What can I send to my parents to do?
 

I’m looking for ideas please. My parents are in their mid 70’s, live 4 hours drive from us and are beginning to get on each other’s nerves a bit. I’m trying to think of something they can do, perhaps something I can send them to do.

Neither of them have friends as such although they know people locally to chat to sometimes, they live in typical suburbia so not really any pretty places to walk, not that they like walking much anyway. I think they are just totally bored and starting to feel a bit old.

Can anyone think of anything please I can send them to do apart from jigsaws as I’ve sent some already, or something they can do at the moment? I’m completely out of ideas and it will be a while yet before we can visit them. I think they are getting a bit depressed and they both have some health problems which doesn’t help.

Are they puzzlers? What about the gchq puzzle book?

Or quiz books - and maybe you could organise a zoom quiz that they could take part in weekly?

To add, we have set up pointless quizzes - see website / as well as the wall from the only connect / there are websites out there to either just use existing examples or set up your own

Do they like gardening/ have a garden? Maybe some grow your own herbs/ bulbs cactus kits with some pots & compost if needed to grow the seedlings on?
Not too sure if too late for this year but if they are into technology I’ve seen bird boxes where you can have a camera link to see if any eggs/ baby birds
Kit to make a bottle garden?

A few ideas of what I’ve sent my parents over various lockdowns are Sewing / knitting / crochet project, books or magazines , airfix type model making set, baking box subscription, book of local walks. I bet they will be pleased you’ve spent time arranging something no matter what it is :)

I know you said you have sent jigsaws but how about a photo one of somewhere special to them?

Are they computer savvy a little bit? A subscription to something like ancestry so they can research their family trees

It might be an idea to send separate gifts to give them some Me time? Obviously depending on what they liked to do before Covid there are some great ideas above ... here are a few more

For dad:
Beer making
Veg growing

For mum:
Hair voucher
A voucher for Hobbycraft
Art

For both:
Entry into a country park/home
Afternoon tea
Learn a language

My parents have been enjoying these talks that the national gallery offer online. Some are for members but there are some free ones too

https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/e...-conversations

Do they like travelling? A virtual tour might be fun.

https://www.heygo.com/

There are also loads of streamed theatre productions if they would enjoy that?

My mum and dad are in their 70's and how they haven't buried each other under the patio I don't know haha. My dad has been ok in the main, he's quite happy festering in his chair watching the football/cricket, and dodgy hallmark films lol. Mum on the other hand has ants in her pants, and doesn't sit still, they live with us so she helps me out a lot, but I bought her a few diamond paintings as an alternative to puzzles, and she loves doing them. Has done one for me, my dd, my niece and now she's doing one for my sister, they take a while to do so keep her occupied, she does it for an hour, then potters around for a bit in the garden and then back to it. Would she enjoy something like that? A book for your dad?