will put a smile on their face with every sip and remind them of you every day in retirement.
This personalized retirement plaque is a great retirement gift for a great teacher. They can hang it up at home and will make them feel proud every time they look at it. You can add your text at the bottom of the plaque.
A creative and funny way to celebrate your teacher’s retirement is by giving a class to your teacher about retirement on their last day or week at school. Suprise them and take over their last class. You can prepare it together with other students and give a class about what retirement is all about. What NOT to do and share ideas for fun things to do, how to avoid boredom, travel suggestions, give inspiration for their retirement bucket list, etc. Don’t forget to add in a lot of humor.
6) Sign A Retirement Card
The classic way to celebrate retirement is to sign a retirement card to wish your retirement a happy retirement. You give a personal retirement card or get a big retirement card for all students to sign. Below are a couple of ideas on what you can write on your teacher’s retirement card:
Thank you for your wisdom and kindness over all these years. Enjoy your retirement.
Congrats teacher. We will miss you! Make your retirement the retirement of a lifetime!
Surprise your teacher by ordering or baking a retirement cake or cupcakes. You can send it to their home to enjoy privately, to the teacher’s break room to enjoy with all teachers, or bring it to the classroom and share it with the teacher and students during their last day at work. For more ideas check out my Ultimate Retirement Cake Guide.
8) Do A Flashmob
Surprise your teacher with a flashmob and make sure to record it so they can watch it over and over again. Here is an example of a students flashmob:
9) Decorate Classroom
You can surprise your teacher by decorating their classroom for their last week or day at school. A bit of glitter adds that extra sparkle to a retirement celebration. You can decorate it with balloons, garlands, a ‘Happy Retirement’ banner and you for sure will put a smile on their face. Check out awesome retirement decorations here.
10) Give A Speech
Another way to celebrate a teacher’s retirement is by honoring them with a speech. Perhaps you can do it in the classroom, teacher’s lounge area, or during a retirement party. I’ve made a list of the best tips for a retirement speech which you can check out here.
11) Write A Poem
Teachers love poems, especially English teachers. So if you really want to surprise them with something special and from the heart: write a poem. Here is an example of a nice teacher poem:
The time we have spent together, Are cherished moments that we share, We offer you these encouraging words, to show how much we care: Enjoy the sunrises and sunsets, And all that nature has to give, No more watching the clock, You have only one life to live!
A roast is an excellent celebration idea for a funny teacher who can take a couple of good and bad jokes. You can ask 2 or 3 other people to roast the teacher as well and leave room at the end for your teacher to have the last word.
If you need some extra info and anecdotes make sure to ask around and the celebrity roast shows for inspiration.
13) Give 1-Minute Toast
During a retirement party or another moment where you all share a drink, you can give 1-minute toasts to honor the retiring teacher. This way you don’t have to prepare a long speech and everyone gets the chance to say something. It’s a more low-key way to do a speech where others are more likely to participate.
14) Host A Quiz
A popular way to celebrate retirement is to host a quiz about the retiree. You prepare questions about favorite things, most embarrassing moments, how many years at school, which subjects he or she failed in high school, what are her children’s names, etc. For example, the person who wins the quiz gets to hand over the retirement gift to the teacher.
Retirement is a major life milestone and life celebration and that is why a quiz about their life can be a perfect way to celebrate retirement.
Another great way to celebrate retirement is to hand out an award. This can for example #1 Teacher Award, “Thank You” Award, “Best Teacher Of The Year/ Decade/ School/ Century” Award, or something funny or sincere that describes your teacher in the best way. If you’re looking for a beautiful crystal award, check out this #1 Teacher Award at Crystal Plus.
16) Plan An Activity
Another fun way to celebrate retirement is to do an activity. You can all do an activity that matches the teacher’s favorite hobby. Or do something completely new. Here are a couple of ideas:
City tour with a guide
Cooking class
Escape room
Musical instrument lesson
17) Host A Virtual Happy Hour
When meeting physically isn’t possible you can always meet up virtually. You can host for example a virtual happy hour and share the same cocktail or other beverage to toast to retirement together. Or host a virtual brunch, virtual wine tasting, or a mystery murder game. To keep things less chaotic, choose a master of ceremonies that can take the lead or solve technical problems.
