[For Seniors] Make Every Day Fun! A Collection of Handmade Tear-off Calendars
Page-a-day calendars are often made as recreational activities in elderly care facilities.
Some facilities create them as a year-end tradition.
A calendar made by everyone brightens up a room just by being displayed.
However, rather than making the same kind every year, you might want to try something with a fresh twist.
So this time, we’re introducing a variety of handmade page-a-day calendar ideas.
We’ve selected designs that are easy for older adults to flip and that can be used at home as well.
For people with dementia, recognizing the date can be challenging.
Making it a daily habit to flip the calendar can help them stay aware of the date.
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[For Seniors] Make Every Day Fun! A Roundup of Handmade Tear-Off Calendars (1–10)
Message of Happiness
We would like to introduce “Messages of Happiness,” a handmade page-a-day calendar that brings small moments of joy to seniors’ daily lives.
With one card per day, every page you turn reveals gentle words and positive messages that bring a warm feeling and help lighten the heart.
Careful attention has been paid to readability and design, with many delightful touches that naturally bring a smile each time you look at it.
It also sparks interaction with family and staff, adding rhythm and enjoyment to everyday life.
This is a calendar filled with compassion that stays close to the hearts of seniors.
A countdown tear-off calendar to your goals and fun events
Many senior care facilities hold seasonal events and activities, don’t they? There are likely older adults who look forward to these events, thinking, “Is it time yet?” That’s why I recommend a countdown tear-off calendar.
You can count down the days to an event or activity by turning a page each day.
If you write the final day’s goal on the calendar, it may make people look forward to flipping each page.
Using washi (masking) tape to flip the date cards is also convenient.
A daily tear-off calendar made with everyday materials
Here’s an introduction to a daily tear-off calendar you can make with everyday materials.
You can put leftover construction paper from craft activities or odd fabric scraps to good use.
Create month and date cards out of construction paper or cardstock.
As for the leftover fabric, why not use it to cover the calendar’s base? A daily calendar you make yourself can inspire affection, especially among older adults, and they may enjoy turning the pages.
Plus, flipping the calendar uses the fingertips, making it a helpful exercise for seniors’ fine motor skills.
[For Seniors] Make Every Day Fun! A Roundup of Handmade Tear-Off Calendars (11–20)
One doodle a day in a relaxed style
The shape of letters and the font can change the impression even when it’s the same character.
Here’s a calendar created with “yuru-moji,” a relaxed, gentle lettering style that gives a soothing feel when you look at it.
Yuru-moji features rounded forms and variations in letter size.
If you prepare some yuru-moji examples in advance and let older adults choose and write in the style they like, it may be easier for them to participate.
Yuru-moji is also recommended for those who aren’t confident in drawing.
Yuru-moji written with just a brush pen becomes an art piece on its own.
With just a touch of color added to the calendar paper with the lettering, you can create a lovely calendar.
Tear-off calendar notebook
Let me introduce a tear-off daily calendar made with a notebook.
Write the date on each page of the notebook, then add messages or paste photos.
Ask the older adult to open the page for today’s date.
Every time they open the notebook, it’s likely to make them feel happy and delighted.
Older adults can make it themselves as a craft activity, but it’s also recommended as a gift for them.
It’s a handmade, heartfelt daily calendar.
Because it can be kept close at hand, it helps older adults stay aware of the date at any time.
Setsubun tear-off calendar
When it comes to events in February, many people probably think of Setsubun.
Setsubun brings to mind things like oni (demons), bean-throwing, and ehomaki sushi rolls.
Let’s try making a calendar suited to each season by crafting these associated items out of construction paper or cardstock.
For example, New Year’s for January, Hina dolls for March, and cherry-blossom viewing for April.
It could also be fun to have seniors imagine the season and create items based on their answers.
Recalling seasonal themes each month can serve as brain training, too.
By changing the motifs, you can make a calendar that works all year round.
A calendar colored by your favorite songs
How about brightening up a calendar with your favorite songs? Here’s an idea: make a tear-off daily calendar with construction paper, and on each page write the title of a song you love, a favorite lyric from it, or draw an illustration related to the song.
Tear-off calendars are easy to forget to flip, but this way you might enjoy keeping up with it.
It could also be fun to choose songs you want someone to listen to and give the calendar as a gift.
By the way, using crayons or a brush when you draw can give it a more sophisticated, grown-up feel.
