My dad retired last year and he did have anything to do but putter around the house and watch t.v. He'd been sitting in an office for thirty years, so I figured why not give him a chance to do something with his hands. I signed him up for a course in boatbuilding. It was expensive, but now boats are all he cares about. He's obsessed. The schooll is in Maine, so unless you want to shell out a LOT of money, I suggest in-state gift receivers.