Making the transition from business computing to personal computing after retirement can be a challenge. Many people who use computers all day at work don’t want to look at them when they get home. But what do you do on a rainy day if you don’t like day time TV? Clean house? (No throwing hard objects, please. I bruise easily ;^) Here are some mostly free ideas to help you pass those dull hours when you can’t be active.

You’ve probably already discovered electronic solitaire; you know, the one that won’t let you cheat, but the cards never fall on the floor. You may have checked out Free Cell, Mine Sweeper and Mahjongg, but it doesn’t take long to get tired of playing games alone. If you’re new to computing, however, these games can be a great way to build your mousing skills. You can also learn a lot about personal computing at GCFGlobal.org.

YouTube.com has tons of entertainment options, from viewing cute animal tricks to watching full length movies or the plays of Shakespeare. YouTube also offers lots of helpful household tips from how to hang a picture to repairing a washing machine. There are also countless video tutorials on computers, tablets and smartphones. Just go to YouTube and type your interest into their search bar.

I’m fond of TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) whose tag line is, “Ideas worth sharing.” TED presents short talks on diverse subjects from comedy, to science, to art, given by experts in their fields. TED also offers a small selection of books, such as The Art of Stillness: Adventures in Going Nowhere by Pico Iyer, a renowned travel writer who promotes sitting still to explore what we really want and to savor events of life.

I’ve fallen asleep to many a documentary. Yet there are many amazing documentaries that will keep you awake at sites like Top Documentary Films and Documentary Heaven.

Perhaps you’ve heard of The Great Courses, a company that makes education available through DVDs and now online course ware. They offer a delightful range of subjects including science, math, history, fine arts, music, philosophy, better living and so much more. Best of all there’s nearly always a sale where you’ll find prices greatly slashed.