Lovely senior life

[For Seniors] Introducing May-themed Origami!

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Origami is a popular recreational activity in senior care facilities.

Finger exercises are effective for stimulating the brain, and displaying completed pieces or feeling a sense of accomplishment adds to the enjoyment.

May is a month filled with events, such as Children’s Day and Mother’s Day.

So this time, we’ll introduce origami with a May theme.

Origami that activates both the fingers and the brain while feeling the season—and offers a sense of achievement—can be considered an ideal recreation for older adults.

By all means, try making May-themed origami together with the older adults around you.

[For Seniors] Introducing Origami Inspired by May! (91–100)

strawberry

[Craft Idea] Strawberries (April–May, Spring) (Wall Decorations) (Senior Recreation/OT/Daycare) (Early Childhood Education) (Origami) (Group Craft Activity) (DIY/Papercraft)

strawberry

Let’s make strawberries out of origami to decorate your walls! First, cut red origami paper into the shape of a strawberry and draw the seeds with a pen.

Make a slit in the middle at the top of the strawberry, overlap the left and right sides, and glue them together.

Attach them so that the crossed part looks slightly puffed.

Next, use green origami paper to make the calyx and leaves.

Start by creating a template, trace it onto the origami, then cut it out with scissors.

Once the leaves are cut, fold them in half, then make diagonal folds on the front and back in turn to create the look of leaf veins.

Glue the three parts together, and your strawberry is complete!

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Ladybugs and clover

[Craft Idea] Ladybug and Clover – Spring (April/May) – Activities for Older Adults, Wall Decorations, Early Childhood Education, Creative Crafts, Bug Crafts, Occupational Therapy (OT)

Ladybugs and clover

Let me show you how to make ladybugs and clovers, which you often see on spring walks! For the ladybug, cut a circular piece from black origami paper, make a single slit from the center toward the edge, then overlap and glue the edges to form a cone.

This will be the body, so cut out the wings, round wing spots, eyes, and antennae from origami paper as well and glue them on.

For the clover, fold the origami paper into a square twice, then into a triangle once.

Draw half of a heart shape along the fold and cut it out with scissors to make a four-leaf clover.

It looks adorable if you place the ladybug on top of the clover as a decoration—highly recommended!

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white clover

[Craft Idea] White Clover Crafts (May–June, spring) (senior recreation) (wall decorations) (early childhood education) (daycare) (flowers) (crafting) (Flower crafts) (OT)

white clover

Many older adults may remember enjoying making white clover crowns when they were children.

Here’s an idea for crafting white clover using origami.

Take a small sheet of origami paper, fold it twice into a square, then draw a petal outline and cut it out, making sure not to cut through the center.

Do you have four petals? Fold it in half so the petals don’t overlap to complete one flower piece.

Slightly offset and glue together four of these pieces, add a stem, and your white clover is ready.

You can create a wall display of a white clover field, or make a bouquet—both would look wonderfully springlike.

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honeybee

[Craft Idea] Honeybees and Flower Garden (April/May Spring) (Wall Decorations) (Senior Recreation/OT/Day Service) (Early Childhood Education) (3D) (DIY/Papercraft)

honeybee

In spring, bees fly from flower to flower collecting nectar.

So this time, I’d like to share a craft idea for making a bee.

First, cut yellow origami paper into a gourd shape.

This will be the bee’s body, so use a pen to draw the striped pattern on the rear and the face.

Next, attach the wings and antennae cut from origami paper in the same way.

Make a small slit at the rear, overlap the left and right sides, and glue them together.

This will give it a slightly three-dimensional look.

Finally, add a stinger to the rear, and it’s complete! Be sure to display it above a flower field.

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wisteria flowers

[Craft idea] Wisteria flowers (May, spring) (wall decorations) (recreation for seniors/occupational therapy/daycare) (early childhood education) (origami) (DIY papercraft) (group craft activity) (Fuji Musume - Wisteria Maiden)

wisteria flowers

Let’s make wisteria flowers, which are at their best in May, using origami.

Cut out lots of small fan shapes from origami paper, then roll each one into a cone.

These will be the blossoms.

Once you’ve finished rolling them all, attach them to a strip-shaped base.

Place them in pairs so they form sets of two, one on the left and one on the right.

Cut leaves from green origami paper and attach them to a strip-shaped stem as well.

For the tree branches, use origami paper that you’ve slightly crumpled to add texture, then cut it into branch shapes.

The steps themselves are simple, but you’ll need a lot of blossoms and leaves, so chat while you work and have everyone pitch in together.

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Colorful hydrangea flower wreath

How to fold an origami hydrangea flower wreath | Origami Hydrangea Flower Wreath Tutorial (NiceNo1)

Colorful hydrangea flower wreath

Let me introduce a hydrangea flower wreath made from origami.

All you need is glue, so it’s easy to prepare.

Once you’ve picked your favorite origami paper, attach a marker piece and keep folding while flipping the paper front and back.

It involves fine work with your fingertips, but that helps stimulate your brain.

Attach the finished flowers to each other and shape them into a wreath.

Be careful not to let them shift until the glue dries.

You can enjoy making them in sizes from small to large, and layering them makes the result even more beautiful.

Give it a try!

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In conclusion

This time, we introduced origami themed around May. It’s such a pleasant season—why not enjoy creating pieces at a relaxed pace by the window while soaking up the cheerful weather? We’ve gathered models ranging from easy to a bit more challenging. Origami activities can be great brain training for seniors, and completing a piece brings a real sense of accomplishment. We hope you find this helpful!