Art for Older Hands: Our New Section for Seniors and Families
Our new Older Adults section is a set of screen-free art activities for seniors and the people who sit beside them. There are four activities: reverse coloring, the Memory Mix game, fingerprint and handprint keepsakes, and funny animal doodle pages. A second section is built for activity directors, and a new bundle puts the reverse coloring in one download.
Browse the Older Adults collection
I've wanted to build this since the very beginning. What lights me up most about art is watching kids, parents, and grandparents sit at the same table doing something different together. They talk, share, and laugh in a way they don't usually, and it gets everyone to open up. Nobody has to be a professional artist.
Quick Summary: Art activities for older adults
- Where should I start? Find your situation in one list.
- What's in the new section? Two collections, four activities, and one bundle.
- Why did we build it? The people buying our bundle were activity directors.
- Reverse coloring: A quiet visit. The color is already on the page.
- Memory Mix: Sharing memories, even if you don't draw.
- Fingerprint and handprint keepsakes: Making something to give.
- Draw Their Faces: A funny one for kids and older people together.
- What did activity directors tell me would help? One purchase, print-and-go pages, a group license.
- How do you run a first session? Five steps.
Where should I start?
Pick the line that sounds like you:
- Caring for a parent or grandparent at home: Start with the Older Adults collection.
- Visiting for Thanksgiving or the holidays: Print two or three pages from the Fall & Thanksgiving collection and bring pens. It gives the visit something to do besides the TV.
- Running activities at a senior living community: Go straight to The Reverse Coloring Year bundle.
- Planning a visit with a relative who can't get out as much as they used to, or who lives in a care home: Look at Memory Mix, a game you build and play together. It may not be the best fit for memory care, so read the Memory Mix section below first.
What's in the new section?
Two collections, each with the same four activities inside:
- Older Adults: For anyone buying for a parent or grandparent, or for older adults who want something creative to do with their hands.
- Senior Living & Activity Directors: For people who plan the calendar in assisted living, memory care, and senior centers.
The four activities, in the order we'll go through them below:
- Reverse coloring: Add lines to pages that already have color.
- Memory Mix: Draw memories on cards, then play a matching game.
- Fingerprint and handprint keepsakes: Make a framed gift with almost no technique.
- Draw Their Faces: Add eyes and expressions to animal crowds.
New to reverse coloring? Our explainer page walks through it. Want to see everything else we make? Browse all collections.
Why did we build it?
Because of who was buying. When people started grabbing our entire reverse coloring bundle, a lot of them turned out to be activity directors. I'm so grateful to the few who were willing to talk with me about what was working and what wasn't.
I came out with a list of things to fix, which is what I hoped for. I also came out convinced this audience deserved its own home on our site.
The four activities, one at a time
None of these takes drawing skill. Pick by the mood you want: quiet, sharing memories, making a gift, or laughing.
1. Reverse coloring: for a quiet visit
The color is already on the page, so there's no blank page to be afraid of and no lines to stay inside. You add the lines with any pen. Print a few pages, put out some pens, and sit down together. It gives a visit something to do besides small talk and the television.
Does it matter if the lines aren't neat?
Not at all, and it's my favorite thing about reverse coloring. Every mark you add reads as a choice, and the imperfect lines are what make a page yours.
One activities director told me about a resident who lives with Parkinson's disease. She had long been self-conscious about her handwriting, and she was hesitant to try. Her lines on the page moved the way her hands move, and over the color they looked intentional, even beautiful. She got to see that something she thought she couldn't do was something she could.
Ways to use it
- A one-to-one visit: Two chairs, two pens, one page each.
- An independent activity: A pen and a couple of sheets is all someone needs to color on their own, even in their own room.
- A group display: Hang each person's page on the wall.
Small things the directors shared
- Let people choose their pen. Some like fine tips and some like thick markers.
- Comfort matters. Chunkier or weighted pens feel better in some hands. An occupational therapist can suggest adaptive tools for anyone who needs them.
- Match the page to the person. Hesitant folks like big sections to outline. Confident ones go for detail.
Not sure yet? Try our free reverse coloring guide or a free fall page, or browse the whole Reverse Coloring collection.
2. Memory Mix: for sharing memories
Memory Mix is a game where you draw your own memories onto matching cards and then play with them.
Memory loss is where I'm most careful, because I've lived it. When my grandmother was feeling down or frustrated, I'd ask her about when she was a girl. What did she love to do? What was the place where she grew up like? Her whole demeanor shifted. We were off in the past, and she remembered the good parts. That's what I picture with Memory Mix. One woman I met bought it just for herself, because she was losing her memories as she got older. So she drew them for herself and played the game on her own to remember all her best times.
Ways to use it
- Grandma or grandpa doesn't have to draw. In a nursing home or at a family visit, they can simply share a memory. The kids or other family members draw it onto a pair of cards, and then everybody plays together.
- A family night: Draw memory cards together, then play.
- Memory care: One activities director told me it works best when family joins in. A one-on-one session a staff member can repeat on a good day gives people something shared to do.
