Introduction
As a person ages, it’s not uncommon to start seeing a decline in their physical abilities. This can be frustrating and even lead to feelings of despair. Fine motor skills can be loss due to conditions such as arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, or stroke.
Fine motor skills require the use and coordination of the small muscles and joints of the hand, wrist, and fingers to grab, hold and manipulate objects. They are vital for maintaining a person’s independence.
Loss of fine motor skills can affect a person’s ability to perform tasks such as:
Writing
Walking
Climbing stairs
Grasping objects
Brush teeth
Use a fork or spoon
Button shirt
Zip a Zipper
Tie shoelaces
Turn pages in a book
Typing
However, it’s important to remember that physical decline is not inevitable. There are many things a person can do to slow down the process and even improve our physical abilities.
One way to do this is by exercising our fine motor skills. Fine motor skills are the ability to control the small muscles in our hands and fingers. These muscles are responsible for tasks like writing, buttoning a shirt, and using a fork.
Unfortunately, as we age, we tend to lose Fine Motor Skills. This can lead to a decline in our ability to do everyday tasks. However, there are many things we can do to improve our Fine Motor Skills. Keep reading to learn about 25 fun, Fine Motor Skill exercises for seniors!
1. Finger painting with non-toxic paint
2. Using tongs or chopsticks to pick up small objects
3. Playing stringed instruments like a ukulele or guitar
4. Brushing teeth with an electric toothbrush
5. Squeezing a stress ball
6. Playing video games with a small joystick or controller
7. Playing card games like solitaire or go fish
8. Building with Lego or other building blocks
9. Doing puzzles or crosswords
10. Knitting or crocheting
11. Folding paper into origami creations
12. Playing with Play-doh or clay
13. Sewing or embroidery
14. Drawing or coloring
15. Sorting and organizing small objects like buttons or beans
16. Using a keyboard or touch screen device
17. Painting with a small paintbrush
18. Playing pool or billiards
19. Playing darts or bean bag toss
20. Using a typewriter or old-fashioned rotary telephone
21. Braiding hair
22. Playing board games like Sorry or chess
23. Making jewelry with small beads
24. Cooking or baking with small utensils
25. Playing pick-up-sticks or Jenga