I did a little mini-series about fine motor skills challenges in older adults a few weeks ago. Fine motor skills decline can deeply impact the independence and quality of life of older people. It can affect how they put on their clothes or the ability to perform basic personal hygiene tasks. So I thought today we would talk about things that people can do to work on their fine motor skills. A lot of these things can be done in short or long periods of time.

An older woman in a cerulean shirt sits between a standing woman in a dark blue shirt and a man in an olive green shirt. The standing woman in handing the man a sandwich.

Coloring

Adult coloring books are really easy to find, all you need is a book and some pencils. Or this could be an activity that you work on with your grandkids, building those fine motor skills together. I’m also going to lump journaling and any writing with a pen and paper (for example, sudoku or crossword puzzle) in here as well.

Knitting or Sewing

Now this one is going to be harder for some older people than coloring or sudoku, but if someone has the skill and the dexterity in their hands to knit, it can be a great option for motor skill exercise. The fiber arts and crafting communities at large do have a lot of disabled and older participants, so there are lots of accessibility tools and options in that community.

Playing Games

Card and board games both require fine motor skills at various points, according to Senior Services America’s post “Enhancing Dexterity: 13 Simple Activities for Fine Motor Skills for Older Adults.” This is just like my last option in that it can be done with friends and family, making it much more fun.

Let us know down below if you want to hear more about fine motor skills.