Intro
Colouring is a therapeutic activity that encourages creativity, relaxation and mindfulness for somebody living with dementia. It’s also all the rage right now!
Relish have designed 2 colouring books that bring to life, images of nature and daily life, through meaningful, age-appropriate illustrations and prompts to help residents colour each image on their own.
Colouring is a great one-to-one activity, when you have five minutes spare. But it’s also excellent as a group. Wile away afternoons together with colouring pencils in hand, and use the interesting facts on the pages to guide a discussion.
There are many other books that you can source, but make sure the pictures are clear and not too busy
What you need
- Colouring Books - Relish Colouring Books if possible - Radiant Nature or Everyday Joys
Download resource - Colouring pencils
- Tray to lean on, if necessary
The Activity
- All you need is a quiet and clear space, preferably at a table with a plain tablecloth or background, so the image to colour can be easily seen
- Let the person choose the colouring book they like best from a selection, and pick an image they’d like to colour in
- Leave the page open in front of them and put a selection of colouring pencils around it, so the colours can be seen and chosen easily
- Encourage them to colour the image independently
- Help them decide where to begin and discuss which colour pencil they would like to use
- If they’re struggling to decide where to start or which colour to use, offer some support and say that they can start anywhere on the page or point to a place to start. Suggest a few colours that might be good and limit the choice – too much choice could be making this decision difficult. You can also suggest using the sample image to help them decide
- Why not encourage them to try hatching or cross-hatching on the larger areas for a different effect? You’ll find techniques inside the Relish Colouring Books
- Once they’ve finished, ask a few questions to encourage conversations about the image. Try asking questions about the theme of the image to trigger memories
PDF Resource
Based on 1500+ happy reviews
Art & Crafts