18) Create A Memory Book
One of the most thoughtful retirement gifts is a photo book or memory book. You can collect photos, and notes with funny anecdotes, well wishes, and retirement tips and advice and put them in a nice scrapbook.
Perhaps an easy way to create a memory book is with Newlywords. With a simple link, you can invite others to contribute pictures and messages digitally. Personalize it a bit and print it to give to the retiring teacher.
19) Organize A Drive-By Party
A cool way to celebrate your teacher’s retirement is to organize a drive-by party. It’s a fun, safe, and unique way to honor him or her. Check out my article: 21 Fun Ideas For A Drive-By Retirement Party Parade for inspiration.
20) Sing A Song
Rewrite your teacher’s favorite song and sing it with the entire class, school, or all teachers on their last day in school or during their retirement party. Or personalize some other classics that are perfect retirement songs:
“9 to 5”- Dolly Parton
“Hit the road Jack” – Ray Charles
“Born to be wild” – Steppenwolf
21) Fill A Bucket With Bucket List Ideas
Retirement is the time to pursue dreams and do the things you’ve always wanted to do. Therefore a great way to give a retiree that extra push is to inspire them with awesome ideas for their retirement. You can collect bucket list ideas with the entire class, school, teacher to give them as a retirement gift. Whenever they feel bored, they have an entire bucket filled with ideas on what to do next.
Finding the perfect retirement gift is hard. You might wonder, what is a good retirement gift?
A great retirement gift is a; – Memorable keepsake, – Gift to enjoy in retirement, – Funny gift, – Personalized gift, – Gift that matches hobbies or plans in retirement.
I’ve spent months researching the best retirement gifts out there and discovered which ones are perfect for all retirees. And here are my top 5 best retirement gifts of all time!
Just a heads up, this post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Purchases you make through these links may earn us a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
1) Membership To Masterclass (My Favorite!)
When you wish ‘Happy Retirement’ you want that person to have the best time in retirement. A retirement filled with lots of fun, health, and happiness. A great gift to empower that wish is Masterclass.
Masterclass is a video streaming education platform filled with 100+ masterclasses from the best teachers in the world. For example, Gordon Ramsay teaches cooking, Alicia Keys teaches songwriting, Dan Brown teaches writing, Dr. Jane Goodall teaches conservation, Ron Finley teaches Gardening. And so many more world-leading experts.
But why is this such a great retirement gift?
Learning new things is the best way to stay healthy mentally and physically. It’s one of the important keys to a successful and happy retirement. And having something fun to do makes time in retirement that much more interesting.
With a membership to Masterclass, you give the retiree access to ALL classes on the platform. It gives them the opportunity to learn secrets from their idol, upgrade their existing talents or tap into a different subject they’ve always been interested in. And now they have time to explore it. They can learn at their own pace, time, and device. It works just as easily as Netflix. That is why it’s a great retirement gift for anyone!
One of the most popular activities in retirement is gardening. It keeps retirees busy and also boosts their overall health. These are only 2 reasons why retirees love gardening, there are many more. Therefore a Gardener’s Tool Seat is an excellent gift for any retiree. And this lightweight gardener’s tool seat is a combination of a folding chair with a tool bag which makes it a very handy workstation in any garden.
Retirement is a perfect time to make fun of the retiree. That is why a funny retirement gift is always a good idea. Especially if it emphasizes your relationship.
Also, funny retirement gifts are also a bit cheaper. They are great for anyone that wants to give a small gift because they feel that only a retirement card isn’t enough.
This Funny Beer Mug is a best-seller. And a great retirement gift for a true beer lover. Because who isn’t? And the text: “Beer tastes a lot like I’m not going to work tomorrow” will produce smiles every day in retirement.
