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 centers: Handicraft activities that help prevent dementia (21–30)
Pita-to Ball
Here’s a game using a ball that you can play on a table.
Apply strips of tape from one end of the table, placing the point values on top and keeping the sticky side facing up.
From the opposite end of the table, have older adults roll a rubber ball.
If the ball reaches near a point value, it will stop thanks to the adhesive tape.
Making the higher scores farther from the rolling side makes the game more exciting.
Grasping and rolling the rubber ball also helps train the fingers and hands.
It’s a fun way to strengthen the hands and fingers.
Ehomaki Game
Let’s turn the ehomaki we eat on Setsubun into a game.
Ehomaki are filled with lots of ingredients, right? On top of paper “nori” and “rice,” place ingredients made from long, thin strips of construction paper or fabric.
The key is to prepare colors that look like real ehomaki fillings, such as red and green.
Then, using both hands, roll it up as if you were making a real sushi roll.
When it’s finished, face the lucky direction for that year and take a big bite.
This idea of making ehomaki from paper or fabric seems like something older adults would also enjoy.
It’s a perfect game to do in February.
Brain-training finger play
Here’s a no-prep recreation activity: a finger-play brain exercise.
It’s simple to do! First, hold your hands up with your palms facing you and make fists.
Open only the thumb on your right hand and only the pinky on your left hand.
Next, switch: open the pinky on your right hand and the thumb on your left hand.
Keep repeating this.
It sounds easy, but it’s surprisingly hard.
Try doing it to a rhythm—one, two, one, two—and you might find yourself laughing at how tricky it is.
But don’t worry.
The goal isn’t to do it perfectly; performing two different movements at the same time stimulates your brain, so just trying it provides a brain-training effect.
With practice, you’ll get the hang of it and feel a sense of achievement.
Give it a try!
collage letters
This is a simple craft with plenty of room for creativity: designing kanji characters in colorful ways.
First, choose a kanji you like and print it out large on a computer.
Trace the outline of the character from the back, then on the front side, paste magazine clippings, origami paper, and other materials.
Once you’ve finished pasting, cut the character into parts along the outline on the back, and attach them to a backing sheet to complete it.
The choice of typeface, the colors on the front, and the balance of the parts all allow for personal expression.
Since accurately cutting out the character is a crucial step, make sure to keep close attention to your fingertips when using scissors.
towel rabbit
This is a craft project featuring a rabbit motif that charms with the soft feel of a hand towel.
Simply fold the towel into the designated shape, secure it with rubber bands, and attach the eyes and tail pieces—it’s an easy process.
If you twist the towel while folding and fasten it firmly, it will be sturdy and three-dimensional, which is highly recommended.
Because precise folding and hand movements are important in this craft, it may also help exercise the fingers and stimulate the brain through those fine motor activities.
No-knit yarn coaster
This coaster is made by weaving with a piece of cardboard that has slits cut into it.
Since you don’t use tools like crochet hooks, it’s easy to enjoy even if you’ve never knitted or aren’t good at it.
First, wrap yarn around the cardboard by inserting it into the slits.
Then, pass yarn alternately over and under the wrapped strands at a right angle, and tie a knot at the trimmed end to tighten it—that’s it.
It’s appealing for its simple, large-movement steps and the soft look of the finished piece.
A basket woven from hemp twine
Compared to a while ago, 100-yen shops have increased.
From handy gadgets and clever items to relaxing goods, you can’t help but reach out and end up buying things you don’t even need.
So here’s a lovely mini basket made from materials sold at 100-yen shops: paper cups and jute twine.
To make it, just cut the paper cup into strips and weave the jute twine through them.
If you’re an older person who enjoys knitting, you’ll probably breeze through the steps.
It does involve detailed work, so it can take quite a bit of time.
You might enjoy splitting it up over several days and working on it at your own pace.