One honest note: the Memory Mix cards are small, and we're looking at thicker, easier-to-grip versions. I'd love to hear how it goes if you try it. Need more cards for a bigger group? The add-on blank card pack adds 32 extra cards, and you can see more in our Memory Makers collection.
3. Fingerprint and handprint keepsakes: for making something to give
This one came directly from my conversations with nursing home activity directors. They wanted something for people with limited hand agility, and something that would work for me, too. Our Meaningful Moments keepsakes are printable pages made for fingerprints and handprints, so they take almost no technique. Add the prints, then write a name, a date, or a few words from the heart. You can also add a photo to make it personal and touching.
Ways to use it
- Make one together: A caregiver or family member and an older adult make a page side by side.
- An activity with a purpose: An older adult makes a keepsake to give to someone they love.
- A gift for them: You make one and give it to a parent or grandparent. We also have handprint gifts made just for grandma and grandpa.
I'm also working on pages made for adult hands, with a poem idea that came out of these conversations: "These are the hands that…" Want to try the idea first? Our fingerprint flower arrangement is a simple one, and you can browse the full Fingerprint & Handprint Art collection.
4. Draw Their Faces: for laughs
Not every visit needs to be tender. Draw Their Faces is a set of animal-crowd doodle pages where the color is already there and you add eyes, eyebrows, and expressions.
Ways to use it
- Kids and older people together: Take turns drawing, and expect some laughing.
- You go, I go: Pass the page back and forth and add one face at a time.
- Draw how your day is: Pick a cat and give it the face that matches your day, then compare.
- Guess the emotion: One person draws an expression and everyone else guesses the feeling.
- Guess who the cat is: Draw a cat to look like a friend, a family member, or a celebrity, and see who can guess.
- A lighter moment: It's funny and lighthearted, so it works when the mood needs lifting.
Want to see if it's your kind of fun? Try a free animal doodle page first.
What did activity directors tell me would help?
They told me they wanted pages they can print and put on the table without a lot of prep, and one place to buy them. That's why we made The Reverse Coloring Year, our new bundle:
- 196 pages in six sets: Summer, winter, spring, fall, autumn reflections (with a quote under each page), and desserts.
- $24: Instead of $35.94 bought separately.
- Group license: Print as many copies as you like, for home or group sessions.
- A how-to page at the front of each set: Handy when you're introducing it.
- Print on plain paper: Color printing looks best.
- Digital download: Nothing ships.
One director asked me where our summer set was, since it was the only season missing. We finished it, and it's in the bundle now. We're also working on more setup help, like a short how-to for leading a session.
These are creative activities, not therapy. You know your residents best.
How do you run a first session?
Keep it small and keep it loose. The directors I talked to run groups of about five.
- Keep it small. Groups of about five worked well.
- Show an example. A couple of finished pages the first few times helps.
- Set out the pens. Fine and thick, so people can choose.
- Say the line. Start with an outline, add details if you want, doodle if you want. There's no wrong way.
- Stop whenever. Nothing has to be finished.
If your residents don't like change, introduce it in small pieces and make it sound fun. One director told me she swapped out paper bingo cards and nobody liked it at first, and now they love the new way.
Frequently asked questions
What is reverse coloring for seniors?
Reverse coloring pages arrive with soft watercolor-style color already on them, and you add lines with a pen. There is no blank page and no outlines to stay inside, so it works for people who say they can't draw. Learn more here.
How do I get a parent or grandparent to try it?
Sit down and start your own page next to theirs. Show a finished example, offer a choice of pens, and tell them there's no wrong way. Keep the first try short.
Can someone play Memory Mix if they don't want to draw?
Yes. A grandparent or resident can just share a memory while a child or family member draws it onto a matching pair of cards. Then everyone plays the matching game together. It works at home, at a family visit, or in a nursing home. See Memory Mix.
Do you need to draw neatly to do reverse coloring?
No. The color is already on the page, so you're adding lines on top, and imperfect lines often look like part of the design. Any pen works, so choose one that feels comfortable.
Can activity directors print these for groups?
Yes. The Reverse Coloring Year includes a license to print as many copies as you need for home or group sessions. See the Senior Living & Activity Directors collection.
Is there something free to try first?
Yes. Each month we offer a free printable, and we have a free reverse coloring guide, so you can try before you buy.
Who do I ask if I have a question or need help choosing?
Reach out any time. You can contact us directly, or look through our FAQs for quick answers.
A Note from Janet
My mom taught me there's no way to mess up when you make something by hand. If something feels like a mistake, you can always put a flower over it, and it's beautiful again. Getting people to create together is the one thing that has always made me feel like I made a difference, and older hands deserve a seat at that table more than anyone's. If you try something from the new section, I'd love to hear how it goes, especially if you have a story to share.
Questions, ideas, or a story to share? Contact us. Curious about who we are? Read about us.
Stay unchained — Janet 💖😊
Browse the Older Adults collection
Not ready yet? Try our free reverse coloring guide first.
