Think Fun: 17 Ways to Do So

Fun, to us, encompasses elements of life that aren’t necessary, but without which life would be less joyous and quite routine.  

It isn’t easy, however, to pinpoint specific examples of fun because everyone has their own ideas. For two seventysomethings, it’s simple: if you’re smiling widely or catching yourself laughing—saying “ha ha ha”—without thinking about why, then it’s fun. Good brain chemicals get released, you relax, and it becomes a perfect escape from the real world and its challenges and upheavals. 

Fun can be spontaneous (you’re in a group of friends trading stories), but fun can also be carefully planned; places and opportunities that dangle from every tree. It may take some time and thought to know what you want and know how to make it happen, but we suggest doing so.

We’re here to help with 19 fresh ideas. Some cost money. Others are free. Some are spontaneous. Others carefully plotted. But whatever and wherever, fun should add magic to your life. You just need to be ready to find it.

1.        Meet new people, hanging out over wine and lunch or dinner, and discover how much you have in common. You like the same things, have the same values and sense of humor. You think, “This is so much fun. I’d love to get together again.”
2.      Do an activity with a friend. Get pedicures or massages together and then go for lunch. Or attend an art exhibit, lecture or movie and then have lunch or high tea. Yes, food is a good companion and connector.
3.      Sing Karaoke. Belt out the words to popular songs of the past. We don’t all have singing chops, and this is an effective way to let it all out without being judged on your musicianship.  
4.     Relearn an old skill—taking up the piano, clarinet, flute or guitar again. Never done any of these? It’s not too late. Learn to play songs you love, whether show tunes or jazz rather than the classical music you were forced to learn back when, not always fun. Or, how about bridge, needlepoint, canasta or mahjong? Everyone else is, why not? At least try a new endeavor and see.
5.     Go to a comedy club and sit in the front row so the comic can include you in their routine. If you can laugh at yourself, it could be the most fun ever and a shot at your 15 minutes of fame.
6.     Watch lots of movies with your besties or significant other starring some of your favorite actors in different roles—Hugh Grant, Cary Grant, Diane Keaton, Reese Witherspoon (Legally Blonde never gets boring for some of us), Meryl Streep in the Devil Wears Prada or Michelle Dockery in all the Downtown Abbeys.
7.     Dance the night away. Take ballroom or swing dancing classes or even tap. You’re a klutz with two left feet, you say. So, what? That will even make the class funnier and more fun. And think how good you’ll feel after all that laughter, and once you master a routine. It’s good aerobic exercise, too.
8.     Throw a themed party—Valentine’s Day, where everyone must wear red. Serve sparkling wine or a hearty red wine and a variety of chocolate desserts. When people walk in, put a sign on their back that has the name of a famous lover. Each guest must figure out “who they are” after asking the other guests a list of questions. 
9.      Go to a place where they sing Broadway show tunes, like Maria’s Crisis Café, a piano bar in the West Village of New York City. A group of people gather around the piano and belt out their favorite show tunes. You’ll never know what you’ll hear, see or who you’ll meet. You’ll sound so great that you might be discovered.
10.  Attend an outdoor fair/concert to hear live music where you can scream, shout and sing along. Or an indoor live concert to hear some great jazz. This is low-key fun but so enjoyable if you’re an aficionado. Or, splurge and go to a show, play, concert, or ballet you’ve wanted to see. If you’re older, and get tired, consider a matinee. Splurge more and sit up front so you can see and hear better or bring binoculars.
11.  Go to a sporting event to cheer for a favorite team. If you’re into football, throw a tailgate party and invite anyone who’s nearby. Get ready for beer, wings and passionate sports chants. Maybe, being a fan harkens back to your cheerleading or college days. Save up for a big event such as the U.S. Open, where you’ll see lots of celebs, now that’s fun for some of us.
12.    Have a game night party where Boggle is front and center. A whiteboard is happily shared. See who can come up with the most words on the grid. Hopefully, the dry-erase markers haven’t dried up. Or try other games, from charades to Left, Right Center, and Trivia.
13.  Read Shakespeare soliloquies or lines from famous plays or books, trying to cite the source and judge who is the most talented and can talk without slurping sloppily while downing tequila shots.
14.  Make some seasonal recipes—fall and early winter; it’s all about pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger. Muffins? Scones? Cookies in the shape of leaves?
15.   Invest in new ways to stay warm. Try some new exotic teas and hot chocolate flavors, pour into a lovely mug and relax. Or, with clothing, don some new warm tops and tights, gloves, socks, hat and boots. And don’t forget those funny Christmas (or Hanukkah) sweaters.
16. Participate in a soup kitchen or food pantry. Helping others enjoy the holidays and a good, warm meal can be great fun when you meet strangers and make their day brighter.
17. Host a potluck supper for friends or those on the floor of your apartment or in your neighborhood. Be sure to plan so you don’t have 10 pizzas or all desserts, but a dessert potluck could be great fun.
18. Plan a trip. It doesn’t have to be super pricey or far or by plane, but somewhere you’ve long wanted to go—a favorite garden, an art museum, a mountain to hike. Use points if your budget is tight. If money’s less tight, plan where you really want to go in the following year; the planning itself can be great fun.
19.  Enjoy quiet time alone. Sounds boring? Hardly, if you like your own company. Start or finish a new book or magazine (try the latest issue of Vanity Fair about Hollywood and see how many celebs you know, if any), take a bubble bath or long leisurely shower, do a jigsaw puzzle on your own, leaf through catalogs that deluge us before Christmas, including garden ones for flowers and shrubs you might plant come spring or take a walk and notice more what’s all around your ‘hood. There’s no place like home.

Fun is right around the corner. Embrace all the gifts it has to offer. Please share with us what you do for fun and comment below.