Activity Guide

Box of yarn:
- Can wind up the loose yarn to target finger dexterity, hand eye coordination, tactile processing, and help ease arthritis. This is a great activity for someone with dementia or for anyone looking to target these areas while they are listening to music or watching TV
- Engage in DIY weaving activities to target finger dexterity and hand eye coordination.
- Look online for yarn-based craft ideas

Box of Fabric Scraps:
- Sort by matching for individuals with lower cognitive function.
- can use mod podge or glue to decorate jars, vases, etc.

Baby Dolls/Stuffed animals:
- can be useful for calming agitation/stress as these can stimulate nurturing responses and meaningful memories. These should be used for later stages of dementia as some adults may be offended using these.

Old magazines/news papers/ postcards:
- Go through these items and ask questions that the person may find engaging or relate to. Use open-ended questions as much as possible to promote good conversation. This is a good opportunity to build a connection while allowing the person to feel their emotions.

Buttons:
Sort buttons by size or color to facilitate pattern recognition, fine motor skills, and memory.
- create button art. There are several resources and ideas online.

Ribbon:
Sorting by color, texture, or width would be very suitable for
someone with dementia or someone who just wants a calming task.
- Creating ribbon bookmarks by cutting them to a suitable size, they can be glued together or adding things like beads or coloring on them.
- Can decorate jars or vases with them to create cute pencil holders or flower jars.
- For higher functioning adults, you can create ribbonwreaths. All that is needed is ribbon, a wooden or Styrofoam ring, and scissors.
- Ribbon wall hangings can be made by tying ribbon around a stick or piece of wood.

Conversation Cards:
- can be used to asked questions to better get to know each other.

Poker chips:
- can be used by sorting by color, stacking, creating/followin g patterns.
- Tip: place on a felt or fabric surface to help pick up the chips if needed.
- Can pick up with tweezers to work on fine motor pinch
- can be used to keep score for games such as bingo, UNO, or other card games.

Travel books:
- discuss where you or the other person have been

Bean bags:
- play a game by taking turns throwing them into buckets, bowls, boxes, etc. (can make harder by having a “moving” target”
- play “cornhole”
- indoor shuffleboard on the table (use tape or paper for the numbers)
- use paper plates with numbers on to hit “target”

Pipe Cleaners:
- can string beads or plastic straw pieces over them to increase fine motor skills
- Follow video tutorials and make flowers or animals
- make little Christmas trees from them

Craft paper:
- can make origami through watching video or written tutorials
- create mosaic art pieces
- create greeting cards
- use them for scrapbooking
- use them for making labels

Beads:
- make bracelets
- create bookmarks or keychains
- make chains for glasses
- make a beaded suncatcher
- make seasonal garland

Sensory Mat:
- Various textures and fixtures can be utilized for tactile and fine motor stimulation. They can also be use to reduce agitation, and anxiety, and keep hands busy. These are applicable for anyone, specifically with adults with dementia.