Fit, Active, and Healthy Seniors

June is Seniors Month in Ontario. The theme for 2025 is Fit, Active, and Healthy Seniors – highlighting the importance of wellness, connection, and lifelong learning. 

Cambridge Public Library offers various programs, collections, and resources specifically designed for older adults to help them stay fit, active, and healthy.

Connect with Programs and Events

Connections 50+

Connections 50+ is a series of programs tailored for older adults. These events feature entertaining activities with local musicians, guest speakers, art activities, and much more. Meet others in the community while having fun and learning something new.

This month, tap into your creative side with hands-on activities such as: 

• DIY Hollow Book Safes for keeping your secrets, at Preston (Monday, June 9)
• Fantastic Fungi garden decorations, at Queen’s Square (Friday, June 13) 
• Felted Wood Vessels with woolwaterneedle at Queen’s Square (Friday, June 20)
• Paint a Summer Landscape with instructor Virginia at Hespeler (Wednesday, June 25)

Cambridge Third Age Learning (CTAL) 

Connections 50+ also presents Cambridge Third Age Learning (CTAL) lectures. CTAL is a movement that promotes learning and discovery for individuals in their 'third age.' June’s lecture, Life on the Line: The Evolution of the Bell Telephone with Bell Homestead's Brian Wood, takes a nostalgic look back at the indispensable instrument of communication. This is a chance to remember the telephone that you grew up with, the model at your grandparents’ home or the one a friend had that you wished was yours at the Old Post Office (Friday, June 27).

If you're interested in upcoming programs, sign up for the Connections 50+ eNewsletter to receive future event listings and information directly in your inbox. 

Registration is required for Connections 50+ programming, but it is offered at no cost. For assistance with registration, please call 519-621-0460.

Book Clubs and Meet-Ups

Connect with others in your community through Book Clubs and Meet-Ups, to share skills, discuss books, and learn new things. Book Clubs are held at the Old Post Office, Preston, and Queen’s Square, with book titles listed online. Enjoy singing and strumming your ukulele with Ukulele Meet-Ups; all skill levels are welcome. Crafters can also join meet-ups focused on knitting and fiber arts.

Stay Active with Unique Collections

Sports and Fitness Equipment

Stay physically active both indoors and outdoors with recreational sports equipment from the Unusual Things to Borrow collection. With your membership, you can borrow items like a Table Tennis Set, Pickleball Paddle and Ball Set, Croquet Set, Strength Grip, Hiking Poles, or one of the other items from the Active Living Collection at Clemens Mill.

Hobby and Crafting Kits

Engaging in new hobbies can uplift your mood, boost self-confidence, and reduce stress. Members can borrow a kit from the Hobbies and Crafting collection within the Unusual Things to Borrow collection for up to three weeks. 

Choose from the following hobbies or crafts:

• Beginner and Intermediate Crochet
• Candle Making
• Card Making
• Embroidery
• Candle Making
• Jewelry Beading
• Bird Watching 

There are many ways to get creative at the library. Get inspired with free creative workshops and classes from Cambridge Art Galleries, browse Creativebug’s online videos and instructional guides, and harness your creative potential by visiting the Old Post Office Makerspace or the Clemens Mill MakerHUB to use maker tools and equipment. These spaces provide a hands-on creative outlet for members to invent, collaborate, and design as they transform their ideas into reality.

Dementia-Friendly Books and Memory Kits

If you or someone in your life is experiencing dementia, check out the Dementia-Friendly Book Collection. Books in this collection have bright images, fewer words and pages, and are designed to inspire conversation between a person with dementia and their caregiver.

Also available are 14 staff-curated Memory Kits, designed to support persons with dementia and care partners. Each kit contains activities that can be shared together or used by the person with dementia on their own.

While you’re browsing the online catalogue, select from a range of Mindfulness Resources to help you calm your mind and body including online magazines, books, eBooks, and videos for streaming.

Bringing Library Services to You

Virtual Library

Read, watch, and listen from anywhere with the Virtual Library. Access popular collections in digital format using your mobile device, tablet, eReader, or computer. Download or stream thousands of free eBooks, eAudiobooks, and magazines to your computer, Kobo, or mobile device with the Libby app and downloadLibrary. Discover digital magazines and newspapers from around the world on PressReader and enjoy a selection of indie films, Hollywood classics, international cinema, and thought-provoking documentaries with Kanopy. If you are not currently a Cambridge Public Library member and live in Cambridge, you can sign up for an online membership to start accesses the Virtual Library from home.

Visiting Library Services

If you, or someone you know, are unable to visit the library for collection materials, Visiting Library Service partners a trained volunteer with a client who is homebound. Friendly volunteers deliver library materials, enjoy a chat about the books, and connect with clients, who often become friends during their monthly visits. 

To learn more about whether this program is right for you, or to consider volunteering, you can contact the Coordinator of Volunteer Services. 

Seniors Month is a perfect time to focus on keeping your mind sharp, connecting with others, and learning something new through your local library.