[For Seniors] Enjoy the Hot Summer to the Fullest! A Collection of Easy Craft Ideas
Summer is the season when we start to sweat more and more.
Even indoors, you may sometimes feel the heat.
However, some older adults seem to have a harder time sensing heat.
This time, we’ll introduce some simple, recommended crafts you can do indoors during the hot season, when outdoor activities tend to decrease.
By creating summer-themed pieces, you can help people feel the season, even if it’s become harder to sense it.
After making them, you can take them home or display them at a facility, which can also give a sense of accomplishment!
Crafting involves fine motor movements of the fingertips and thinking through the steps in your head, stimulating the brain and serving as brain training.
Please enjoy making them at your own pace.
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[For Seniors] Enjoy the Hot Summer to the Fullest! Easy Craft Ideas (1–10)
Stained glass-style fireworks
This stained-glass-style craft lets you feel the beauty of fireworks bursting in the night sky and is a vibrant project recommended for older adults as well.
Fold a sheet of black construction paper in half and mark the areas to cut so they form the shapes of fireworks.
After freely drawing the firework patterns, carefully cut along the marks.
Layer and attach colored cellophane—such as red, yellow, and blue—onto a piece of parchment (baking) paper to create multicolored fireworks.
Finally, place the cut black paper on top, and you’ll have stained-glass-style fireworks you can enjoy by holding them up to the light.
Display them by a window to catch sunlight or the evening glow for a sparkling effect that’s a treat for the eyes.
Using scissors and glue, this summery project offers gentle, hands-on work that’s enjoyable without strain, making it especially appealing.
Ornamental display of Orihime and Hikoboshi
These Orihime and Hikoboshi tabletop decorations are perfect for Tanabata and are a gentle, enjoyable seasonal craft for seniors.
Fold a toilet paper tube in half, then cut two rings about 3 cm wide.
Place a small, balled-up tissue inside each ring as a core and secure it with a rubber band to create a plump body.
Decorate over it with origami paper or lace as if dressing them in kimonos to evoke the look of Orihime and Hikoboshi.
Finally, make facial features from origami or similar paper and attach them to finish.
Simply lining them up on a desk or shelf adds a touch of the season.
As you work with your fingertips, memories and Tanabata-themed conversations naturally flow, making it a delightful craft to enjoy.
Goldfish Herbarium
We also recommend a cool-looking goldfish herbarium that helps ease the summer heat.
A herbarium is an item made by filling a glass container with a special oil and placing plants inside.
Many people have probably seen the type with flowers in a tall, narrow bottle.
This time, the idea is to treat the oil as if it were water, put aquatic plants in the bottle, and add goldfish stickers.
It’s fun to mull over which goldfish to use, too.
[For Seniors] Make the Most of the Hot Summer! A Collection of Easy Craft Ideas (11–20)
Fruit uchiwa (fruit-shaped hand fan)
The colorful fruit-themed paper fans are a summery craft recommended for older adults.
Fold origami paper into an accordion, then glue the pieces together to create parts that spread out into a circle.
Because this task uses the fingertips extensively, it’s perfect for fine motor exercise.
Attach the finished parts to the tip of a bamboo chopstick and connect them until they form a circle to complete the fan shape.
Using colors and patterns inspired by fruits like watermelon, orange, and kiwi makes the project visually delightful.
These fans are both decorative and practical, and they’re an ideal, safe indoor craft for the hot season.
Fluffy shaved ice
Known as a classic symbol of summer, fluffy shaved ice is an easy craft that’s also recommended for seniors and helps everyone feel cooler.
Use crayons to freely draw letters and patterns—like ice or a shop name—on a paper cup.
Then gently place cotton on top of the cup to form an ice-like shape.
Finish by painting the surface of the cotton with your favorite colors—red, green, blue, and more—to create a piece that looks just like real shaved ice.
Adjusting the amount of water in the paint and how the colors blend is part of the fun, as it lets you express different “flavors.” The fine finger movements provide stimulating brain activity, allowing you to enjoy a creative time that reflects the season.
It’s also visually striking and can instantly add a cool, refreshing touch just by displaying it.
Mini Aquarium
Even if you’re not that interested in aquariums, you can probably name quite a few: Sunshine Aquarium, Shinagawa Aquarium, Kyoto Aquarium, and Osaka’s Kaiyukan.
Do Japanese people really like aquariums? With that in mind, why not try getting through the hot summer by making your own mini aquarium? Some people even create lovely aquariums using only materials from 100-yen shops.
You can make one using items like UV resin, dried moss, and stickers for herbariums.
Some of these might sound unfamiliar, but it could be fun to give it a try as a summer craft project.
It’s also enjoyable to divide up the tasks and make one together!
Paper cup fireworks
Fireworks made with paper cups are a classic summer craft that even older adults can easily enjoy.
Cut several vertical slits along the side of the cup and gently flare them outward to create the look of an opening firework.
Draw patterns on the bottom of the cup with colored pencils or crayons to give it your own original firework design.
You can glue the finished firework onto black construction paper to depict it bursting in the night sky.
By changing the angles of the slits and the colors you use, you can create a variety of fireworks, which broadens the scope for creativity.
The hands-on process of planning colors and shapes helps stimulate the brain, and once completed, the craft also works well as a seasonal wall decoration.
It’s a recommended activity that lets you easily enjoy a hallmark of summer indoors.