[For Seniors] Fun Origami That Also Works as Rehabilitation
Origami is also being incorporated into rehabilitation for the elderly.
The process of folding, which engages the mind and uses the fingertips, appears to provide moderate stimulation to the brain and help activate it.
So this time, we’ll introduce origami that can be expected to have positive effects for rehabilitation.
We’ve gathered pieces with simple steps that are easy for older adults to try, as well as origami you can play with once it’s finished!
Origami offers a sense of accomplishment when a piece is completed, and because it’s familiar to many seniors, it can be enjoyed across generations.
Some older adults may find it difficult at first.
However, once they get used to it, gradually increasing the difficulty should make it even more enjoyable!
- Easy origami that delights the elderly. Enjoy a heart-lifting time with seasonal origami.
- [For Seniors] Perfect Finger Exercises! Seasonal Flower Origami
- [Recreation] Summary of Recommended Origami Ideas for Seniors
- Simple origami that can be folded from a single sheet
- [For Seniors] Easy Construction Paper Crafts Activity
- [For Seniors] Simple Handicrafts Recommended for Finger Exercise
- For Seniors: Simple and Lovely Crafts – A Collection of Take-Home Project Ideas for Day Service
- Recommended for seniors! Origami gifts
- [For Seniors] Easy Origami Recommended for Winter
- [For Seniors] Lovely Crafts Made with Tissue Paper: Ideas Collection
- [For Seniors] Recommended September Origami to Feel the Autumn Season
- [For Seniors] Simple and Fun: Craft Ideas You Can Make with Everyday Items
- [For Seniors] Enjoy Something New Every Day! Today’s Origami
[For Seniors] Enjoyable Origami That Also Serves as Rehabilitation (91–100)
Frog Teru Teru Bozu
The rainy season often brings gloomy weather that looks like it could spill rain at any moment.
This time, we’re introducing a frog teru teru bozu that will lift your spirits and help you enjoy the rainy season.
All you need are origami paper, a pen, and stickers.
There’s some detailed folding involved, but using your fingertips stimulates the brain and may help prevent cognitive decline, so take your time and go at your own pace.
Once you’ve shaped the frog, finish by adding stickers and drawing the face with a pen.
In addition to its traditional use of wishing for sunny weather, it also makes a great room decoration.
Three-dimensional water lilies
Water lilies blooming in ponds and marshes in parks and temples have a dreamy atmosphere.
During the flowering season, some older adults may go to view them as well.
Because they evoke an image of water, they’re a perfect flower for June origami projects.
Water lilies are known for their distinctive petals, which can be long and slender or rounded.
If you fold the origami first and then cut, you can create beautiful petals.
Layer the petal pieces to complete the water lily flower.
You can also make leaves out of origami and place them with the flower.
It’s also recommended to stick them on a June calendar.
[For Seniors] Enjoyable Origami That Also Serves as Rehabilitation (101–110)
Hydrangeas and a snail
Here’s a lovely idea featuring beautifully colorful hydrangeas and a little snail.
First, prepare small sheets of origami paper.
If you don’t have small ones, you can quarter a standard sheet to make the same size.
Crease the paper, secure it with a stapler, then open it up to form a flower.
Once you’ve made about ten, gather the flowers and glue them together.
If you attach them closely, you can create a full, realistic hydrangea look.
With such pretty hydrangeas, even the snail seems to be having fun.
Even on gloomy, rain-prone days, this decoration will brighten up your room—so give it a try!
After the rain
When the gentle rains of the rainy season stop, it lifts your spirits.
Of course, it’s also a life-giving rain, and the rainy season is an important time, so there are people who welcome it too.
How about expressing a little scene unique to June’s stretch of rainy days with origami? Here’s an origami craft inspired by the clearing after rain.
Try making a closed umbrella, hydrangeas, and teru-teru bozu.
The finished pieces will look lovely as wall decorations or mounted on a backing sheet.
Older adults can also feel the season through making these crafts, and their rainy-season stories might make for lively conversation.
support flag
Not only the people taking part in the sports day events, but also those cheering them on are getting excited, aren’t they? Let’s make a cheering flag that captures that passionate spirit.
Prepare origami paper and paper straws.
Fold the origami, glue it, and attach a paper straw.
You can leave it as is, but it will look great if you stamp a message on the flag or add stickers.
If you hang them on the wall, they can evoke the lively cheers of a sports day and help create a fun atmosphere.
It might also bring back memories of past sports days for older adults.
It’s a project that’s likely to spark conversation with sports day stories even as you make it.
Crown Medal
Here’s how to make a three-dimensional crown medal that also works as a decoration for sports day.
It can be used as a display, and seniors who participate in the sports day program can wear it around their necks as well.
Receiving a handmade medal might make some seniors feel happy.
Cut two slits in the cardstock base of the medal and insert a crown—also made from cardstock—into the slits.
Position the slits along a curved line so the medal becomes three-dimensional.
We recommend attaching shiny origami paper to the crown and the medal base.
Add stickers or write a message to create a one-of-a-kind medal.
Wisteria flowers made with origami
Here’s an idea for wisteria flowers that will instantly brighten up a room when hung from walls or the ceiling.
Prepare origami paper in purple, light purple, yellow-green, and green, then fold the flowers and leaves.
Make the flowers using origami cut in half.
Fold the paper in half lengthwise, unfold it, and then fold both edges inward along the center crease.
Some of the steps are a bit detailed, but using your hands skillfully can help prevent cognitive decline.
The more wisteria flowers you make, the fuller and more beautiful the result will be, so please have the seniors divide the work and create them together.
