Lovely senior life

[For Seniors] Introducing Fun Crafts Made with Plastic Bottle Caps

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.

We’ve gathered practical craft ideas that use plastic bottle caps.

Bottle caps that would normally end up as trash—why not use them to enjoy some crafting?

You can easily make useful items like brooches, small containers, magnets, and memo stands.

They’re perfect for small gifts, too.

Moving your hands helps stimulate both body and mind, making this a great recreational activity.

Please use these ideas as a reference for craft activities in senior care facilities.

[For Seniors] Fun Crafts Using Plastic Bottle Caps (21–30)

Grape Puzzle

[November Indoor Recreation for Seniors] A “Grape Puzzle” Using Plastic Bottle Caps

Grape Puzzle

Would you like to try a grape puzzle using plastic bottle caps? This activity not only involves arranging caps, but also encourages creativity to make your own unique bunch of grapes.

It can promote independence and is great for brain training.

Because it uses fine motor skills, it’s also effective for finger rehabilitation.

Draw a grape stem on white construction paper and have older adults place the caps like a puzzle to form the shape of grapes.

It’s a simple yet enriching activity for seniors.

If you’re looking for ideas for activities at senior facilities or day services, why not try introducing this one?

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Japanese taiko drum strap

Taiko drum strap #dayservice #daycare #daycareforolderadults #dayrehab #caregiving #seniors #easycraft #craftactivity #strap #plasticbottlecap #howtoattach

Japanese taiko drum strap

Let us introduce a Japanese drum strap that rings like a little bell when you shake it.

You can make it by combining two plastic bottle caps.

Thread a bell onto a string, place the bell inside one of the bottle caps, and pull the string out through the gap between the two combined caps.

Before assembling, draw a taiko drum pattern on the caps.

Wrap vinyl tape around the overlapped part of the caps.

Make a small slit in the vinyl tape where the string comes out so the string can pass through—this is the key point.

Since it can be made with everyday items, try making it together with older adults.

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[For Seniors] Introducing Fun Crafts Made with Plastic Bottle Caps (31–40)

Kanji with the shinnyō radical

Try listing as many kanji with the shinnyō (辶) radical as you can!

Kanji with the shinnyō radical

Let me introduce a kanji PET-bottle-cap puzzle.

There are many kanji in Japan, and by using radicals such as the ones for “fish,” “tree,” or “metal,” you can create an interesting puzzle game.

For example, write kanji that include the shinnyō radical—such as 進, 辺, 逆, and 遊—on caps and on a sheet.

Then place the cap with the matching kanji onto the corresponding kanji on the sheet that has the shinnyō radical.

You can also color the kanji on the sheet and the caps.

Through this puzzle game, you might even discover an unexpected side of older adults, such as their deep knowledge of kanji.

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Olympic sports pictograms

Tokyo 2020 Olympics Moving Pictograms – All 50 Events | TOKYO Olympic Pictograms

Olympic sports pictograms

The pictograms used on emergency exit signs.

Pictograms are symbols that convey information or warnings through pictures and diagrams.

There are also pictograms inspired by Olympic events.

At the Paris 2024 Games in France, there were reportedly 62 pictograms in total, including both the Olympics and the Paralympics.

I think many older adults are also interested in the Olympics.

A bottle-cap puzzle that uses the pictograms from the Olympics held in Japan in the familiar year of 2020 would likely be a hit.

It might even remind some people of the Tokyo Olympics held in 1964.

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Single-character kanji for bird names

[Difficult Kanji] Single-character bird name kanji – Intermediate Edition – 20 questions with hints* A word problem set that builds your confidence

Single-character kanji for bird names

Do you know how the kanji 隼 is read? It’s actually pronounced “hayabusa,” meaning peregrine falcon.

It’s interesting to think that even a single-character kanji can be a bird’s name, isn’t it? A PET bottle cap puzzle that uses bird names written with single kanji characters might be enjoyable for older adults as well.

It could be helpful to add furigana to both the caps and the sheet.

While playing the game, older adults might enjoy gaining new knowledge, thinking, “So this bird uses this kanji.”

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Sea creatures

[How many can you get right?] 30-Second Kanji Quiz on Sea Creatures! [Yukkuri Explanation] #Shorts

Sea creatures

Let’s have fun with a PET bottle cap puzzle featuring kanji for sea creatures.

For example, you place pieces like ‘shachi’ (orca) or ‘azarashi’ (seal) onto a sheet that has the same characters written on it.

Including illustrations of the animals alongside the kanji answers might make it easier to engage.

Many older adults likely know a variety of sea creatures.

With a familiar theme, this game could be approachable for seniors as well.

Since the theme is sea creatures, another enjoyable activity—though not a puzzle—could be a “fishing” game using caps labeled with the kanji names of sea animals.

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Kanji that look readable but aren’t

Kanji That Look Easy but Are Hard to Read: Food Edition! Can everyone read them? #shorts #short #kanji #japan #newschoolterm

Kanji that look readable but aren’t

In everyday life, we see many kanji characters.

The kanji used for names of things may be based on imagery of the object they represent or derived from their roots.

Here, we introduce a PET bottle cap puzzle featuring kanji that look readable but are tricky to read.

You may find that some kanji are pronounced differently from how you vaguely thought they were.

Through this puzzle game, some older adults might be surprised to learn, “So this kanji is read like this!” There may also be readings you encounter for the first time.

Older adults, too, may enjoy progressing through the game while having fun with kanji readings.

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