For seniors: Recommended for day services. Hands-on activities that help prevent dementia.
As we age, our muscle strength declines, making fine, hands-on tasks more difficult.
Because the nerves in our hands are connected to the brain, it’s said that moving our hands can help prevent dementia.
In this article, we introduce hands-on recreational activities for day service programs that train both the fingers and the brain.
With a focus on craft-based activities and finger-use games, they also help improve concentration.
Craft activities let participants enjoy the fun of creating, too.
There are many ideas to choose from, so try starting with the hands-on activities you’re most interested in.
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[For Seniors] Recommended for Day Services: Hands-on Activities for Dementia Prevention (71–80)
beads
This is a craft where you thread nylon fishing line through beads and finish them in various designs.
Floral-themed designs are probably the classic choice.
Because you can freely create designs with colorful beads, you can make your own unique accessories.
By arranging the beads thoughtfully and adjusting how tightly you pull the line, you can even make three-dimensional pieces, giving you a wide range of ways to customize your work.
Since it involves detailed tasks—threading fine beads onto the line and tying the line—it’s also perfect for finger dexterity training and a brain workout.
Ping-Pong Ball Cup-In Game
Here’s an easy, fun table game.
Place paper or plastic cups on a table.
Then have the older adults who are seated try to get a ping-pong ball into the cups.
They can throw the ball or bounce it—either is fine.
It’s also nice to think about different ways to get the ball into the cup and approach it like a game.
Grasping the ping-pong ball may help train finger strength as well.
It’s a simple game, but it’s delightful when the ball lands in a cup, and it can be refreshing, too.
Please give it a try!
Felt and buttons
It’s a simple activity where you thread a button with a string through a piece of felt that has a slit in the middle.
Because threading a button is a movement used in daily life, it can help improve everyday activities like getting dressed.
Start by threading the button using both hands, and when it feels easy or you’ve gotten used to it, try challenging yourself to do it using only one hand.
Since the movement is simple, it’s important to add fun elements—like choosing felt in colors you love—to keep motivation high.
[For Seniors] Recommended for day service. Handicraft activities that help prevent dementia (81–90)
plastic bottle
Let’s try making dumbbells that use the weight of water, sand, or similar materials placed in plastic bottles to train your arms.
Carefully pouring sand and other fillers through the bottle’s opening and measuring the weight precisely will also help develop concentration and fine motor skills.
It’s important to choose bottles that fit the user’s hand; keeping grip comfort in mind can also help train grip strength.
Plain water or single-color sand can look simple, so adding decorative elements into the sand or water to make the training more fun could be a great idea.
Mask
How about handmaking a still-essential mask using soft, skin-friendly yarn? It’s easy to breathe through, you’ll grow attached to it when you make it yourself, and the simple, stylish look is a plus.
You’ll need a size 5 crochet hook, a tapestry needle, scissors, and about 30 g of basic cotton yarn, among other things.
The work of continuously connecting chain stitches is simple, but it also helps stimulate the brain, making it perfect for older adults.
Above all, the sense of accomplishment and joy when you finish is exceptional, so give it a try and enjoy a fulfilling time.
mitten
For people whose hands bend easily when they relax, spreading the hand firmly within a comfortable range and maintaining that position helps bring the hand back to its original state.
Here’s an exercise that supports that kind of hand rehabilitation using tools you can even find at a 100-yen shop.
First, use a rubber band to secure the spread hand to a board, then insert the hand into a mitten as is.
Wrapping with a mitten makes it easier to perform movements like sliding the hand across a desk, so it’s important to stay mindful of moving the arm and shoulder connected to the hand as well.
Moving while wrapped also helps keep the hand warm, which can promote blood circulation.
A small rack that can also hold the remote control.
Let’s try making a small rack that’s handy for keeping a remote control or glasses.
We’ll use two milk cartons.
The inner divider will also serve as a handle, so cut one side to about 15 cm and the other three sides to 8 cm.
Make a hole for the handle, tape the long sides together with double-sided tape, and then apply fabric to the sides, bottom, and inside.
Leave about a 1.5 cm seam allowance for the fabric, and trim the corners so they adhere neatly.
If handling fabric is difficult, you can decorate it with origami or chiyogami paper instead.
