[For Seniors] Day service crafts: A roundup of June-themed ideas
Among the older adults who attend day service centers, there are people with a variety of physical conditions.
Many of them also look forward to recreational activities.
This time, we’re introducing “Recommended June Craft Activities for Day Service.”
We’ve gathered ideas that use classic motifs related to rain, such as hydrangeas and snails.
Doing crafts also serves as fine-motor rehabilitation, so it’s recommended for older adults.
Be sure to enjoy not only the finished product but also the process of making it.
- [For Seniors] Brimming with June’s seasonal charm: A roundup of fun craft ideas
- [For Seniors] Perfect for June: Introducing simple origami projects
- For Seniors: Enjoy the Rainy Season—Event Ideas Perfect for June
- [For Seniors] Small craft ideas: for yourself and as gifts!
- For Seniors: Easy June Calendar Craft Ideas
- For Seniors: Simple and Lovely Crafts – A Collection of Take-Home Project Ideas for Day Service
- [For Seniors] Enjoy and Beat the Summer Heat! July Craft Ideas
- [For Seniors] Have Fun Making Things Based on Today’s Mood! Today’s Recommended Craft
- Menu ideas to enjoy for a June snack activity (for seniors)
- [For Seniors] Enjoy June! Introducing Simple, Recommended Wall Decorations
- [For Seniors] Practical Crafts to Make in Day-Service Recreation: Idea Roundup
- [For Seniors] Simple Handicrafts Recommended for Finger Exercise
- [For seniors] Enjoy spring: April craft ideas
[For Seniors] Day service crafts. Summary of June motif ideas (41–50)
Drawing with colored pencils
A warm, inviting vibe is the charm! Let’s make a calendar while drawing with colored pencils.
The biggest advantages of colored pencils are that they’re easy to try and great for detailed work.
Because you don’t need to press hard, your hands won’t tire easily, making long sessions less strenuous.
You can also blend colors freely as you shade your illustrations, letting you enjoy the exact tones you want.
Relax, tap into your creativity, and create a calendar—it might be just the refresh your mind needs.
[For Seniors] Day service crafts: June motif idea collection (51–60)
Calendar made with transparent calendars and stamps
When the rainy season arrives, some people may find their spirits dipping.
Here’s a calendar that turns gentle drizzle into a charming scene.
Use stamps to create a cutout shape of a girl holding an umbrella.
Stamp the girl with the umbrella onto the calendar base as well, and then attach the cutout on top.
Stamp raindrops onto the calendar base.
The area where the girl with the umbrella is will remain unstamped, creating a neat finish.
There are other stamps that evoke June too, so try making your calendar with whichever designs you like.
Aoi wall decoration
Let me introduce an aoi-themed wall decoration.
First, let’s make the petals.
Fold a sheet of origami paper into thirds both vertically and horizontally, then cut along the creases.
Fold each piece and cut it into a petal shape.
Using a template makes this easier.
Next, to create flowers in a deeper shade of the same color, fold the paper and cut it with a jagged edge.
When you attach these to the center of the petals, it creates a pattern that looks almost real.
Rubbing the petals also adds roundness and gives a three-dimensional effect.
Now, let’s make the leaves.
Cut green origami into four equal parts, shape them like leaves, and add creases.
Using different shades of green will look beautiful when you arrange them.
Finally, attach the flowers and leaves to a large sheet of construction paper, and you’re done.
It’s simple, looks great, and is very satisfying to make.
Lyric decorations with a June motif
Why not create wall decorations using lyrics from songs with a June theme? By displaying the lyrics of “Kaeru no Gasshō” (The Frog Chorus), older adults can recall memories of singing it themselves or hearing their children or grandchildren sing it.
This serves as brain training and is effective for preventing dementia.
You can also enjoy singing the song with the displayed lyrics as a recreation activity.
Singing helps relieve stress, increases physical activity, strengthens muscles, and can help prevent aspiration.
Keeping rhythm and reading lyrics also provide positive stimulation for the brain.
Let’s decorate around the lyrics with June-themed items like hydrangeas and snails so that older adults can feel the season.
Hydrangea torn-paper collage art
The rainy season can feel damp and muggy, and the overcast skies can make it seem dim, so it may carry a strong negative image.
Hydrangeas, however, might be just the thing to brighten that gloomy image of the rainy season, even if only a little.
Let’s enjoy and get through the rainy season with a torn-paper collage featuring hydrangeas—an essential motif for this time of year.
It’s a simple activity: color construction paper with crayons and cut it into small pieces, then paste them onto a hydrangea-shaped outline so the flowers appear to bloom.
Being mindful of finger movements is important—the light coloring process and the fine motions of cutting and pasting help exercise dexterity.
Hydrangea wreath
As June arrives, more and more places see hydrangeas coming into bloom.
For many older adults, seeing hydrangeas likely brings to mind June and the rainy season.
Let’s help everyone feel the season with a lovely hydrangea wreath made from origami.
It’s something we especially want those to see who have difficulty going out on their own and thus have fewer chances to sense the seasons, or those whose sense of time and season has faded due to dementia.
You fold and cut each piece to make it, but there are no complicated steps, so it’s enjoyable as a craft activity.
I think people will also feel a sense of accomplishment by displaying their own creations on the wall.
teru teru bozu (a traditional Japanese handmade doll hung to wish for good weather)
Many older adults probably remember making teru teru bozu the day before a school outing, praying for clear skies.
This time, let’s make teru teru bozu perfect for wish-making using tissue paper.
All you have to do is crumple the tissue paper into a ball by hand, so it’s recommended even for seniors who aren’t confident with crafts.
Put the crumpled tissue paper into a plastic bag and draw the teru teru bozu’s face.
Imagine what kind of face it should have, and feel free to incorporate fun and creative ideas.
