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For seniors, crafting may be intricate. They tend to have age-related issues like arthritis and limited dexterity.
This can make even simple sewing or weaving a challenge. However, there are many things they can still do to enjoy crafting.
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Crafts can provide benefits for seniors with limited dexterity.
Improves Fine Motor Skills and Dexterity
Engaging in crafts such as knitting, crocheting, and clay modeling can help maintain and enhance fine motor skills. These activities require the use of hands and fingers, which can help keep the muscles active and improve dexterity over time.
Boosts Cognitive Function:
Crafts that involve creativity and problem-solving, like scrapbooking and mosaic making, help keep the brain engaged. This can slow cognitive decline and improve mental acuity, providing a mental workout that is both enjoyable and beneficial.
Reduces Stress and Anxiety
The repetitive and focused nature of many crafts can be meditative, helping to reduce stress and promote relaxation. Activities like painting and fabric art allow for self-expression, which can also be therapeutic.
Encourages Social Interaction
Group craft activities, such as those held in senior centers or community groups, provide opportunities for socialization, helping to reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness. Social interaction during these activities can improve overall well-being and provide a sense of community.
Promotes a Sense of Accomplishment
Completing a craft project, whether it’s a knitted scarf or a painted canvas, gives seniors a sense of achievement. This can boost self-esteem and provide a purpose, which is important for mental health.
Helpful Tools to make things easier
Many crafts can be adapted to suit the abilities of seniors with limited dexterity using customized tools to make things easier. Here’s some adaptive craft tools to help seniors overcome their limited dexterity and complete their craft projects successfully
- Larger handles on tools
- Magnifiers and magnifier lamps
- Stronger lights
- Larger handle scissors
- Holding stands with spring-loaded clip grippers
- Crafting knives with thick, non-slip handles
- Battery-operated hole punches to punch through paper or thin materials.
- Automatic Needle Threader
- Large-Handle Paint Brushes
- Easy-Grip Crochet Hooks and Knitting Needles
Opting for simpler projects can make crafting accessible and enjoyable for everyone, regardless of their physical limitations.
These benefits illustrate why crafting can be an excellent activity for seniors, providing physical, mental, and emotional advantages while being an enjoyable pastime.
Read on for my top 6 crafts for seniors with limited dexterity.
6 Easy Crafts for Seniors with Limited Dexterity
I’ve tried a lot of arts and crafts for seniors with my uncle with varied success. Some have become too difficult for him because of his limited dexterity, while others are far too simple.
The crafts below, however, seem to be in the sweet spot and should be accessible for aging adults with varying levels of dexterity.
Check out these craft ideas for seniors with shaky hands and find craft activities that are fun and easy.
1. Scrapbooking
Scrapbooking is a fun and favorite craft that will bring out that sense of creativity in any individual, especially in seniors.
It uses inexpensive supplies and materials readily available in any household.
Materials can be anything from colored papers to old magazines and photos that can serve as mementos for those special moments in your senior’s life.
Check out this video for basic ideas about how scrapbooking works and what materials are recommended for anyone new to scrapbooking.
Check More: Easy Crafts for Adults With Arthritis
2. Polymer Clay Modeling
Just like children, clay is a good way of getting the hands and fingers to work while having loads of fun.
Getting into clay sculpting is a way of letting those creative juices flow.
Clay is relatively easy to handle, and is one of the crafts for seniors with arthritis, so even individuals with limited dexterity limits can easily engage in this fun project at a leisurely pace.
Cookie cutters can be used to make different kinds of clay shapes.
These can be made to harden using a simple hairdryer and turned into wonderful gifts and souvenirs.
This video gives some tips and advice for beginners who want to learn the basics of polymer clay.
Make sure to also check our list of fun activities for seniors with limited mobility.
3. Geometric Tape Painting
While actual painting may be quite a challenge for seniors with limited dexterity, geometric tape painting is an excellent craft that can result in gorgeous abstract paintings.
All that is needed for this is:
- A piece of canvas
- Masking tape in different lengths and widths
- Different color paints.
Simply place different tape sizes all over the canvas in different directions and paint over these tape pieces.
