7 things people in their 70s do for fun that younger generations secretly envy

A few months ago, I visited a café that overlooked the sea.

At the next table sat four retirees who looked like they were having the best time of their lives. One was teasing another about flirting with their tai chi instructor. Another proudly showed her watercolor painting of a cat wearing sunglasses. They laughed until they cried.

It was such a small, ordinary scene but it stayed with me.

They didn’t seem to be chasing anything. Not validation, not milestones, not even the perfect photo for social media. They were just present.

That’s the kind of fun most people my age are secretly craving. The kind that doesn’t require an audience or a plan. The kind that feels natural, earned, and alive.

Here are seven things people in their 70s do for fun that younger generations quietly envy and maybe, if we’re paying attention, can learn from.

1. They take their time

People in their 70s walk through life with a pace that feels almost rebellious.

If you’ve ever trailed behind a group of them in a wet market, you know what I mean. They stop to chat with the fruit vendor, ask about the vendor’s daughter’s wedding, and sample three kinds of mango before deciding.

Meanwhile, younger people move like time is chasing them. Every minute has to be productive, every moment optimized. I’ve caught myself checking my phone mid-meal, calculating how much “work” I could get done before bed.

But those in their 70s have already danced with time long enough to know they won’t win by sprinting.

They stroll, sip, observe. They take joy in the unhurried.

There’s a certain grace in that, a quiet confidence that life will unfold even if you stop rushing it.

And maybe that’s what we envy most: the ability to just be here, instead of always running toward “there.”

2. They rediscover simple hobbies

When people retire or slow down, they often go back to the hobbies that once made them happy: painting, gardening, knitting, baking, birdwatching.

I know a man in his 70s who spends hours every weekend carving wooden spoons. He gives them away, never sells them. “It keeps my hands busy and my mind quiet,” he once said.

That’s something younger generations struggle with. We’re conditioned to turn every passion into a project. Love cooking? Start a YouTube channel. Love art? Open an Etsy shop.

It’s beautiful how people in their 70s often choose to do things just for themselves. No algorithm, no competition.

They understand something we forget: joy doesn’t need to be profitable to be meaningful.

When we reconnect with activities that nourish us simply because they make us feel alive, we start experiencing life as play again, not performance.

3. They cherish real conversations

One of my favorite memories of my late grandmother is how she used to talk.

No distractions, no multitasking, just tea, biscuits, and conversation. She’d ask thoughtful questions and actually wait for the answer.

That kind of attention feels almost luxurious now.

A long-running Harvard study on adult development found that close relationships are the strongest predictor of happiness, even more than wealth or career success.

Older people embody that truth effortlessly. They gather for mahjong, tea, community classes, or just to chat on porches. They talk not to impress but to connect.

Meanwhile, many of us scroll endlessly, “liking” posts instead of listening.

It’s ironic: we have more tools than ever to communicate, yet conversation itself has become rare.

Older generations remind us that connection doesn’t need Wi-Fi, it just needs presence.

4. They travel slowly and meaningfully

People in their 70s often travel differently.

They’re not hopping between cities or trying to see ten landmarks in a day. They linger.

They’ll rent a small apartment in a town, find their favorite bakery, learn the shopkeeper’s name, and take slow morning walks just to watch how light hits the street differently each day.

When I was in Florence last year, I met a retired couple who returned to the same neighborhood every summer. “We come to watch the light change,” the woman said with a smile. That line has never left me.

Younger travelers (myself included) often chase novelty. We want newness. But novelty fades fast.

Depth, on the other hand, grows richer with time.

Older people’s style of travel is less about escape and more about immersion. They don’t need a bucket list, they just want to feel life unfolding at its natural rhythm.

That’s something our generation, glued to itineraries and updates, could stand to relearn.

5. They find fun in routine

There’s a gentle rhythm to many older people’s days.

Morning walks. Crosswords. Gardening before breakfast. Afternoon naps. Dinner at the same time every evening.

And while it might look repetitive, it’s that predictability that brings them joy.

I used to think routine meant stagnation. Now I see it as emotional safety, a rhythm that keeps chaos out.

My mornings follow a routine too: cleaning the apartment, cuddling my cats, brewing mint tea before work. There’s something comforting about knowing how my day begins, even if the rest of it unfolds unpredictably.

For people in their 70s, fun doesn’t come from excitement, it comes from familiarity. From seeing the same neighbor every morning. From small rituals that quietly say, I’m still here.

That’s the kind of fun that doesn’t need adrenaline to feel alive.

6. They embrace being unapologetically themselves

There’s a kind of beauty that comes with not caring what anyone thinks anymore.

People in their 70s wear what they love, say what they mean, and dance when they feel like it. I once saw a group of older women in bright floral dresses dancing barefoot to 80s hits at a beach club in Bali. No one was filming. They just danced.

Meanwhile, so many of us live as though someone is constantly watching.

We curate ourselves into filtered versions, posting, editing, performing. We want to be interesting, attractive, intelligent, or whatever our online identity demands.

But the older you get, the less energy you have for pretenses. And that’s liberating.

When you finally stop performing, you start experiencing life as yourself, not as a brand.

And it shows. People who are comfortable in their own skin radiate an ease that no youth serum can replicate.

That’s the real glow up.

7. They celebrate the small stuff

People in their 70s seem to find joy in the tiniest details, like birds nesting on their balcony, the scent of rain, or a cup of coffee that turns out perfectly frothy.

My grandmother once clapped her hands in delight over a slice of buttered toast, calling it “a good omen for the day.”

That kind of enthusiasm is contagious.

Younger generations often live on a high stimulation diet. We’re so used to constant entertainment, updates, and ambition that we overlook the quiet beauty of daily life.

But the happiest people I’ve met in their 70s have one thing in common: gratitude.

Gratitude turns routine into ritual. It transforms a normal day into something sacred.

When you start noticing what’s already good, life feels richer without needing more.

Final thoughts

Fun in your 70s doesn’t look wild or loud, but it’s deeply alive.

It’s not about chasing thrill, it’s about savoring peace.

Younger generations envy older people not because they have everything figured out, but because they’ve stopped needing to. They’ve traded urgency for ease, validation for authenticity, and ambition for appreciation.

Before we finish, there’s one last thing worth saying: growing older doesn’t mean your world gets smaller. It means you finally start seeing the world in full color.

Maybe that’s what we’re really longing for, not youth, but presence. Not more time, but better use of it.

And the good news? We don’t have to wait until 70 to start living that way.