[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] Small craft ideas: for yourself and as gifts!
For Seniors: Make the Most of the Hot Summer! Easy Craft Ideas (41–50)
Goldfish made by folding felt
Introducing a gentle craft idea for seniors that you can enjoy with a summery feel: “Folded Felt Goldfish.” Using soft, easy-to-handle felt as if it were origami, fold and shape it into a cute goldfish.
The thickness makes it easy to hold, so it’s suitable even for those who find fine motor tasks challenging.
Place the finished goldfish on light blue felt, and it will look as if it’s swimming in cool water.
Its refreshing appearance makes it delightful to display.
It’s a relaxing, seasonal recreation you can enjoy without strain.
[For Seniors] Enjoy the Hot Summer to the Fullest! Simple Craft Idea Collection (51–60)
Goldfish made with paper quilling
Let’s try making a goldfish with paper quilling, a craft where you roll narrow strips of paper to create various shapes.
Basically, you wind the paper around a thin stick like a toothpick to make coils, then loosen, pinch, and shape them into parts.
You’ll need six parts for the goldfish: one for the head and body together, three for the tail fin, and one each for the dorsal and pectoral fins.
Once the parts are ready, assemble and glue them together, then add beads for the eyes.
Create a base by gluing paper cord into a spiral, attach the goldfish to it, and you’ll have a summery wall decoration.
Goldfish at the summer festival
Here’s a goldfish craft idea that will be a big hit at summer festivals in your facility.
Make the goldfish by covering a balled-up tissue with flower paper, shaping it, stapling it in place, and adding eyes—that’s it! It’s cute as is, but add one more touch to give it a summer festival vibe.
Put sparkly packing material or colored cellophane into a wrapping bag to represent water.
Place the goldfish—attached to fishing line—inside, then close the wrapping bag so it forms a triangle.
This way, you can recreate the feeling of goldfish scooping at a festival!
Goldfish postcard made of fabric
The “fabric goldfish postcard,” which captures the feeling of summer, is a gentle craft idea that’s also recommended for older adults.
By cutting red or orange fabric into small pieces and layering them, you can create the shape of the goldfish and the pattern of its scales.
Using chirimen crepe or yukata fabric gives it a cool, elegant look.
The detailed work of cutting and pasting fabric engages finger movements and can help stimulate cognitive function.
You can display the finished piece, send it as a postcard to someone, and enjoy the interaction it inspires—making this a highly recommended craft.
Goldfish made with origami
Here’s an idea for making a goldfish using two sheets of origami paper.
If you use 15 cm paper, the goldfish will turn out quite large, so if you want to make a smaller one, cut the paper into quarters and use that.
With the first sheet, make the goldfish’s head and body, as well as the dorsal and pectoral fins.
With the second sheet, make the decorative tail fin.
Basically, you’ll create creases and fold along them, but for the tail fin you’ll need to open up the pockets to squash them and fold the edges narrowly, so proceed carefully.
Once both parts are finished, attach them together, add the eyes, and you’re done.
Morning glories and goldfish ornaments
Let’s try making a three-dimensional display of morning glories and goldfish.
The base aquarium is made by lining the bottom of an empty 6-piece cheese box with blue washi paper and attaching craft bands to the inner and outer sides.
Stand a straw on the base to serve as a support, then attach morning glories made from coffee filters colored with paint.
Make the leaves by cutting green wrapping paper.
Attach goldfish made from construction paper and straws to the base, and use garden vinyl ties to represent aquatic plants.
Finally, tie the center of the straw support with a black cord, and you’re done!
Simple Fishing Rod and Goldfish
Why not make a fishing rod and goldfish to enjoy a summer-themed game? For the goldfish, crumple tissue paper into a ball, then wrap it with more tissue paper and shape it like a goldfish.
Add eyes, insert a clip at the mouth, and glue it in place to finish.
For the fishing rod, bundle four tightly rolled paper sticks together, and attach a short piece of thin straw to one of them.
Thread a string with a hook (the clip’s prong) through the straw and cut it to your preferred length.
Add a stopper by threading on beads, and it’s done.
Let the line hang, hook the clip on the goldfish, and pull the string to reel it in.