Senior Activities

Mondays: 9:00am - 12pm,
Wednesdays: 11:30am - 2:30pm,
Fridays: 9:00am - 2pm,
First Saturday of the Month: 9:00am - 12pm

Start your day with a rousing game of ping pong! Competition-grade tables and volunteers are available to help newcomers get up to speed. Two tables are reserved for beginner play the last hour of the day. Go to the London Nelson Community Center to sign up.

Membership fee $5.00 per month or $50 per year.

Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays 11:00 - 11:30 am

Gentle exercises are perfect for older adults wanting to increase circulation and flexibility. Come enjoy gentle sitting stretches for the arms, shoulders, neck and torso with a few standing exercises for the legs and lower body as well. This class is suitable for all abilities and fitness levels.

Practice from home!

Suggested Donation: City Residents $1.00, Non-City Residents $1.25

Mondays & Fridays 10:00am - 11:00am

Slow, gentle movement and breathing with an emphasis on maintaining physical and mental balance. Beginners are welcome. The ability to get down and up from the floor is the only requirement, using a chair or the wall for support if needed. Mats and other props are provided.

Taught by instructors from the Yoga For All Movement.

Suggested donation: $5.00

Tuesdays & Thursdays, 9:30 - 11:00 am
Wednesdays, 9:30 - 10:30 am (Beginner Class)

Line dancing isn’t just country western! Jazz, waltz and contemporary music are just some of the genres you will kick up your heels to in this ongoing class. Meet new friends, get some exercise and have a whole lot of fun. No partner needed! Taught by Helen Waller and Susan Miner.

Join us on Zoom at 9:30am for our next class, pass code: linedance

Want to practice Beginning Dances on your own? Instructor Helen Waller breaks down beginner Line Dance moves on Youtube.

Suggested Donation: $3.00

Tuesdays 11:00 am - 12:15 pm

Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese exercise system benefiting the internal organs and joints, circulation and breathing. Practice restores and tunes agility, balance, flexibility, endurance, focus, power and zest. Taught by Dale Strawhacker.

Practice Tai Chi anytime from home on Youtube.

Suggested Donation: City Residents $2.00, Non-City Residents $2.25

Thursdays, 11:15 - 11:45 am, Starting March 14

Try out our new "Cardio Drumming" class. In this class, we will use an exercise ball as our drum, we mix in fun moves and it turns into a fun workout you won't want to stop. The benefits of this class can improve your mood, spatial awareness, stress relief, following cues, attention and short-term memory. Led by instructor Nancy Holmes.

Wednesdays 10:00 - 10:45 am

Join Instructor Nancy Holmes for this Chair Yoga Class that focuses on the body through breadth and movement. All levels and physical conditions are welcome.

Suggested Donation: City Residents $5.00 Non-City Residents $5.50

Wednesdays 9:30 am

Do you have a green thumb? Or wanting to learn basic gardening techniques? All skills levels and ages welcome to join our new Garden Club! Projects include pollinator & butterfly garden while utilizing worm & composting bins.

Call 831-420-6180 to learn more or stop by and check it out! Led by local gardener Tom Fordham & CJ. Free.

Wednesdays 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm

Join this drop-in class for a meditative and creative expression of joy and kindness. Led by Instructor Lorene Stewart. Open to all ages.

Free

Thursdays 11:00 am - 12:15 pm (Available In-Person & on Zoom)

Tuesdays 1:30 - 2:30 pm (in person starting Feb 4, 2025)

Thursday class will focus on Wang Ji Wu’s Sixteen Exercises for Health and Strength Training is a Qi Gong set which enhances the circulatory system as well as the body’s joints, tendons, muscles and ligaments as they are moved through their full range of motion.

Tuesday class will focus on leg strengthening and self massage with five animals frolic.

Participants will find it beneficial in its simplicity and will appreciate its profound generation of energy. Well suited for all. Taught by Drew Ho.

