Lovely senior life

[For Seniors] Hand and finger play roundup: Finger exercises that lead to brain training

Social worker / Care workermoko
My name is Moko, a mother of three who admired my mother and worked in the care industry as a care worker and as a medical social worker (MSW) in a hospital. I will be drawing on my previous experience to write mainly about caregiving. Thank you in advance.
Worked as a certified care worker for 17 years.Nanaka
I’ve been working as a certified care worker for 17 years. I’m Nanaka, a caregiving web writer. I decided to pursue this profession because I wanted a job that would help people. Having worked in day care for many years, I’ve experienced a wide variety of recreational activities. Exercise set to music, in particular, always created a cheerful atmosphere and was very well received. I’d be delighted to continue delivering writing that resonates with readers through caregiving-related articles. Thank you for your support.

For older adults, moving their hands and fingers is very important because it helps stimulate brain activity.

That’s why many senior care facilities incorporate hand and finger play as a way to help prevent dementia.

Among these activities, brain-training style hand and finger games may seem difficult at first, but they allow participants to talk and think together—saying things like “I did it!” or “How do you do this part?”—so they can enjoy the activity while engaging in communication.

There are exercises that involve different movements with the left and right hands, or moving the fingers while singing.

Please choose and adapt activities according to each older adult’s physical and mental condition.

[For Seniors] Hand and finger play roundup: Finger exercises that lead to brain training (71–80)

PET bottle cap grab game

Indoor Recreation for Seniors: A 'Bottle Cap Grab Game' Using Clothespins and Paper Cups

PET bottle cap grab game

Here’s a game that uses PET bottle caps to train finger dexterity.

Pick up PET bottle caps and drop them into paper cups.

However, you’ll use clothespins to pick up the caps.

Handling clothespins requires a certain amount of strength.

Simply using clothespins can also improve fine motor skills by encouraging nimble finger movements.

Let’s not only aim for brain-training benefits through finger use, but also strengthen the fingers and hands.

By making it a game, older adults can enjoy themselves while getting in some training.

Give it a try!

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Ehomaki Game

[Setsubun Recreation] [Day Service] [Day Service Recreation] Ehomaki Setsubun Recreation Ehomaki Rolling Game

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.

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clothespin chain

[Senior Recreation] Clothespin Chain!

clothespin chain

Do you know where muscle strength in older adults starts to decline? The answer is that it begins with the fingertips.

When fingertip strength decreases, it can affect daily life—for example, making it difficult to get dressed or causing more food to be dropped while eating.

Try using clothespins to train the fingertips.

Set up a string slightly higher than the head height of a seated older adult.

Then attach clothespins to the string.

It’s a simple activity, but it provides fingertip movement training with minimal strain on the body.

It can also be done as a game while chatting with people around you.

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Take as many clothespins as you like

At-home Indoor Recreation for Seniors (Day Service/Nursing Home): Unlimited Clothespin Grab Using Clothespins and a Spoon

Take as many clothespins as you like

Let me introduce a recreation activity you can do using only items you already have at home: the Clothespin Scoop.

All you need are clothespins, spoons, and a container to put the clothespins in.

You can use a bowl as a substitute for the container.

Place the clothespins on a table and hold a spoon in each hand.

Using only the spoons, transfer the clothespins into the container.

It’s fine to use both hands.

It may look simple, but using both hands simultaneously increases stimulation to the brain, turning it into enjoyable brain training.

You can also do it on the floor instead of the table to change the working height; doing it in a squat adds balance training and lower-body exercise at the same time.

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[For Seniors] Collection of Hand and Finger Games: Finger Exercises That Lead to Brain Training (81–90)

Milk Carton Stacking Game

Here’s a super easy activity you can do with a milk carton! Guaranteed laughs—this one’s a hit! The Stacking Game! #DayService #ActivitiesForSeniors #Elderly #Seniors #Recreation #Rehabilitation #shorts

Milk Carton Stacking Game

Introducing a milk carton stacking game you can enjoy with just a little preparation.

All you need are milk cartons.

Cut the cartons into many ring-shaped slices a few centimeters wide.

Stack the square-ring pieces as high as you can without letting them fall.

You can start with a “Ready, go!” or simply stack at your own pace—both are fun.

Deciding where to hold each piece, how to place it, and adjusting while watching the balance engages upper-limb movement as well as thinking and judgment, making it great brain training.

It’s easy to prepare and enjoyable with any number of players, from a small group to a larger one, which is part of its appeal.

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butterfly

[Craft Idea] Butterfly Paper Crafts (April/May Spring) (Wall Decorations) (Senior Recreation/OT/Day Service) (Early Childhood/Edutainment) (DIY) (Origami) (Easy) (Decorating on Poster Board)

butterfly

Here’s an easy “butterfly” craft you can prepare quickly with just a few simple steps.

First, prepare three sheets of origami paper: two for the wings and one for the body.

On the two sheets for the wings, draw lines freely with colored pencils.

This will make the finished piece much more vibrant.

After drawing the lines, fold the origami paper into an accordion, then fold it into a V shape.

Next, cut the remaining sheet into the shape of a butterfly’s body.

Attach the wings to the body symmetrically, and you’re done.

If you make butterflies in various colors and display them, they can become a fantastical wall decoration.

Because this craft uses fine motor skills, it also provides good stimulation for the brain and is recommended as a recreational activity in senior facilities.

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Brain-training finger play

[Test Your Frontal Lobe] Brain Training for the Frontal Lobe That Seems Easy but Is Difficult

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!

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