You may be pretty amazed at what you can develop using this abstract painting technique.
Check out this video to get a better picture of doing geometric tape painting.
4. Blow Painting
Another painting activity that seniors with limited dexterity can engage in is blow painting.
It is an enjoyable activity that slowly makes a comeback and needs only three basic materials:
- Paper or canvas
- Paint
- Straws
Straws with big holes are preferable for this kind of activity.
All you need to do is spread some paint on paper or canvas and blow it into the straw, directing the air towards the paint to create splatters on the paper.
This video will show you the proper way of doing blow painting, especially if you are starting.
Check More: Arts and Crafts for Dementia Patients
5. Container Gardening
Many seniors love the idea of gardening since it happens to be a relaxing activity for them.
They may, however, be challenged by the idea of having to bend or handle tools that may be difficult to hold but the pleasure of nurturing plants and seeing them grow combined with the use of modified gardening tools can assist in overcoming these challenges.
Container gardens limit the plants’ area, so seniors are not forced to bend or move in uncomfortable positions due to mobility challenges. An outside table for sitting at whilst potting plants can be a good solution for seniors who enjoy being outdoors. Using modified gardening tools include long handled hoes, garden forks, trowels , easi-grip gardening tools and even arthritis compression gloves can make this an enjoyable experience.
Plants can be placed in a small clay pot or mason jars repurposed for planting.
Choose plants that are easy to handle and that won’t require much care and maintenance, such as herbs and cacti.
6. Making Gift Baskets
For this craft for seniors, all you need are baskets, which you can easily purchase in second-hand stores or craft stores.
To decorate the baskets, you can use a glue gun and art/craft materials like dried flowers, ribbons, bead necklaces, and paper.
Fill them up with different items like a bunch of groceries or fruit for that perfect gift, especially during the holiday season.
This video can give you some ideas about decorating a gift basket that will be perfect for giving to friends or loved ones.
3 Things to Consider When Crafting with Limited Dexterity
Limited dexterity means limited movement. This is especially true when discussing fine motor skills, which also deteriorate as people age [1].
1. Keep Safety in Mind
Safety has to be of primary concern due to these limitations.
Make sure that you use materials and instruments that are large enough and easy to handle to avoid injury.
Avoid using sharp objects, such as pointed scissors, which may cause accidents. Scissors with blunt ends are better suited for those with dexterity issues.
2. Patience is Key
Patience is the key to keeping seniors engaged. It is vital that they feel relaxed and not rushed when doing these activities.
3. Amount of Time the Activity Takes
The time it will take to finish a project doesn’t matter much. Remember that they are not as agile as they used to be.
The main objective is to keep them as active as possible.
FAQs
Can crafting help maintain cognitive function in a senior with limited dexterity?
Yes, it can. Studies have shown that combined physical activity, such as arts and crafts, can significantly improve aging individuals’ cognitive function and mood [2].
What should be remembered when introducing a crafting activity to a senior with limited dexterity?
Safety should be a primary consideration when introducing a crafting activity to seniors.
Growing old may limit people from performing certain activities.
Nevertheless, some activities are enjoyable to do and can still be fun and relaxing for seniors despite the physical limitations that come with age.
Crafting is one way of encouraging them to socialize and relax, and it has tons of health benefits.
Indeed, it is an activity that will be good not only for their physical well-being but for their emotional and mental health as well.
Resources
- 1. Seidler RD, Bernard JA, Burutolu TB, Fling BW, Gordon MT, Gwin JT, et al. Motor control and aging: Links to age-related brain structural, functional, and biochemical effects. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews [Internet]. 2010;34:721–33. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2838968/
- 2. Kim D. The effects of a combined physical activity, recreation, and art and craft program on ADL, cognition, and depression in the elderly. Journal of Physical Therapy Science [Internet]. 2017;29:744–7. Available from: https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jpts/29/4/29_jpts-2016-999/_article
What are your favorite crafts for seniors with limited dexterity? Share with us below!
I love these crafts! They’re so simple and easy to do, and they’re perfect for seniors with limited dexterity. I especially love the video for the paper plate starfish. It’s so cute and easy to do!