A lot of people have plans or dreams to go traveling in retirement. And one of the best gifts is this 50 States, 5000 Ideas illustrated book created by National Geographic. The travel experts. It is filled with 5000 ideas of the best experiences in every state, from the more obvious ones to the unexpected. A great retirement gift for someone who loves to go camping is going on a road trip or dreaming about road tripping in retirement. It is even a great gift for someone that has no plans for retirement yet because it gives them new inspiration about all the possibilities out there.
The barrel is made of oak, and it imparts luscious vanilla, butter, coconut, and astringent notes. And you can customize it with the retiree’s name and hometown + state. It is handmade by coopers in Manassas, Virginia. And it is including a Rum and Whiskey Making Kit.
One of the most unique and special retirement gifts is a Retirement Tribute Video where all loved ones share their favorite moments, memories, and special words to honor the retiree. And now it is very easy to create and cheap!
VidDay is the best group video gift maker that does all the work for you and makes retirement video gifts so easy. You don’t need an app and you also don’t need to have editing skills. Everyone and anyone can create a video montage very quickly and easily. VidDay does most of the work for you. And you can invite everyone to join in to create an awesome video that the retiree can watch over and over again in retirement.
With this Vintage CustomizedReel Viewer, you gift cherished moments you share with the retiree packed in a grown-up version of one of childhood’s greatest gadgets. Remembering fun moments in life is a great way to celebrate their retirement. So collect a couple of amazing photos of great moments together and create your own reel viewer to give the retiree.
Retirement is a huge milestone that needs to be celebrated. And what is a celebration without Champagne?
To gift something special, gifting the world’s best vintage champagne Dom Perignon is a great idea. The reason why this champagne is special is that they don’t produce in weak years. They only use grapes in each bottle that are harvested in the same year.
This Dom Perignon Champagne Gift Basket can be a great group or a personal gift for someone very close to you. It’s filled with one bottle of Dom Perignon and other delicious goodies the retiree can enjoy in the first days of retirement. It allows them to uncork and celebrate their retirement privately and kick off their retirement in the most special way possible!
This painting can be anything you want. A painting of the retiree on the job, together with their spouse, a family portrait, grandchildren, or the retiree’s favorite pet. I can only imagine the smile on their face when they receive their handmade painting.
Here is how it works:
At Paint Your Life you select your favorite professional artists and they will create a painting from a photo you send them. And the best part is that you have unlimited revisions, and 100% of your money back if you are not happy with the painting in the end. You have nothing to lose!
Learning an instrument as a senior is a great thing to do. You might ask yourself, what is the easiest instrument to learn for a senior?
I researched this fun hobby of learning an instrument and asked several musicians and older adults about their learning experiences. It resulted in this list of musical instruments you can learn as a senior. The list is in order of most easy to more challenging. Let’s find out which instrument is the easiest to learn for a senior!
Before we dig into the list of most accessible and fun instruments for seniors, head on to MasterClass. It’s the best platform to learn more about different instruments and music. You can get your Annual Membership for MasterClass here.
1) Hang Drum
A hang drum or hand pan is an easy instrument to learn. It’s a relatively new instrument. Created in 2000 by Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer in Swizterland. The original Handpan is based on the Caribbean steelpan instrument.
Learning to play the hang drum is straightforward. You need to have a basic feeling of rhythm. Most of the time, you play the hang drum as a percussion instrument with your hand or the palm of your hands. There are also variants available which allow you to play the instrument with a small drumstick. These instruments are called tongue drums.
The rhythms you create with the hang drum have a meditative effect. The instrument produces a dreamy-like sound, which helps to concentrate. According to Ramon Roelofs, a meditation teacher in The Netherlands and an internationally renowned DJ known as Charly Lownoise (famous from the duo Charly Lownoise & Mental Theo), the hang drum is one of the most straightforward instruments to play. He says, “Learning the Hang Drum is easy. You can easily create different rhythms while playing. The most important thing is that you have a feeling of rhythm, and then you can just start to play.”
