Real stories

5 creative activities to help people living with dementia

In 2012, after many memory tests and finally a CT scan, my dear mum was diagnosed with mixed dementia. She passed away in 2021, but I’m forever grateful for the many creative moments we shared through art and craft.  

Mum was always a wonderfully creative person and passed on her love of making things to me. I graduated in 1984 with a degree in Art and Textile Design, but for many years my own art took a back seat. It wasn’t until later that I rediscovered it – when I saw just how powerful and enriching art could be for people with memory problems.

Of course, every person is different, but for my mum, art became a lifeline. It helped her live meaningfully – staying happy, calm and connected despite her condition.

Here are five of Mum’s favourite activities.

1. Paper flower making

My mum’s favourite hobby was making beautiful paper flowers. She loved creating things she could give away to the doctors and nurses who visited – as well as the dentist, optician, hairdresser, friends and anyone else who admired them!

I provided a cardboard template for petals and leaves, and my mum would happily sit for hours cutting out the pretty, brightly coloured crepe paper shapes. Together we glued the stamens and petals to the stems, and once she’d made two or three with me, she was able to carry on by herself.

Beautiful crepe paper flowers soon filled the house and were a constant reminder of how wonderfully creative she was.

Read instructions for making beautiful paper flowers.

2. Creative colouring

Mum might have forgotten how to draw a picture on her own, but she had certainly not forgotten how to colour. Pencil crayons were perfect for her to work with – clean, bright and easy to use.

Instead of keeping her creations inside her colouring books or tucked out of sight, we cut out her pictures and used them to make handmade cards.

We also framed her best colourings and displayed them on the wall as constant reminders of her special talent.

As her dementia progressed, we moved on to ‘velvet pictures’. The raised surface of the velvet kept her colouring within the lines, and she enjoyed creating beautiful velvet pictures for several years.

Read more about creative colouring for people living with dementia. 

3. Handmade cards

Mum loved making handmade cards for all occasions. Although she wasn’t able to come up with the designs on her own anymore, I made templates for her, which she used to cut out decorations and create her cards.

I found that making cards encouraged Mum’s self-expression and helped to ease her anxiety and restlessness. Cutting out designs improved her hand-eye coordination, while sticking down shapes supported her focus and concentration.

This kind of art gave Mum a real sense of purpose, accomplishment and pride.

Read more about how people living with dementia can make greetings cards. 

4. Jigsaw puzzles

I made sure we always had a puzzle on the table so that my mum could work on it whenever she felt like it, which helped to stimulate her mind. We enjoyed working on puzzles together, but it was also an activity she was happy to do on her own, provided they weren’t too difficult.

Finding jigsaw puzzles with the right number of pieces was very important. If there were too many pieces and they were too challenging, she became frustrated – but if they were too easy, she quickly lost interest. I constantly monitored her abilities and adjusted her puzzles accordingly, gradually reducing the number of pieces as her needs changed.

Eventually, I began creating what I called ‘alternative puzzles’, which worked incredibly well. I’ve written a blog about traditional jigsaws and alternative jigsaws, which I hope others may find helpful. 

5. Shell and stone craft

This was another simple craft, but it was very beautiful and so much fun to do! We turned our decorated shells into wonderful wind chimes, giving Mum a real sense of purpose and achievement. We also painted stones to make unique paperweights.

First, I painted the stones with emulsion and drew pencil outlines of flowers or cats – Mum’s two favourite things! Then she coloured them in with felt–tip pens and markers. A quick spray of lacquer turned them into lovely gifts, and she was always very proud of her creations.

Here is how we made them.

Read Heather and her mum’s story on her website.  

For more creative ideas check out Heather’s blog.

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