[For Senior Daycare Centers] Ideas for Summer Take-Home Crafts
What comes to mind when you think of summer? In July, there’s Tanabata, and in August you might picture the sea or mountains, watermelon, shaved ice, and summer festivals—classic summer motifs.
This time, we’ll introduce easy-to-make, take-home projects that are perfect for summer and can be done at a day service.
Seasonal items like uchiwa fans, wall decorations, and wind chimes let you fully enjoy summer and are convenient to use at home.
If you’re wondering what summer crafts to make at a day service, please use these ideas as a reference.
- For Seniors: Simple and Lovely Crafts – A Collection of Take-Home Project Ideas for Day Service
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- [For Seniors] Enjoy and Beat the Summer Heat! July Craft Ideas
- [Day Service] August Craft Ideas That Seniors Will Enjoy
- [Day Service] Spring Take-Home Crafts: Ideas to Warmly Brighten Your Room
- [For Seniors] Introducing Fun Crafts Made with Plastic Bottle Caps
- [For Seniors] Exciting Summer Wall Decoration Ideas
- [For Seniors] Recommended for day services! Simple and cute small craft ideas
- [For Seniors] Small craft ideas: for yourself and as gifts!
- Take-Home Craft Ideas for Winter: Perfect for Day Services for Seniors
- [Day Service] Handmade Autumn Crafts: Take-Home Project Ideas
- [For Seniors] Simple Handicrafts Recommended for Finger Exercise
- Simple Crafts for the Elderly Recommended for Tanabata
[For Senior Day Service] Summer Take-Home Craft Ideas (91–100)
Wind chime decorations made with thread
Wind chimes are a uniquely Japanese symbol of summer, aren’t they? Just gazing at them makes you feel the season’s arrival.
How about making your own wind chime by hand? This time, I’ll introduce a very simple handmade wind chime you can create.
First, inflate a balloon and wrap thread around it.
Then harden it with glue and let it dry.
Add decorations as you like, and in no time it’s finished.
You’ll have a one-of-a-kind wind chime that exists nowhere else in the world! Hang it by the window, and you’ll feel the essence of summer.
Fluffy shaved ice
Known as a classic symbol of summer, fluffy shaved ice is an easy craft that’s also recommended for seniors and helps everyone feel cooler.
Use crayons to freely draw letters and patterns—like ice or a shop name—on a paper cup.
Then gently place cotton on top of the cup to form an ice-like shape.
Finish by painting the surface of the cotton with your favorite colors—red, green, blue, and more—to create a piece that looks just like real shaved ice.
Adjusting the amount of water in the paint and how the colors blend is part of the fun, as it lets you express different “flavors.” The fine finger movements provide stimulating brain activity, allowing you to enjoy a creative time that reflects the season.
It’s also visually striking and can instantly add a cool, refreshing touch just by displaying it.
[For Senior Day Service] Ideas for Take-Home Summer Projects (101–110)
Summer Juice
On a hot day, gulping down juice lets you enjoy a deliciousness that feels different from usual.
Let’s use that juice as our theme and make a July calendar.
Prepare construction paper or origami in juice colors like orange and grape.
Cut them into the shape of glasses and color them with crayons as you like.
Make ice shapes out of plastic bags and create fruit with construction paper, then paste them inside the paper glasses.
Add straws, or place ice cream made from tissue paper on top of the glass.
Attach the finished juice glass to the calendar, and it’s complete.
The three-dimensional feel of the piece is sure to satisfy older adults as well.
Adult tanzaku decorations
This is a recommended craft for older adults that lets you enjoy the spirit of Tanabata while using your fingertips.
Cut origami paper into bamboo leaf shapes and paste them in a balanced way onto a circular piece of construction paper.
Adjust and place mizuhiki cords so they fit within the paper to create a traditional Japanese atmosphere.
Combine patterned origami with white paper to make tanzaku strips, write wishes on them, then thread them onto chenille stems to bring the whole piece together.
The finished work has a calm color palette that looks beautiful on display, and the textures of washi and mizuhiki give it an elegant feel.
It can also spark conversations about memories of Tanabata from the past, making it perfect for indoor summer recreation.
A hanging scroll style with three-dimensional morning glories
The hanging scroll-style 3D morning glories that gracefully evoke the feeling of summer are a craft that brings seasonal color to your space just by hanging them on the wall.
Fold a sheet of origami into quarters, open one quarter, and fold it again at a 30-degree angle.
Mark and cut the petal section in a gentle arc.
Cut another piece of origami into a small circle and attach it as the flower’s center to create a three-dimensional morning glory.
Add leaf and stem parts to complete the composition, then thread a string through a straw to finish it in a hanging scroll style.
Although there are many fine steps, it’s a task that engages concentration and creativity, making it ideal for stimulating seniors’ brains and exercising fine motor skills.
After finishing, display it in your room and enjoy the cool, summery atmosphere.
Paper cup fireworks
Fireworks made with paper cups are a classic summer craft that even older adults can easily enjoy.
Cut several vertical slits along the side of the cup and gently flare them outward to create the look of an opening firework.
Draw patterns on the bottom of the cup with colored pencils or crayons to give it your own original firework design.
You can glue the finished firework onto black construction paper to depict it bursting in the night sky.
By changing the angles of the slits and the colors you use, you can create a variety of fireworks, which broadens the scope for creativity.
The hands-on process of planning colors and shapes helps stimulate the brain, and once completed, the craft also works well as a seasonal wall decoration.
It’s a recommended activity that lets you easily enjoy a hallmark of summer indoors.
Fireworks with a straw
Fireworks art using straws is a fun craft that lets you create simple yet dazzling pieces.
Prepare several straws and snip one end into thin strips, then flare it out.
This will form the fireworks shape.
Set out paints in multiple colors on a palette and dip the cut end of the straw into the paint.
Lightly press it onto black construction paper to create bursts of colorful fireworks.
Layering colors makes the fireworks look more dimensional and vivid.
Using thinner straws produces delicate fireworks, while thicker straws give you bold designs.
It’s a perfect idea for creative activities in day service programs, allowing older adults to enjoy a taste of summer indoors.