Branksome Hall Asia Students Donate 3D-Printed Dementia Prevention Toys to Local Nursing Home

A student club named Toys for Thought, made up of 10th and 11th graders from Branksome Hall Asia, an international school in Jeju, recently visited the Jeju Provincial Nursing Home (Director: Ko Jung-yoon) to donate dementia-prevention toys they designed and created themselves.

Over the past five months, six students—Yeji Park, Hyojung Park, Yesol Song (Grade 11), and Seoha Kim, Soyoon Park, Mina Sung (Grade 10)—researched scientific papers on dementia and used 3D printers to develop two different cognitive stimulation tools aimed at helping prevent dementia.

The toys were designed based on scientific studies suggesting that tactile stimulation enhances brain cell activity and can be effective in both dementia prevention and play therapy.

The Grade 11 team developed a transparent tube puzzle that involves inserting beads of various colors in the correct order, while the Grade 10 team used a laser cutter to create a shape-matching game.

During their recent visit to the nursing home, the students introduced the toys and conducted interactive sessions with about 20 elderly residents, demonstrating how to use the tools and engaging in shared play.

Kang Mi-yeol, Deputy Head of the Social Welfare Team at the facility, expressed appreciation for the students’ efforts and said she hopes for more opportunities for future interaction with the elderly residents.

The students said they felt fulfilled seeing the residents smile and enjoy the toys, and they expressed hopes for the tools to help slow the progression of dementia and contribute to the residents’ well-being.

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Source: Jeju Ilbo