Are you looking for summer art ideas for seniors?
For older adults, engaging in art activities can be a wonderful way to express themselves, boost their wellbeing, and unleash their inner creativity.
In this blog, we’re sharing some inspiring summer art ideas that you can try with your loved one; whether it’s painting, crafting, or exploring different mediums, these activities will spark joy and help create beautiful memories together:
Summer Art Ideas: Outdoor Nature Painting
Topping the list of summer art ideas, why not take advantage of the warm weather and scenic surroundings by encouraging your loved one to paint outdoors?
Set up an easel, and provide them with paints, brushes, and a sketchbook. You can then observe the vibrant colours of flowers, sway of trees, and light on the landscape with them, using creative techniques to capture your surroundings on paper.
Painting outdoors will allow your loved one to connect with nature, practise mindfulness, and unwind, whilst expressing their creativity.
Summer Art Ideas: Collage Creations
Making collages is a fun and versatile art form that can be enjoyed by individuals of all abilities.
You could gather old magazines, colourful paper, fabric scraps, buttons, and glue sticks, and encourage your loved one to cut out images or shapes that appeal to them and arrange them on a canvas or poster board.
Or, for something a little more seasonal, you could head out on a walk and collect flowers, leaves, sticks, and seeds, and create a natural collage.
This activity allows for endless creativity and storytelling, and the final artwork can be put proudly on display — something we do with our residents here at Macc Care, to brighten their living spaces.
Make and Send Watercolour Postcards
Postcards are a lovely way to help your loved one stay in touch with relatives and friends. Why not help them make them even more personal by painting their own?
Cut watercolour paper into small, postcard-sized pieces, and let them design their own summer-themed landscapes, flowers, or beaches.
Once dry, you can send these postcards to family and friends, spreading joy and sharing their artistic talents.
Try Your Hand at Clay Sculpting
Working with clay can be a therapeutic experience for older adults, whilst also helping to improve hand strength and dexterity.
Lay out a colourful selection of modelling clay and let their imagination run wild! They can create sculptures of their favourite animals, objects, or even abstract forms.
Why not encourage them to collect items from the garden, such as acorns or pine cones, to imprint interesting patterns onto the clay?
Summer Art Ideas: Collaborative Art
The last of our summer art ideas is to create a collaborative art project.
These are a great way to foster connections and strengthen relationships, particularly for care home residents, friendship circles, or community groups.
Set up a large canvas or a communal art project where everyone can participate, and encourage them to add their own designs, handprints, or personal touches. This collaborative effort will result in a unique piece of art, whilst forging a sense of community and togetherness.
Then, you can find somewhere to display it, where all who contributed can enjoy it!
Art is an inclusive activity that promotes socialisation, wellbeing, and creativity. At Macc Care, our activities coordinators incorporate art and craft sessions into our residents’ weekly plans. This provides plenty of opportunities for them to have fun, relax and spend quality time with their peers.
To find out more about our Macc Care homes, please contact a dedicated member of our team.
Alternatively, why not read our previous blog to explore the benefits of gardening?
