[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!
- [Recreation] Summary of Recommended Origami Ideas for Seniors
- [For Seniors] Enjoy Something New Every Day! Today’s Origami
- [For Seniors] Perfect Finger Exercises! Seasonal Flower Origami
- Easy origami that delights the elderly. Enjoy a heart-lifting time with seasonal origami.
- Enjoyable for seniors! Easy heart origami
- [For Seniors] Simple Handicrafts Recommended for Finger Exercise
- [For Seniors] Fun Origami That Also Works as Rehabilitation
- For Seniors: Effective Recreation for Preventing Care Needs—Have Fun While Staying Healthy
- [For Seniors] Simple and Fun: Craft Ideas You Can Make with Everyday Items
- Recommended for seniors! Origami gifts
- [For Seniors] A Collection of Fun Classic Caregiving Activities
- [For Seniors] Fun to Make! Paper Quilling Ideas
- [For Seniors] March Origami: Ideas to Brighten Your Room with Seasonal Flowers and Events
[For Seniors] Have Fun with Recreation! Origami Ideas (41–50)
A wreath of double-flowered cherry blossoms
Many seniors eagerly look forward to the cherry blossoms blooming, don’t they? Before the blossoms open outdoors, why not fold cherry blossoms indoors and feel the arrival of spring a little early? This delicate craft is completed by making several small cherry blossoms and layering them.
There are many fine steps, but you’ll feel a real sense of accomplishment when it’s finished.
Let’s make each petal one by one using small pink origami paper.
Glue the petals together, attach the leaves, and your cherry blossom is complete.
Make several blossoms to form a wreath, or decorate a garland or a wall—any of these would look lovely.
Enjoy trying different arrangements!
[For Seniors] Have Fun with Recreation! Origami Ideas (51–60)
An umbrella that can be opened and closed
A highly polished, adorably displayable umbrella with a fun mechanism! Here’s an idea for an umbrella that can open and close.
June is typically the rainy season, right? An umbrella is something we often use at that time.
This time, let’s use origami to make a mechanical umbrella that opens and closes.
You’ll need two sheets of origami paper, glue stick, adhesive glue, scissors, and masking tape.
It’s recommended for those who enjoy detailed work or are eager to focus on a hands-on project.
Using double-sided colored origami paper works well.
Tanabata Wreath Made with Origami
We’d like to introduce a Tanabata wreath you can make with origami.
When you hear “Tanabata,” what do you think of? Orihime and Hikoboshi, stars, bamboo? Let’s fold origami based on those Tanabata images and attach them to a wreath.
There are many origami designs for Orihime and Hikoboshi, ranging from simple to intricate.
An origami wreath is made by combining identical wreath components.
It seems like a lovely activity to do with older adults while reminiscing about Tanabata memories.
Origami Block Calendar
There are many different kinds of tear-off calendars, aren’t there? This time, we’ll introduce a project where turning the blocks changes the month and date.
We’ll fold origami to make the blocks.
First, crease the origami paper, then fold it into a box shape.
Because origami uses your fingertips a lot, it can help activate the brain and serve as good finger training.
You’ll combine two box shapes; the trick is to slightly flatten the one that goes inside to make it easier to insert.
Write the days of the week and numbers on them and line them up, and your block calendar is complete.
If you make a stand for the blocks, it will look even nicer.
pinwheel
On hot summer days, there are things that make you feel cool, aren’t there? The sound of wind chimes, sprinkling water, and tokoroten jelly are just a few.
A pinwheel might be one of those cool-feeling items too, don’t you think? A pinwheel that spins in a light summer breeze or with a gentle puff of air—watching it whirl around somehow makes you feel cooler and more at ease.
Cut slits in four places on a piece of origami paper and fold the corners toward the center.
The key is to bring the corners to the center without making creases—more like folding them over gently.
Fix the pinwheel with a toothpick and attach it to a straw to finish.
It’s the kind of craft that might even bring back memories for older adults of playing with pinwheels when they were young.
happi (traditional Japanese festival coat)
In August, many facilities probably hold summer festivals, don’t they? Here’s an origami happi coat that’s perfect for indoor summer festival decorations and August wall displays.
You’ll fold it using a single sheet of origami paper.
Some steps are a bit complex, but the finished result looks just like a real happi.
Please try folding it with support from those around you, tailored to the needs of older adults.
On the back of the finished happi, write the character for “festival” (祭) with a black pen, or write it on white paper and paste it on.
That will make it look even more authentic.
dolphin
We’d like to introduce an origami piece that looks like a dolphin leaping and swimming through the sea.
Start by making crease lines on the paper, then continue folding step by step.
As you go, it gradually takes on the shape of a dolphin, so older adults can enjoy making it as well.
The dolphin’s mouth and tail fin are also made from a single sheet of paper.
Because of that, there are some steps with finer, more detailed folds.
If the older adult is skilled at origami, they’ll likely enjoy the process.
Once finished, you can arrange it in different ways, such as turning it into a wreath or attaching it to a calendar.