For a christmas gift - what do people do in retirement?

[Comedia]

My dad is retiring this year. He has no hobbies which has become a joke among us but for Christmas I thought I might get him mini versions of other people's hobbies.

For example, desktop golf for golf, a small plant for gardening, a model to build for woodwork.

What other retirement hobbies would lend themselves to this kind of thing?

A jigsaw? Puzzle books?

Puzzle vase

My dad volunteers at a steam railway - what about a mini train set? Like this

On that 'gift in a tin' theme, they have a few other ones that might fit the bill:
Motorbike
Football
Camper van

Birdwatching is a popular retirement hobby - a small set of binoculars and a mini bird guide?

I'm retired and spend a lot of time researching my family tree. Maybe get him a one month subscription to ancestry.co.uk? Once the subscription runs out he would still be able to access and amend his online tree, just not view/add ancestry records.
Alternatively, you don't need to create a tree online - there are books and charts (see Amazon for examples) that you could buy instead.

I sort of see where you're coming from, but it sounds a bit... wasteful? Like the study of thing that would be landfill within a week. Something he might actually use would be best.

study = sort

My mum is retired. Her hobbies include:

Watching Challenge TV on repeat
Watching psychobabble on YouTube
Reading misery memes on Facebook
UKIP flavoured rants
Moaning
Hypochondria

Not sure how helpful that it is.

If my lovely dad was still with us:

Cooking, especially Indian and Oriental food
Gardening
Wine making
Art (maybe a paint by numbers kit?)
Natural history (books, dvds)
Birdwatching
Aviation history
Trains
Travel - only from his armchair in latter years (see Mum )
Old musicals

exFIL is into music, plays guitar, ukulele and keyboards

ex MIL is into photography

My ex FIL didn’t have much hobbies either other then sticking his nose in other people’s business but he did pick up walking/ cycling as a hobby eventually. Perhaps you can give him something like a book with walking routes or some gloves?

Christ, he has retired, not lost his wits. Why does everyone assume that retirement is bird watching, steam trains, slippers and Countdown every afternoon? Depending upon how much you wish to spend why not buy him a gin subscription, a tour of a vineyard with lunch, a day driving a supercar? Golf themed novelties are naff by the way, charity shops are full of them.

Christ, he has retired, not lost his wits. Why does everyone assume that retirement is bird watching, steam trains, slippers and Countdown every afternoon?

That's pretty offensive to those of us with loved ones who enjoy (or enjoyed) some of those activities.

It's possible to be interested in trains and bird watching at any age without having 'lost your wits'.

I am 77 and dh is 85
We love books
Jumpers
DVDs
Posh jam or chutney
I like candles he likes Italian deli stuff

Can you get him taster sessions for hobbies like a golf or cooking lesson?

My dad is 83, he plays golf, cooks, loves to sew and has just taken up walking football. However, his main hobby is yelling at the TV watching his beloved Man Utd 😀

I'm sure you mean well but those mini games sound boring. The gin subscription sort of thing sounds better, or a magazine subscription. How about getting him tickets to a show and you go with him? Books and jigsaws are popular too. Or cinema vouchers if he enjoys films.

They can do anything at all - good gifts my parents have enjoyed since retiring are mid week nights away, matinee shows, days out, afternoon teas. Better an experience that loads of tat that he wont use

That made me LOL @MintyCedric

Great ideas everyone - thank you!

Well, not everyone. But some of them….
TY

Theatre vouchers, National Trust membership?

How about a hamper?

Does he currently wear a suit or a uniform or overalls for work? He may need additional casual clothes for his retirement if so.

Perhaps gloves, scarf etc if he’s going to be out and about more.

Restaurant voucher for lunches out, or Costa voucher for coffees.

Would he want all that?

My dad definitely wouldn’t.

He might prefer a bottle of his favourite drink…..maybe up the budget a bit.

DH retires this year, he would like:
Islay malt whisky.
Hiking boots.
Restaurant vouchers.
Theatre tickets.
Xbox games
His other hobbies are fishing and birdwatching (but that's been lifelong and not because he is over 60). I don't think birdwatching is remotely
indicative that he has "lost his mind" kidsatuniemptynester , quite the opposite really, he is very bright and has a PhD.

@MintyCedric - your first post about your Mum really made me laugh. - maybe not so funny for you - living through it putting up with her

I had a Dad with very similar interests to your Mum

@leafygarden42

She was driving me up the wall yesterday tbh!