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Colouring book advice please

(28 Posts)
eddiecat78 Thu 17-Nov-16 08:36:43

My dad has just moved into a care home and is pretty fed up - I`m trying to find him things to do to take his mind off his situation. I got him an adult colouring book and some crayons but he is not greatly impressed by the results he is getting. He isn`t able to press down on the crayons so the pictures do look a bit washed out. Would he do better with pens? If so, can anyone recommend a good starter set. I don`t want to spend a great deal at this stage in case he decides it`s not for him.
Any advice would be much appreciated. I know absolutely nothing about this!

DanniRae Thu 17-Nov-16 08:54:10

Felt pens are definitely best - you can get some reasonable ones from Wilco. Just had a look and they do a bic pack for £1.50 (From £3).

Good Luck smile x

shysal Thu 17-Nov-16 09:08:35

My friend uses double ended felt tips so she has the choice of fine or thick. If he gets on OK with a cheap set you may then like to try a better quality.
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/15pcs-Double-Ended-Felt-Tipped-Pens-Duel-Tip-Fine-Thin-Thick-Colouring-Set-/251790275323?hash=item3a9fdeb2fb:g:z1kAAOSw8d9Us-FS

Mumsy Thu 17-Nov-16 09:15:50

A set of thin and thick felt pens.

eddiecat78 Thu 17-Nov-16 12:50:46

thanks so much - I`ve ordered the set from Ebay - can`t go wrong for £1.99!

Indinana Thu 17-Nov-16 14:30:11

The only problem with using felt pens, sharpies and so on, is that if the colouring book is printed on both sides of the page, the colour bleeds through from one side, meaning the picture on the other side is unusable. Sadly most adult colouring books are printed this way.

DanniRae Thu 17-Nov-16 16:40:03

I have never experienced this Indinana, I guess I must have been lucky.

My daughter has even bought me a Christmas Colouring Book which I am enjoying using grin

eddiecat78 Thu 17-Nov-16 19:06:08

thanks again - I`ve sent for some colour-your-own Christmas cards too. Hopefully they will be reasonable quality

Eloethan Thu 17-Nov-16 21:29:44

How lovely of you to try and find something that will cheer him up. I hope the colouring book helps.

If he finds he likes doing this, he might also enjoy doing freehand drawing or painting with acrylics. Does the home organise any activities?

Faber Castell coloured pencils provide good coverage without too much pressure being applied and they can also be used with water.

harrysgran Fri 18-Nov-16 10:29:48

Sharpies seem to give the best effect and you don't need to press hard on offer in tesco at the moment to stop it going through put a couple sheets of a4 in between the pages

junie1 Fri 18-Nov-16 10:46:47

I would love to find a colouring book for mum, but she is partially sighted and needs everything large print.

Junie

vickya Fri 18-Nov-16 11:26:42

I've just learned how to do sudokos and you can print them off enlarged. It's good for elderly brains to learn new things and you can print the solutions too to check or help if you go wrong. Might one of your mums or dad's like them? I'm 71 now, you know..;)

www.memory-improvement-tips.com/printable-sudoku-puzzles.html

There are crosswords and other puzzles too or you could get a book of them. Someone got me a book. The sudokos are addictive!

vickya Fri 18-Nov-16 11:27:37

dads not dad's

Rhinestone Fri 18-Nov-16 11:35:03

You can used colored pencils too
They have some that even have a shimmer to them

Eloethan Fri 18-Nov-16 11:39:13

junie1 Isn't it sad when elderly people can no longer see properly. My mum was a good painter and enjoyed doing crosswords and reading books - now she can do none of those things because her sight is so bad. Even the TV is difficult to see.

sillup Fri 18-Nov-16 11:47:35

Junie1 How about trying to make your own book for your mom? Download some pics from internet and either enlarge before printing out or use a photocopier to enlarge them.

sillup Fri 18-Nov-16 11:49:49

Eloethan Have you approached your local "Blind" society for audio books and audio copies of the local newspaper? It's not the same as holding the book and paper for yourself but may help.

Thingmajig Fri 18-Nov-16 12:58:40

I bought a colouring book and pens for my Mum's Christmas stocking last year and she loved it ... has even bought another book and new pencils since. Gives her old brain a rest for the crosswords. smile

Just bought a book for my friend who is home on the sick for a while ... subject of her book is swear words (the wonders of Amazon!) which I hope she'll appreciate!!! grin

Lewlew Fri 18-Nov-16 14:09:42

My dad went into a care home as his AMD got worse and he was also immobile. In spite of poor vision he amazed us all by wanting to learn to paint! Here is a pic of him and his water colour (they are easy to clean up!) after he got an award for his first effort from the local community art club whose members volunteered with art lessons at the home. I like their comment under his photo if you can see it. Even with low-vision, he still caught an impressionistic view of a local landmark. He painted a different picture every week and really improved and totally enjoyed himself.

Stella14 Fri 18-Nov-16 16:12:39

Audible.co.uk is great for audio books. I defy anyone to not enjoy being read to. Whether your relative is into none fiction or fiction, There are books for everyone. I suggest treating your loved ones to some comfortable headphones, ensure they have something to play the audible app on (mobile phone, iPod, iPad, some Kindles) and an audible account, and they will have hours of pleasure.

eddiecat78 Fri 18-Nov-16 17:46:48

The Christmas cards have arrived and they look really good - I`m tempted to have a go myself!

wordery.com/the-national-trust-the-colouring-book-of-cards-and-envelopes-christmas-rebecca-jones-9780857637260?currency=GBP>rck=ckRjL1ZoOUtGTGtDdlhTZDdEZGhOZEU4L094dGRxQ0UyemlEQjFBajJmWUlNeGltSHBOczZOR1Q5dTExNFZaSjBRZlVHbndWSFZIbUU5aUVCSi84SFE9PQ&gclid=CO3Skc3tstACFdUaGwodtVgHtQ

I was rather miffed when I arrived at the home yesterday and found the residents being encouraged to colour in some very basic outlines of Pudsey Bear. My Dad has been drawing detailed technical plans for 80 years!

Elegran Fri 18-Nov-16 18:27:44

Amazon also have a Poldark colouring book!

Tessa101 Fri 18-Nov-16 18:55:24

What about jigsaws or crossword puzzle books. How lovely of you to be doing this for your dear dad.

boo2410 Sat 19-Nov-16 07:51:46

Lew that painting is absolutely brilliant. He's obviously got a hidden talent.

Blinko Sat 19-Nov-16 08:50:54

Lewlew, love your Dad's painting. Wow!