7 Beneficial Crafts and Activities for People with Parkinson’s

Jul 2, 2026

Medically reviewed by Heidi Moawad, M.D. — Written by Catherine Crider on November 7, 2024

Individuals with Parkinson’s disease should remain as active as possible. Knitting, painting, and doing puzzles can be beneficial along with physical exercises like cycling and yoga.

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder where the amount of dopamine in certain areas of the brain decreases. It can cause an individual to experience tremors, loss of balance, and stiffness.

 

There’s currently no cure for Parkinson’s disease, so treatment often focuses on reducing the severity of one’s symptoms and improving one’s quality of life.

Individuals with Parkinson’s disease should engage in a variety of activities that center on fine motor skills and cognition, as well as physical exercises that require balance and mobility. Staying active can help strengthen muscles and may help prevent dementia.

 

This article looks at beneficial crafts and activities for those living with or caring for someone with Parkinson’s.

How the stages of Parkinson’s may guide the activities you choose

 

It’s worth noting that Parkinson’s disease causes a resting tremor. During early stages, the tremor is present at rest and goes away with action.

The activities reviewed in this article can help during the early stages of Parkinson’s by strengthening muscles, improving mood, and maintaining balance.

It’s not until fairly late stages that people begin to have tremors that continue even with action. This can make some of the activities discussed here frustrating or even unsafe. In addition, people with Parkinson’s often have difficulty walking and may feel lightheaded for a few minutes when standing up after being seated or lying down.

Physical exercises that focus on balance and walking safely, especially after getting up after lying down or being seated, are extremely helpful during all stages of Parkinson’s.

Read about the best physical exercises for Parkinson’s disease here.

 

1. Knitting and painting

Artistic crafts like knitting and painting provide the opportunity to focus on fine motor skills and create something of value.

Those with Parkinson’s disease can experience tremors and have difficulty moving their hands. They may also experience stress and depression as a result of their condition. Creating something from scratch provides an opportunity to:

  • focus on hand movements
  • reduce stress
  • feel a sense of accomplishment

Many communities have opportunities for individuals to come together and practice crafts like crocheting or painting. This can offer a valuable social outlet for those with Parkinson’s disease.

 

2. Singing

Vocal exercises like singing can help strengthen and control vocal muscles. This may be especially beneficial for those with Parkinson’s disease because vocal tremors or difficulty speaking can develop as the condition progresses.

Singing may also help with recall and memory.

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