My wife teaches art (drawing, painting) at a couple of senior centers. She is also a fairly accomplished (but not judged, doesn't enter many carving contests) c

My wife teaches art (drawing, painting) at a couple of senior centers. She is also a fairly accomplished (but not judged, doesn't enter many carving contests) carver; she started that to do something with her dad (and indirectly that led to the art teaching gigs at the senior centers). Her dad was an origami master; I dunno, I do a little origami. Here are some of the benefits for older adults of these activities: staves off dementia and improves motor control. How do you do it? You start drawing circles and straight lines; I'm only sort of kidding. She actually teaches people about transferring drawings (to e.g. canvas), layering paint (it's not going to look like the final picture when you start): things that require envisioning the final goal and laying foundations to achieve that... along with drawing circles and lines. It's not something you asked, but (to my relief and profit) I can still paint a house: painted one this summer, and I got compliments from strangers. Call it a hobby, I don't think I'd get the same personal satisfaction if it was a job. ;-) I think in general adults forget how hard it is to be a kid, what Piaget called "hard fun". Find, and celebrate, some hard fun in your life.