So, the hang drum is one of the easiest instruments you can learn as a senior. You can get all creative and make your own rhythms while playing on the hang drum, or follow some free classes which you can easily find on YouTube.
When you love to play an instrument with your hands and have a basic feeling for rhythm, the Djembe is an easy instrument to learn as a senior. You can create all kinds of rhythms while playing the Djembe.
The Djembe is originated in Western Africa and was originally used to get the attention of all the people and make them gather in the same place. For example, to warn them of danger that was coming. So, the original purpose of this instrument was similar to that of church bells.
Today, the Djembe is a famous percussion instrument used in all kinds of music genres. You don’t need any musical experience to play the Djembe, making it an easy instrument for seniors to learn.
3) Bongo
Some people think that a djembe and bongo are the same instruments, but they are different. Both instruments are percussion instruments, meaning that you can easily play them with your hands. However, a bongo consists of a minimum of two hand drums of different sizes, where a Djembe often is one hand drum.
Of course, some people put together different sizes of Djembes to play at once, creating a bongo-like drum kit of Djembes. Still, the sound of both instruments is different. Bongo’s have a more deep, bass-like sound compared to a Djembe.
4) Tambourine
A tambourine is also a rhythm and sound instrument which is straightforward to learn as a senior. Like with all instruments, you need to have a basic feeling of rhythm to easily play.
However, a tambourine is an instrument that is often combined with other percussion instruments such as the bongo. Mastering a tambourine takes a little practice, but it’s very easy and fun to play when you get the hang of it.
5) Harmonica
The harmonica, also known as a mouth organ, is a traditional instrument to learn. It’s a worldwide known instrument used in all kinds of genres, making it a very popular instrument.
Learning to play the harmonica isn’t the most easiest instrument to learn. However, if you’ll practice enough, give it some time, you’ll quickly get the hang of it. Once you master the technique of playing the harmonica, you’ll have great fun playing some music!
6) Ukulele
A ukulele is one of my favorite instruments! It has a friendly sound and is relatively easy to learn. In fact, for a string instrument, it’s one of the easiest to play. A Ukulele only has four strings, which makes it easier to manage compared with a guitar.
If you play the Ukulele, you’ll find yourself in some tropical vibes. As if you were always on the beach in Hawaii. My husband plays the Ukulele. Because of its lightweight and size, it’s easy to bring it with you. So we always have a Ukulele with us to play some music, great fun! Currently, he plays on a Soprano Ukulele, but he wants to switch to a larger model, so it’s easier to play different chords.
I recommend doing some research when buying a Ukulele. There are different sizes available. All these models have four strings, but the neck can vary in length. The larger ukuleles are perfect for the fingerpicking technique and if you have larger hands. All the ukuleles are perfect for strumming and playing for fun!
Most people who start learning to play Ukulele start with a soprano Ukulele, the smallest model available. However, you might want to start with a Concert model or Tenor model Ukulele if you have large hands. This way, it will be easier to learn to play the chords and start learning the fingerpicking technique as well.
7) Bass Guitar
A bass guitar will be a great alternative if you love playing string instruments but find it harder to play chords! Standard bass guitars have 4 strings, and most rhythms only consist out of playing the actual notes.
You can get all funky by playing bass rhythms on the bass guitar. However, because of the bass sound, it’s not as happy as playing the Ukulele.
When you’re keen on playing in a band with other musicians, you still need to figure out which instrument you want to play. Pick the bass guitar! There is always a shortage of bass players everywhere, so it’s probably easy to find other musicians to form a group.
8) Flute
A flute is a somewhat classical instrument to play and is very popular among seniors. A flute is not only fun to play but also has many health benefits. Because of the breathing techniques, you’ll do when playing the flute, playing it becomes almost a form of meditation.
Many music teachers say that you’re never too old to learn to play the flute. And because the instrument is used in music that most seniors listen to, they can also easier relate to it. Which makes it easier to learn the instrument.
Of course, there are different flutes available. Depending on your level of experience and the music genre you want to play, you need to pick a flute. It’s recommended to visit a music store and try out different flutes before you buy one.
9) Guitar
Many people love to play the guitar. It is a beautiful instrument to play, but it isn’t the most easiest instrument to learn. Yes, you can learn to play some chords in just a day. But if you’re learning to play complete songs or creating your own songs, you definitely need to practice a lot.
For seniors, learning to play the guitar can be great fun. Most seniors have a lot of time on their hands. For retirees looking for a new hobby, learning the guitar is perfect!
There are many free courses available on YouTube where you can start learning to play the guitar. I think this is a great place to start. When you master the basics and learn the different chords, you probably can switch to a music class.
You can also start with music lessons in a group. Learning to play the guitar in a group, or any other instrument, in fact, is great fun and perfect to increase your social contacts.
Comparing a guitar with a Ukulele is a bit difficult because these instruments are both different. There are similarities, but it actually stops with similar chords, and they both are string instruments.
With a guitar, you’ll have more options to play different genres. With a Ukulele, you’ll always find yourself in a tropical vibe.
10) Piano
The piano is very popular among seniors. Many seniors played the piano when they were younger. Maybe you always wanted to learn to play the piano. Let’s say you’re a retired senior; this might be the right time to learn how to play the piano!
In general, the piano isn’t the most easiest instrument to learn. However, most seniors grew up with the piano as a popular instrument. The basic knowledge of the instruments helps to understand many seniors learning to play the piano quickly.
The piano is also an instrument that is related to many health benefits. According to Harvard Health Publishing, playing piano for seniors is related to strengthen their memory. It’s also used for people who suffer from dementia to decrease their symptoms!
11) Saxophone
I really love the saxophone. It’s such a great and funky instrument. However, not the most easiest to play. But once you master it, you can play so much different music styles!
You need to plan to practice the saxophone because the instrument can be very loud while you play it. So, you need to make sure that you can practice playing without disturbing your neighbors or something.
A great way to learn to play is by following lessons in a music school that’s close to your home.
12) Trumpet
We are definitely getting in the more difficult instruments now. In general, learning the trumpet for seniors can be challenging. This is because of the technique it takes to play the trumpet.
The technique of using your mouth and lips while playing the trumpet is the most difficult part. It can take a long time to learn that, next to the breathing as well. However, with the right mindset and enough time, everyone can still learn to play the trumpet.
13) Violin
The Violin is one of those instruments people say you need to start learning it as a child. Otherwise, it’s impossible to learn. I don’t think anything is impossible, so seniors can be learning to play the Violin just like anyone else. You probably will not become a concert violist, but with the right determination, you will probably learn to play a decent violin.
So, the Violin isn’t the most easiest instrument to learn for seniors. Many seniors like the Violin as an instrument because it’s used classical music and other genres they listen to. Earlier, I told you about MasterClass as a platform to learn more about different instruments and music in general.
The easiest instruments to play for seniors are percussion instruments. Learning to play the drums is a whole different story. However, once you master the drums, it will be greatly rewarding!
Just like with a saxophone, drums can be very loud. So many seniors who learn to play the drums choose to play on an electrical drumkit with headphones plugged in. This way, you can still learn to play the drums but don’t make as much noise.
Once you learn the basics, it might become relatively easy to learn playing the drums as a senior. Learning the drums might be difficult at the beginning, but in the end, you’ll have great fun!
15) Producing Electronic Music
Learning to produce electronic music might be the most difficult for seniors. The software updates are hard to keep up with. Because you’re working on a computer most of the time, it’s something completely different than playing a traditional instrument.
According to renowned DJ Charly Lownoise, it’s hard to keep up with the developments in electronic music. Especially when you stop actively producing for a while.
It’s not impossible, though, but when you start producing electronic music as a senior, you need to make sure you have an instrument in both electronic music and computers.
Best Online Course For Learning Instruments
The MasterClass platform is the best course to learn online about playing different instruments and producing music.
Worldwide renowned artists and producers like Itzhak Perlman, Alicia Keys, Sheila E., and many more have a MasterClass available on the platform.
Each class contains different video lessons to learn more about a music style, playing an instrument, and other valuable knowledge.
Best of all, with the annual membership for the MasterClass platform, you’ll get all access. Meaning you can follow each MasterClass available on the platform! Get your Annual Membership here.
Many seniors think that they can’t learn a new skill, but that’s not true at all. I’ve investigated this topic thoroughly and wrote many articles about it to disprove this apparently common thought. Research has even shown that learning new skills at an older age for six weeks can even make your brain perform 30 years younger.
Well, now that you’re more informed you might be interested in learning a new skill. And that is why I’ve made a list of 25 easy-to-learn new skills for seniors that you can start today! Because when you’ve got the hang of it you might never want to stop!
1) How To Say Hello In Different Languages
Learning a new language is on many people’s bucket lists. It’s fun to know a couple of words in another language, but it takes a lot of time, practice, and effort to speak and write in a new language.
But there is another language skill you can learn as a senior that doesn’t take months to master, but you can learn today. And that is to say hello in different languages. You never know who you might meet tomorrow in your home town or on your next travel adventure, so wouldn’t it be fun and surprising when you can say hello to them in their own language. It will definitely be a nice conversation starter. And creates many opportunities for you to meet other people of different cultures. I’ve experienced for myself that only a ‘hello’ can roll out into being invited to someone’s home, wedding, or meeting their family. And these spontaneous meetings are the most treasured travel memories I have.
Another fun skill to master is the art of cooking. Whether you’re a great cook or a beginner there is always something new to learn within cooking. From making the perfect omelet, creating a new signature dish, or refreshing an old famous recipe. Knowing how to cook makes life fun and delicious. Not only for yourself or your spouse but also for your family and friends.
When you love to get better at cooking there is an amazing online video learning platform that is called: Masterclass. No matter your skill level you can learn from the best chefs in the world: Gordon Ramsay, Aaron Franklin, Thomas Keller, Massimo Bottura, Alice Waters, and many others greatest. At your own pace, time, and device. And with one subscription, you have access to all 100+ masterclasses on the platform for an entire year. It’s definitely worth your time to check it out.
Do you like to get creative? Then learning how to make an origami flower is a fun creative skill you can master today. And I wish of yours might become true… Let me explain that last part.
Origami is Japanese recreational art that is centuries old. The word origami combines “ori” (to fold in Japanese) and “kami” (paper in Japanese). Making an origami crane symbolizes hope and healing in difficult times and the Japanese believe that if a person folds 1000 origami cranes, one wish would become true. So it takes 1000 cranes, but you never know 😉
Besides the traditional meaning behind origami, making origami animals or flowers also helps to develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, which are important skills to maintain independence as a senior.
4) How To Learn Your Pet A New Trick
Do you have a cat or a dog? Then it’s fun to learn them a new trick.
You don’t have to be a dog trainer or attend a class to gain the skills to train your dog. There are many fun YouTube videos out there that can teach you many tricks. For both cats and dogs and maybe even another pet you have. It makes the bond between you and your pet a lot stronger, and the more tricks you learn the easier it will be for you both to learn new tricks in the future.
Storytelling is a skill that can be very powerful. It’s a great tool to influence, teach and inspire others. The difference between telling a story and telling a great story is that you both share information, but with telling a great story you make an emotional connection and make the information you share more memorable.
So whether you like to tell bedtime stories to your grandchildren, you have a business where you need to persuade customers or you like to inspire others with your wisdom and life experience, the skill to tell great stories is always very useful. But where do you learn this skill?
Earlier in this article, I mentioned Masterclass: the education video streaming platform where you have can follow masterclasses from the world’s greatest. The awesome part about Masterclass is that you have access to all 100+ different classes including amazing storytelling classes from LeVar Burton, Neil Gaiman, Walter Mosley, David Sedaris, Joyce Carol Oates, Salman Rushdie, etc.
