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 service. Handicraft activities that help prevent dementia (81–90)
Pastel art
Let’s use soft pastel tones to complete a beautiful picture.
By skillfully using templates and layering shapes, you can create distinctive gradients—the most striking feature of pastel art.
Since the main process involves rubbing with your fingers, it requires few tools and also serves as a bit of finger exercise.
Even if you’re not confident in drawing, you can easily create art just by layering shapes and colors.
Because the steps are so simple, this makes for a recreation activity that many people can enjoy.
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.
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.
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.
Plastic bottles and clothespins
This is a game where you clip clothespins onto the mouth of a plastic bottle and compete to see how many you can connect within a time limit.
Because the rules are simple, quick movements are crucial, and it also helps train finger strength and fine motor skills.
There’s also an important rule that if the chain of clothespins bends in the middle, it doesn’t count, which encourages players to think about how to attach each one.
Precisely because speed is tested, the game can help develop delicate fingertip control for placing clips in the optimal positions, as well as the focus needed to judge where to attach them.
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.
[For Seniors] Recommended for Day Service: Hands-on Activities (91–100) That Help Prevent Dementia
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.
