Lovely childcare

[For 1-year-olds] Play with your child! Easy summer origami ideas

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked for 10 years as a kindergarten teacher and for 7 years as an after-school childcare instructor, then took a post as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I also engaged in activities that shared Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational play, working with many children. Afterwards, through freelance writing, planning, and editing work at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and conveying ideas. Leveraging the perspective cultivated in educational settings and my experience as an editor, I aim to deliver practical information—focusing on fields related to music and children—that values both input and output. Hobbies include instruments, singing, handcrafts, toys, drawing, traditional play, the outdoors, books, DIY, and crafts. Special skill: spinning-top tricks.
Nursery Teacher Mom Writertsukada moe
After working for five years at an after-school childcare club and three years at a nursery school, I began working as a freelance writer. I’m a mother of two children. Inspired by playing the flute in the school wind ensemble in elementary school, I joined a jazz club at university. I’ve also incorporated ukulele and piano performance into childcare. Playing, laughing, feeling sad, feeling frustrated—through all kinds of experiences, I want children to grow.

Curious and full of wonder, one-year-olds are fascinated by everything around them.

In summer, the heat often keeps us indoors.

At times like that, why not make toys out of origami and play together with your child? Origami toys provide fun stimulation for little ones and are safe to play with, which is a big plus.

Here, we’ve gathered ideas for origami toys that adults can easily make for one-year-olds.

Use these ideas to expand your indoor play options.

Have fun playing and enjoy the summer together with your child!

[Age 1] Play with your child! Easy summer origami ideas (21–30)

Origami Slinky

[Playable Origami] How to Make a Slinky | Origami Paper Craft DIY

Origami Slinky

A Slinky is a spring-shaped toy that originated in the United States.

Many of you may remember playing with one as a child.

Let’s make a Slinky out of origami and have some fun! This version uses a total of 60 sheets of origami paper—six sheets each of ten different colors.

The more sheets you use, the more you can enjoy the springy stretching and contracting motion and the ever-changing colors, so be patient and make plenty.

We recommend using 7.5 cm × 7.5 cm sheets and a thicker paper.

Unlike plastic or metal Slinkies, this origami version is less likely to get tangled, so you can play with it over and over stress-free.

You can just imagine how excited the kids will be!

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

origami ribbon

One sheet of origami: Easy and cute ribbon folding. How to make a ribbon with origami — it’s so cute. [Easy origami with one sheet]

origami ribbon

How about making an irresistibly cute ribbon out of origami? You can easily make one with a single sheet of paper, so it’s perfect when you’re running out of ideas for at-home play.

Kids can wear them in their hair or on their clothes, attach them to dolls, use them for pretend shop play—the possibilities are endless! They’re also great for costumes in school performances and for birthday decorations.

Try using origami with different patterns and textures to create a ribbon that makes your heart flutter.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Rolling little star

Origami toy “Korokoro Boshi 2” (Rolling Star 2)

Rolling little star

How about making a bouncing, rolling “Korokoro Star” with an irresistibly cute motion and playing with it together with the kids? Since the instructions are advanced and quite challenging, please have an adult do the crafting.

The star’s unique, addictive movement is sure to captivate children.

It’s also a great activity to include during Tanabata or the Christmas season.

If you use glittery origami paper, it’s perfect for displaying or hanging in your room after playtime.

Give it a try and have fun together!

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Spiral Cube

Magic Spiral Cube! Playable origami♪ It also looked beautiful when made with transparent origami paper ☺️✨ #origami #educational #indoorplay

Spiral Cube

A mysterious toy that will have kids glued to it, wondering “What’s going on?”—the Spiral Cube! Believe it or not, you can make it with origami.

The steps are a bit challenging for a one-year-old, so have an adult give it a try.

When opening the cube, you need to grasp it with your fingers and twist your wrist, making it perfect for developing children’s fine motor skills.

Once they get used to moving it, you can keep adding length to make it longer and longer.

If you use transparent origami or paper with different patterns and colors, it’s sure to become an even more captivating toy for kids.

Give it a try!

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

a twirling fruit

Origami you can play with: “Kurukuru no Mi” (Spinning Fruit)

a twirling fruit

Things that spin—like car tires, windmills, fans, and tops—have a mysterious charm that captivates children, don’t they? For kids who love that kind of thing, this toy is highly recommended: the Spinning Seed.

If you drop it from a high place, it twirls as it falls, which is so fun to watch that you’ll want to do it over and over.

Since making it involves lots of delicate steps and is fairly difficult, an adult should do the crafting.

The challenge makes the sense of accomplishment even greater when you see it spin beautifully once it’s finished.

Drop them together from a slightly higher spot, and it’s sure to be a hit! Picture the kids’ delighted faces and give it a try.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Origami propeller

[Playable Origami] How to Fold a Well-Spinning Propeller with Audio Commentary ☆ A well-rotated propeller tutorial

Origami propeller

Perfect for kids who love airplanes and helicopters! Here’s an origami propeller toy that’s fun to watch as it spins and falls.

It’s also nice that you can make it with just one sheet of origami paper.

The folding steps are complex and challenging for children, so adults should give it a try.

Colorful or patterned origami works great, and for outdoor play we recommend shiny, reflective paper.

Sunlight reflecting off the spinning propeller looks beautiful.

It’s fascinating to watch the propeller fall while rotating, whether you look from above or below.

It’s a toy full of excitement that will have kids saying, “Again!”

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Colorful ice play with pom-poms

http://www.lemon8-app.com

Have fun without using colored water! Here’s a colorful ice play idea using pom-poms.

It’s easy to try because you can get all the materials at a 100-yen shop.

This time, let’s use a round ice tray and colorful decorative balls to enjoy some cool, playful ice activities.

Just put the decorative balls and water into the round ice tray, freeze it, and you’re done! You can play by touching the ice as is, or enjoy watching it melt in the bath.

Try out different ways to play.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem