[For Seniors] Have Fun with Recreation! Origami Ideas
Origami, which is incorporated into recreational activities at care facilities.
Origami seems familiar to many older adults, as they often folded paper when they were young and it was a common pastime.
Because you can fold while chatting with other seniors, it also helps promote communication!
So this time, we’ll introduce origami that’s perfect for recreation activities for older adults.
Using your fingertips and thinking about what shape it will become when finished also serves as brain training.
Please make good use of these origami ideas in your recreational programs!
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[For Seniors] Have Fun with Recreation! Origami Ideas (161–170)
Three-dimensional hanging scroll of morning glories
We’d like to introduce a morning glory hanging scroll that’s perfect for the season when the rainy season ends and the heat sets in.
Make the morning glories by folding and cutting origami, then attach paper straws to them.
Cut a base into a long rectangular shape like a hanging scroll and punch holes for the straws.
Insert the morning glories with the attached straws into the holes in the base.
If you thread a string through the straws, you can hang it up as a decoration.
Curving the base will give the morning glories a three-dimensional look.
Many older adults associate morning glories with summer, so creating this piece can also help them feel the season.
peach blossoms
Peach blossoms, which bloom as spring grows warmer, are known to share many similarities with cherry blossoms, such as their small pink flowers.
Let’s create peach blossoms that capture that beauty and warmth by making a three-dimensional version with origami.
First, cut the origami paper into a pentagon.
Using the creases—which also serve as guides—fold it into a shape with five pointed directions.
From there, shape each tip into a petal, and you’re done.
It’s a design where precise small refolds are key.
The reverse side of the paper also becomes part of the design, so the impression will change depending on the color you choose.
Peach Blossom Wreath
Here’s an introduction to a cute peach blossom wreath made with origami.
Both the wreath base and the peach blossoms are created by combining individual parts.
Since many of the steps are simple, it should be suitable for a large number of older adults to try.
Origami involves thinking ahead to the next steps and the finished piece, so it’s said to have brain-training benefits.
What’s more, the fingers are so closely connected to the brain that they’re often called the “second brain.” Using your fingertips is said to stimulate and activate the brain.
Please consider using this peach blossom wreath activity for recreation.
Sakura haiku decoration
When you think of spring, cherry blossoms are surely one of the first things that come to mind.
Here’s a video that shows you how to make cherry blossoms easily.
It’s perfect for recreational activities at day-service centers and similar settings! Combining them with other flowers can create a more stylish atmosphere.
All you need are items like thick paper, craft bands, and colored paper.
Preparation is simple, so you can get started right away.
If everyone pitches in to make these cherry blossoms, you’ll be able to produce a lot in no time.
Give it a try!
Sakura Japanese-style ornament
Cherry trees color Japan’s spring.
Seeing the cherry blossoms in full bloom in parks and other places gives you a sense of seasonal charm, doesn’t it? Let’s make a Japanese-style cherry blossom decoration that captures that feeling of spring.
Use three sheets of origami in different sizes, accordion-fold them, apply glue, and connect them.
Create a three-dimensional cherry blossom out of origami.
Because it’s three-dimensional, some steps are quite detailed.
Older adults who enjoy origami will likely have fun making it.
If the finer parts are difficult, people around them should lend a hand.
Assemble the cherry blossom petals and place them on the accordion-folded origami to finish.
It will look lovely displayed at home.
cherry blossom twig
Introducing a cherry blossom twig decoration that symbolizes spring in Japan.
Once you have pink origami paper ready, let’s make the blossoms.
Using a round dish or similar object makes it easy.
Cut out a circle, fold it in half, then fold it again so it becomes one-third the original size.
Sketch a petal shape with a pencil and cut along the line.
When you unfold it, you’ll have a cherry blossom with six petals.
Overlap one petal onto the neighboring petal to give it a three-dimensional shape.
Make a branch from brown origami paper and leaves from green origami paper, then attach them along with the blossoms to finish.
It looks adorable when added to a message card or gift box.
Give it a try!
Cherry blossom wall decoration
Let’s make a cherry-blossom wall decoration that lets you feel the arrival of spring even indoors.
You’ll need origami paper, a craft punch, scissors, and similar supplies.
The appeal is that you can make it with materials you have on hand.
Prepare dark pink origami paper and fold it twice to form a triangle.
After folding along the creases several times, mark it with a pen and cut with scissors.
When you unfold it, you’ll have a cherry blossom with beautifully symmetrical petals.
Make another blossom the same way using light pink origami in a slightly smaller size, and create leaves from green origami.
Accordion-fold the leaves to add veins for a realistic look.
Use a craft punch to make the center parts of the blossoms and attach them, and your cherry blossoms are ready.
Mount them on a backing sheet, and your lovely cherry-blossom wall decoration is complete.