As a senior, you like to be in charge of your own schedule, and that is why Masterclass works perfectly because you can learn at your own pace, time, and place. Make sure to check out the website where you can watch class trailers, samples and browse through lesson plans.
I know you think, why do I want to love cold showers? And is it a skill?
Well, yes it’s a skill to take a shower and not feel shocked or have the feeling you want to get out as soon as possible. And you want to take cold showers because it has an amazing effect on your immune system according to Wim Hof. If you’re not convinced make sure to check out the video below or visit WimHofmethod.com
7) How To Paint Like Bob Ross
Knowing how to paint is a skill many people like to master. And we’ve all seen Bob Ross on TV that made painting look so easy, and wondered if we’re able to do that too. Well, why not try it out. You don’t know if you never try, right? Know the only thing you need to do is to get a painting starter kit and watch this video below.
Painting has many benefits. Finishing a piece of art is a great confidence booster. And focusing on creating art reduces feelings of stress and anxiety. And painting forces you to use both sides of the brain: the creative right part and the more logical left part. And using both sides simultaneously improves cognitive brain functions which will only benefit you in the present moment and future.
8) How To Play A Song On The Piano
Do you have a piano at home, but you’re not able to play it. Well, dust it off because you can learn to play a song on the piano today by watching the video below.
9) How To Build A Fire
Knowing how to build a fire and surviving in the wild is an awesome skill to master. Not that you’re going on a wilderness adventure anytime soon, but having the skills is already an adventure on its own.
The Masterclass of Jessie Krebs is amazing to watch when you want to learn more about surviving in the wild, from building a fire, a shelter to navigation techniques and water 101. Check out the trailer and lesson plan.
Have you ever been on a Carnival Cruise? Well, if you have you know what I’m talking about. But if you haven’t let me inform you about something cool. Every day when housekeeping cleaned your cabin they would leave an animal (folded towel) on your bed. And some of these animals were the most creative pieces of art. And this too is a fun new skill to learn easily today. Especially when you have many guests staying over. You can surprise your grandchildren or guests with folded towel art. I myself have this book: Carnival Towel Creations. Or you can watch this video below.
11) How To Make Latte Art
Do you like to drink coffee? Then learning how to make latte art is a fun skill to learn. You can surprise your spouse tomorrow with heart-shaped coffee created with a Coffee Steaming Pitcher.
12) How To Perform A Magic Trick
A lot of magic tricks need hours or months of practice, but there are magic tricks out there that anyone can learn in a couple of minutes. A great skill for parties and social gatherings.
When you’ve signup for Masterclass you can watch the class of the famous magic act duo Penn & Teller who will teach you more about the art of magic.
13) How To Solve A Rubik’s Cube
Solving a Rubik’s cube doesn’t have to be moving the pieces around aimlessly for hours on end. The cube has a formula or algorithm and once you know the trick you’ve got the skill to solve a Rubik’s cube fast and easy. It will for sure impress a lot of people.
14) How To Juggle
Another fun new skill to learn is juggling. Did you know it also benefits you as a senior in many ways?
For starters, it’s a low-impact physical exercise that strengthens your arms. But juggling also improves hand-eye coordination, balance, fine-motor skills, and relieves stress. This makes your life healthier and happier. So why not start learning today?
15) How To Do The Moonwalk
The moonwalk is probably one of the most iconic dance moves of all time. The ones that are great at the moonwalk make it look so effortless. But you don’t have to be a professional dancer to be able to do the moonwalk, so clear out your living room or bedroom and start practicing.
16) How To Repair A Leaking Sink
Having the skills of a handyman can save you a lot of money, but it also can make your life more comfortable, efficient and increases your home value when you do it the right way. So if you haven’t started with learning how to do basic home repairs, today is probably a good day. And knowing how to repair a leaking sink is a great skill to master. Not only for your own home, but you can help out your elderly neighbor, kids, and other family members.
