Drawing, painting, sculpting clay, and making collages are some of the ways people use art to express themselves. Arts and crafts are very popular among children, but they can also have many benefits for adults and seniors as well.
Stimulate your mind. Arts and crafts require some level of concentration and focus. They're a great way to stay mentally active. Additionally, creating art has been shown to strengthen our brains and can lead to increased cognitive function.
Increase self-esteem. It's important to be able to feel accomplished in something we've done. Creative projects are a great way to regain a sense of purpose and a feeling of success.
Reduce stress. By focusing on a creative activity, you allow yourself to forget about some of the issues that are bothering you. Arts and crafts are relaxing hobbies that can help soothe your mind.
Improve hand-eye coordination. Mind-body activities like drawing, painting, or other crafts can help to strengthen your hands and improve fine motor skills. By handling different tools and creating new objects your coordination skills will improve.
Arts and crafts are great hobbies because they can be so varied. Projects can be modified to suit the abilities of the person doing them, or tools can be bought to make the process easier.
For example, knitters can try different needle sizes or a knitting loom. Drawing on a tablet with your finger can replace drawing with a pencil if it's hard to hold some days. You can get special items to make it easier to hold a paintbrush or a pen.
Peach Tree Retirement offers crafting socials a few times a month. Residents get to paint, draw, and craft to their heart's content. Then, they can take their project home to display or give it to a friend.