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Handwork

Working with your hands offers the ability for individuals to engage with the word around them and take part in many of the activities that require the use of their hands. The tactile input in combination with the tasks that can be completed can provide a sensory benefit in combination with a sense of purpose as they produce something or complete a functional task. 

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01

Birdhouse (Sanding Wood/Painting) 

Materials: Birdhouse or pieces of wood, sanding paper, paint and paint brushes

Directions: Have individuals sand a wooden birdhouse or another piece of wood. After the sanding is complete, have them paint and decorate the birdhouse/wood. 

Hints for success:

  • If you have multiple people, have them work in groups

  • Play music in the background

  • Demonstrate how to complete the task visually 

Grade Up: 

  • Complete in standing 

  • Give them a larger area to sand/paint

Grade Down:

  • Complete in sitting 

  • Give them smaller sections to sand/paint

  • Provide them with specific areas to work on, you can outline these areas to provide a visual cue

  • Provide verbal, visual, and tactile cues 

Activity Addresses: 

  • Motor planning

  • Upper body strength and endurance

  • Upper body range of motion

  • Cognition

  • Sequencing

  • Teamwork 

  • Communication

  • Sensory stimulation

02

Untying Knots

Materials: Rope, thick string, or thera-band 

Directions: Take a piece of rope/string/band and tie knots throughout it. Ask the individual(s) to help you take the knots out. 

Hints for success:

  • Play music in the background

  • Start with easier less tight knots to ensure success and to determine their ability in completing the task

  • Tie the knots in private, where they cannot see. If necessary, come up with a reason you need the rope untied.

Grade Up: 

  • Give them more knots to untie

  • Give them harder and tighter knots to untie

Grade Down:

  • Loosen the knots for them

  • Give them easier knots to untie 

  • Give them less knots to untie  

Activity Addresses: 

  • Fine motor coordination

  • Finger dexterity

  • Pinch strength

Knotted Rope

03

Bead Finding 

Image by Rea Tekoro

Materials: Theraputty or playdough, and beads

Directions: Hide beads in theraputty/playdough and have the individuals search for the beads. 

Hints for success:

  • Play music in the background

  • Monitor the task to ensure that no beads or putty is placed in their mouth

Grade Up: 

  • Use a firmer more challenging theraputty

  • Use smaller beads 

  • Increase number of beads to find

  • Increase amount of putty

Grade Down:

  • Use playdough or an easier level of theraputty

  • Use bigger beads

  • Decrease number of beads to find

  • Decrease amount of putty

  • Provide cues to where the beads are

  • Remove putty that they looked through already  

Activity Addresses: 

  • Fine motor coordination

  • Finger dexterity

  • Pinch strength 

  • Grip strength

  • Upper extremity endurance and strength

04

Bead Sorting 

Materials: Multiple colors of beads and containers/organizer 

Directions: Give the individual a pile of beads and ask them to help you sort them by color. Have them pick up the beads off the table and place them into a container or section in an organizer that is designated for each color.   

Hints for success:

  • Play music in the background

  • Monitor the task to ensure that no beads are placed in their mouth

  • Place one bead in each container to designate what color needs to be put where

  • Ensure the individual does not have difficulty distinguishing colors or is colorblind. You may use different letter or shaped beads if they are colorblind. 

Grade Up: 

  • Use smaller beads 

  • Increase number of beads

  • Have them pick up one bead at a time 

  • Have them use their thumb and index finger to grasp the bead

  • Time them to make it competitive 

Grade Down:

  • Use bigger beads

  • Decrease number of beads to sort

  • Have them pick up the beads in whatever way is easier for them (sliding, scooping, etc.)

  • Hold each bead in your hand and have them pick it up from your hand 

Activity Addresses: 

  • Fine motor coordination

  • Finger dexterity 

  • Pinch strength

Image by vonvix

05

Image by Julietta Watson

Playdough/Putty Pictionary

Materials: Theraputty or playdough

Directions: Give the individual(s) an object to create and have them utilize their putty to create that object. If working in a group you can give everyone a different object and have them guess each other, have them work in teams, or have one person create while everyone else guesses what they are making.  

Hints for success:

  • Play music in the background

  • Monitor the task to ensure that no putty is placed in their mouth

Grade Up: 

  • Use a firmer more challenging theraputty

  • Provide different colors of putty

  • Give more challenging objects to create

  • Time them to make it competitive

Grade Down:

  • Use playdough or an easier level of theraputty

  • Give them easier and more familiar objects to create

  • Provide assistance or an image to have them build off of 

Activity Addresses: 

  • Fine motor coordination

  • Finger dexterity

  • Pinch strength

  • Grip strength

  • Memory

  • Motor Planning

  • Sensory stimulation

06

Item Sorting (tool box, tackle box, files, etc.) 

Materials: Dependent on the interests of the individual (any group of items that can be sorted). 

Directions: Give the individuals an unorganized grouping of materials that are meaningful to them and have them sort them. 

Hints for success:

  • Pick things that are of interest to the individual. For example, if they liked working in a workshop then have them organize tools, if they worked as a secretary or doctor have them sort files, if they were a dentist have them sort fake teeth, or if they enjoyed fishing have them sort a tackle box. Get creative with it! 

  • Monitor the task to ensure that they are safe and not placing any items in their mouth

  • Remove any sharp or potentially harmful items

  • Play music in the background

Grade Up: 

  • Use smaller items to sort

  • Increase number of items to sort

  • Increase the number of sections they can sort their orbjects into

Grade Down:

  • Use bigger items to sort

  • Decrease number of items to sort

  • Provide assistance in sorting items (physical, verbal, visual) 

Activity Addresses: 

  • Fine motor coordination

  • Finger dexterity 

  • Pinch strength

  • Reminiscence therapy - ask questions about their past interests! 

  • Memory

  • Planning

  • Sensory stimulation

Image by Şahin Sezer Dinçer

07

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Toys and Fidgets

Materials: Simple toys or fidgets that create a task or goal for the individual. I.e. Flip Stick 5 Hole Wooden Paddle (https://tintoyarcade.com/flip-stick-5-hole-paddle-ball-game.html)  or a Yo-yo. 

Directions: Demonstrate how to use the toy/fidget and have the individual(s) attempt as well. Play with them for more fun! 

Hints for success:

  • Play music in the background

  • Choose toys/interests that will appeal to or interest them

Grade Up: 

  • Make it a competition or time them to make it more competitive

  • Have them use their nondominant hand 

Grade Down:

  • Provide assistance to decrease the difficulty of task 

  • Choose toys/fidgets geared towards a younger children's age to promote success and ease of learning 

Activity Addresses: 

  • Fine motor coordination

  • Gross motor coordination

  • Motor planning

08

Sugar Packet Pour

Materials: 2-3 different color boxes of sugar packets, and 2-3 containers labeled with matching color 

Directions: Mix the three boxes of colored packets together and pour them onto the table all mixed up. Have the individual(s) organize the packets by color, and then help you open up each packet and pour it into the container matching the color of the packet.

Hints for success:

  • Play music in the background

  • Ask them for help (you can create a reason you are doing this task!) 

  • Ensure individual(s) are able to distinguish the colors apart

Grade Up: 

  • Increase number of packets/colors

  • Perform in standing

Grade Down:

  • Decrease number of packets/colors

  • Complete in sitting

  • Pre-rip packets 

  • Place written or visual instructions near the individual

Activity Addresses: 

  • Fine motor coordination

  • Activity tolerance

  • Pinch strength

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https://images.app.goo.gl/npbBYshiMCfJPahm6

09

Image by Jorge Franganillo

Links: 

https://welbehealth.com/crafts-for-dementia/

https://villageatgleannloch.com/blog/activities-for-dementia-patients/

https://freedompointefl.com/blog/dementia-friendly-summer-crafts/

https://a.co/d/9VwqQAn

Crafts

Materials: paint, crayons, markers, colored pencils, paper, tissue paper, just add water canvases, glue etc. 

Directions: Complete a fun craft project together (lots of ideas can be found online). Give the individual(s) the materials and work with them by demonstrating what to do or let them freestyle draw or paint. 

Hints for success:

  • Play music in the background

  • Some individual(s) may not like crafts, and that is okay! Try one of the many other activities that they may be interested in doing!

  • Find crafts that they will be successful in and enjoy completing

  • If the project turns out different than expected, that is more than okay! 

Grade Up: 

  • Use paints (increased steps such as wetting, dipping, and cleaning brush, and is harder to control) 

  • Complete multi-step art projects 

Grade Down:

  • Use crayons or colored pencils

  • Use coloring sheets 

  • Complete single-step projects 

  • Freestyle art 

  • Use water painting canvases- paint with water to reveal a picture on the canvas

Activity Addresses: 

  • Fine motor coordination

  • Finger grip strength 

  • Sensory stimulation 

  • Planning

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10

Card Counting/Sorting

Materials: Deck of cards

Directions: Ask the individual(s) to help you sort through a deck or multiple decks of cards. Have them either sort the deck by color, number, or suite. Then have them count up all the cards at the end and shuffle the deck if they are able. 

Hints for success:

  • Play music in the background

  • Use simple classic cards

  • Ask them for their help in sorting, counting, or seeing if there is a full deck

  • Try out the just right challenge for sorting; some people may be better at doing it by suite and others will be best at doing it by number

Grade Up: 

  • Have them complete multiple decks

  • Have them organize by suite and then organize by color or number after

Grade Down:

  • Have them organize by number and lay out the numbers in order for them to start with

  • Have them hold a few cards in their hand at one time and ask if they have a “4” or “8” and help them place it in the right pile. 

  • Have them count the cards to determine if it is a full deck 

Activity Addresses: 

  • Fine motor coordination

  • Visual scanning

  • Pinch strength

Playing Cards

11

Euro Coins

Coin Sorting

Materials: Mixture of coins (pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters) 

Directions: Give the individuals an unorganized pile of coins and have them sort them by value or categories (penny pile and dime pile) or have the individuals sort the coins by dollar value (4 quarters and 10 dimes)

Hints for success:

  • Monitor the task to ensure that they are safe and not placing any items in their mouth

  • Play music in the background

Grade Up: 

  • Use more coins to sort through

  • Have them sort the coins into value/categories then into dollar values 

  • Increase number of smaller coins such as pennies and dimes

Grade Down:

  • Increase number of bigger coins such as quarters and decrease smaller coins such as dimes

  • Decrease number of coins to sort

  • Provide assistance in sorting items (physical, verbal, visual) 

Activity Addresses: 

  • Fine motor coordination

  • Finger dexterity

  • Pinch strength

  • Visual scanning

Promoting Engagement in Individuals with Alzheimer's Through Activities

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