And if you don’t want to become the family’s new handyman, just keep this skill for yourself. It will be a secret between us.
https://youtu.be/Q5le2ZFCQjM
17) How To Meditate
Knowing how to meditate makes your life instantly more peaceful and calm. It’s not quite a skill that you learn once and you’re set for the rest of your life. Although the experience can have you hooked. It’s a practice that you want to keep doing on a regular basis to experience more inner peace throughout your day, week, month and years ahead. When you do it often, you’ll get better at it but each meditation session is an experience on its own. Sometimes it’s harder, sometimes it’s easier. Accepting this is part of the mediation skill.
If you don’t know what meditation is let me explain it to you. It’s a breathing technique that makes it possible for you to slow down your thoughts and create distance between your thoughts and yourself. This distance allows you to see thoughts as thoughts, and see feelings as feelings. You are not your thoughts or feelings, but you experience thoughts and feelings just like any other human. The distance gives you the conscious choice not to engage with them. This brings you a more sense of calm, peace, and balance and that benefits your entire well-being. It eases your mind no matter the circumstances.
You need to experience it and only then you can understand the power of it. And the best man for that job is Jon Kabat-Zinn in his Meditation and Mindfulness Masterclass.
Yoga is a low-impact physical exercise with the aim to bring harmony between mind and body. Often meditation and yoga go hand in hand. When you’re a more active senior, yoga is a great mindfulness activity that can have the same result as meditation. There are different types of yoga and depending on your physical athleticism, you can try out different ones as a senior. The general rule is that the more slow and gentle forms of yoga are best for seniors.
Once you know a couple of yoga poses you can do them whenever and wherever you are. In the morning when you wake up, at the beach or together with your friends. You don’t have to be in a yoga class to do yoga.
19) How To Remove A Red Wine Stain
Do you love to drink a nice glass of red wine, but you don’t want to anymore because you don’t want the stain. Then it’s time to learn how to remove a red wine stain.
20) How To Take Better Photos
Taking photos is so easy these days. The quality of the lenses of smartphones keeps getting better every year, but there is a lot more to it to take better photos. It’s knowing how to adjust camera settings, composition, finding the right perspective, playing with lighting, experiment with exposure, etc that can help you from taking average photos to amazing photos. Perhaps you take such good photos that you want to use it for wall art.
21) How To Draw A Mandala
Many different cultures around the world use mandalas in a spiritual way. Drawing a mandala isn’t just about drawing it’s much more than that. The shape of the mandala symbolizes the universe and drawing a mandala is helpful for insight into yourself, healing, and is believed to be the truest form of self-expression. And once you have the basic steps to draw a mandala you can start creating your own unique mandalas by experimenting with new designs and colors. It’s also a very mindful activity that can calm you down and ease your mind. So whenever you feel stressed you can always draw a mandala.
22) Learn To Not Care
Often we care so much about what other people think of us it influences our life on a daily basis. In what we wear, eat, do, where we work, live, etc. For the last decade, social media has played a major part in that. Life would be so much more fun and easy if we care a little less. Perhaps then you have the guts to pursue your bucket list dream or start the weird hobby you’re interested in. No wonder that this book: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*CK: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life is such a bestseller. Everyone wants to care a little less to create more happiness in their daily lives.
Revisit your childhood where yoyoing was still a thing and cool and learn some new tricks.
24) Learn To Eat With Chopsticks
Have you ever visited an Asian country or restaurant and were amazed about how people ate with chopsticks. Well, why not learn how to eat with chopsticks today? Next time you eat at your favorite Thai restaurant you will impress some people with your new skills.
25) Learn To Be Alone
Saving the best for last. A very important skill to learn as a senior is learning to be alone and being comfortable with it. Many seniors feel lonely and that makes you feel miserable. But there is a difference between being alone and being lonely. Loving to be alone is one of the best skills you can learn because you’re the only person that needs to live with yourself their entire life. Other people come and unfortunately go. And having a great relationship with yourself is vital for your health and happiness. So if there is one new skill you should learn as a senior this is it.