New link: Join us on Zoom at 11:00 am for our next Thursday Qi Gong Class, passcode is: seniors

Suggested Donation: City Residents $2.00 Non-City Residents $2.25

Thursdays 11:00 - 12:00 pm

This weekly space is designed for self-identified seniors to gather and listen about the challenges of becoming older. Modeled after successful 12-step programs, we will host one-hour meetings on Thursdays at 11 AM that will feature brief 5-minute shares from those attending. No pre-registration is required. Facilitated by Dick Lemon.

First Tuesday of the Month, 10:30 - 11:30 am (Zoom Only)

Meet for an hour (or so) to discuss current book selections and future books. FREE

Join us on Zoom for Book Club at 10:30am on the First Tuesday of the Month, passcode is: seniors. Meeting ID: 816 9377 6575

We have some fun adventures planned now on both Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:30 - 11:30 am starting at different locations every week!

Join Smell the Roses Walking Club on Tuesday mornings from 9:30 to 11:30 am for a leisurely tour of a different area each week. The intention of this group is to get outside, move our body, enjoy the birds singing and the freshness of nature unfolding. We will set out for the walk starting at 9:30 am and turn back around at 10:30 despite how far we have gone.

Our Thursday walks will continue as usual, with walks between 2-4 miles and various elevation gains. At this time, we are not asking for registration in advance for most of our walks, but we are hoping no more than 20 people will attend either group.

The Senior Computer Center of Santa Cruz offers members (55 and up) the opportunity to learn and use mobile phones, Macintosh and PCs. Courses are taught by volunteer instructors at the London Nelson Community Center.

Membership benefits include use of the computer lab during scheduled sessions and eligibility to register for a variety of courses. Lab facilities include desktop computers, laptops, printers, and internet access. Membership is $25 per year. Scholarships are available.

Contact the Downtown Senior Office at 831-420-6180 with questions or for additional information.

Tuesdays, 1:00 - 3:00 pm

Drop in and play with friends between 1:00-3:00pm every Tuesday on this reserved court on the Santa Cruz Wharf.

This fun game is easy to learn and quick to become competitive! The court is located behind Marini's Candies.

Parking can be validated by patronizing one of our Wharf businesses.

Second Tuesday of the Month, 1 - 3pm

During this two-hour Intro to Table Tennis Clinic led by Cindy Ranii, you'll learn the basics of modern Table Tennis, including:

• Serving
• Scoring
• Forehand
• Backhand

Last Monday of the month, 5:00 - 6:30 pm
Dates: March 31, April 28, May 19 (3rd Monday of the month), June 23 (3rd Monday of the month), July 28, August 25, Sept 29, Oct 27, and Nov 24

Suggested Donation per class: $20.00 - $40.00

Join Motion Pacific's Mo Katzman for a once a month workshop series at London Nelson in collaboration with the Diversity Center. Dancing for Every Body will promote the mind-body connection, with a focus on easeful and fun movement, finding the joy and resilience in our moving bodies, dance making, and story sharing. This class is for all accessibility levels, dancing can be done sitting or standing, and no dance experience is necessary to join. Calling all LGBTQIA folks and allies!

Travel Talks (Returning March 2025)
Thursdays, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

This program will include various speakers, films, photography and discussions. Led by Joya Chatterjee with guest speakers. Free

March 6: Tuvalu the sinking island and Kiribati, The Battle of Tarawa WWII: Joya Chatterjee

March 13: Part 1: Art and Textiles of Bali: Gaby Litsky, Part 2 an Englishman’s Sicily sojourn: Alan Ritch

March 20: Croatia and Montenegro: John Shurtleff

March 27: "The Cultures of Sicily” and “Travel Photo Editing"

For the “Travel Photo Editing”, Bill will begin by using Apple’s Photos software. Topics include cropping, adjusting color tones, luminosity, contrast, removing distractions, and AI assisted editing: Bill and Leda Bishoff.