Lovely senior life

[For Seniors] DIY Hand Rehabilitation Tools to Strengthen Fingertips: A Collection of Handmade Ideas

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.

Daily rehabilitation exercises performed by seniors contribute to both mental and physical health.

Finger rehabilitation in particular is recommended, as it provides beneficial stimulation to the brain.

In this article, we introduce handmade items that are great for finger rehabilitation for older adults.

With the goal of improving finger function, we’ve gathered easy-to-incorporate, DIY ideas for everyday life.

You can easily get the materials at 100-yen shops, so why not give them a try? If you’re thinking about making your own rehab items, be sure to use this as a reference.

[For Seniors] Rehabilitation tools to train fingertips: Handmade idea collection (41–50)

Whack-a-mole with paper cups

[100-yen shop] Super-exciting recreation with a paper-cup Whac-A-Mole

Whack-a-mole with paper cups

This is a game where you use a hammer made from a paper cup with chopsticks attached to catch moles made from paper cups.

If you stack them quickly, the mole sticks to the hammer, and you use this to pick up the moles on the field in order.

A key rule is to remove the captured moles one by one, and this transfer process also exercises hand movements.

By competing to see how many moles you can collect within the time limit, it’s a game that trains concentration and quick reactions.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Flower making with DIY yarn

“Handmade” Easy [Turn a Pencil into a Tool Quickly] DIY Flower Making with Yarn — Amazing Handicraft Flower Design Trick with a Pencil 🌸

Flower making with DIY yarn

This is a flower mascot with a beautiful, soft appearance created by layering wrapped yarn.

Use two pencils as a base and wrap the yarn around them; then thread yarn through the gap between the pencils to tighten the center, remove the pencils, and form the petals.

Finally, combine the petal pieces with yarn to complete the flower, and carefully shape it so it clearly looks like a flower.

The pressure used while wrapping and how you tighten with the yarn are also key points for making a beautiful flower, so this activity encourages attention to finger movements and how much force to apply.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Pegboard made from an empty egg carton

@funotactivities
DIY Fine motor pegboard using egg carton with crayons! #occupationaltherapy #schoolot #activitiesforkids #crayola #rainbow #ot #kidscraft #fun #diy
♬ Dynamite – BTS

A pegboard is a wooden board with holes into which you insert pegs—wooden pins that vary in color, shape, and size.

Because it involves grasping the pegs and inserting or removing them from holes, it’s used for upper-limb training.

Commercial versions can range from around a thousand yen to several tens of thousands of yen.

Here’s a more affordable, homemade alternative: a pegboard made from an empty egg carton.

Paint the rounded egg-holder sections of a paper egg carton and make holes in them.

Use crayons as the pegs.

Insert each crayon into the hole with the matching color on the egg carton.

You’ll have an inexpensive and easy-to-make rehabilitation tool ready to use.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Colored ball matching

@colorful_0501
Translation # developmental support (ryōiku)Translation #TherapeuticSupportGoods Handmade teaching materials Handmade goods Educational materials for early childhood development Educational #Handmade Educational Materials Matching Put in dexterous Hands-on play Finger play Finger Dexterity Education Playing house #NeurodevelopmentalDisorders Developmental Support Person with developmental delay Child Development Support #Support for Visits to Nursery Schools and Similar Facilities #TherapeuticSupport Autism spectrum #Autism #ADHD Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Fukuoka Prefecture Kurume City
‘Sorry for Being Cute (feat. Kopi)’ – HoneyWorks

Here’s a rehabilitation activity that helps train finger dexterity while learning colors.

You’ll use an ice tray like the ones used to make ice in the freezer.

Pinch and place craft pom-poms into the compartments of the ice tray with your fingers.

Prepare pom-poms in a variety of colors.

Make a sample in advance, and then place the pom-poms to match the sample.

By distinguishing colors, you can train the ability to observe carefully and compare objects.

It can be done alone with focus, or enjoyed in a small group as a friendly competition.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

A plastic bottle that trains fine finger movements

For people with hemiplegia: Train fine finger movements using a plastic bottle

A plastic bottle that trains fine finger movements

To open a plastic bottle cap, you need a firm fingertip grip and precise rotational movements.

This product uses the bottle-opening motion to train your fingertips.

First, cut the bottle so that the connection between the cap and the body remains, then use screws to fix them onto a board.

Next, attach tape with letters or symbols to each cap, and it’s ready.

You can arrange the caps in the order of the Japanese syllabary or form specified words—by adding these thinking elements, you can effectively train both the brain and the fingertips.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

beanbags

How to Make Beanbags: It’s so easy that even a child can make one alone 🙌 Clear, step-by-step instructions / With hiragana subtitles / Let’s make and play with a traditional Japanese toy♪

beanbags

By feeling the texture of the beans inside with your fingers and performing actions like gripping, throwing, and grasping, beanbags can be used for hand and finger rehabilitation.

First, make a small pouch with fabric you like, then fill it with adzuki beans or similar.

Besides adzuki beans, we recommend using prayer beads, dried corn kernels, or seashells.

Close it up, and you’re done! You can also use it to play with your grandchildren, making hand and finger rehab fun.

Try games like stacking the beanbags or tossing them into a basket.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Finger training with clothespins

Grow your hair with clothespins! Finger training — Today’s brain training, care prevention, and dementia prevention

Finger training with clothespins

This activity uses clothespins to build fingertip strength and pinching motions.

You stick a large illustration onto cardboard and then attach clothespins to the illustration as if they were hair.

It’s fun because children can move their fingers while thinking about what kind of hairstyle to create.

When connecting clothespins to each other rather than just attaching them to the illustration, they need to carefully consider where to clip them, which also engages the brain.

While clothespins are commonly operated with the thumb and index finger, intentionally trying different fingers can help train finger strength more evenly.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem