For Age 3: Have Fun Making with Your Child! A Collection of Easy Dinosaur Origami Ideas
Around age three, kids start to enjoy activities that use their fingers.
How about folding origami together with them and having some fun?
If they like animals, many children are also interested in dinosaurs.
So this time, we’re sharing some simple dinosaur origami ideas that are perfect to try with three-year-olds.
Along with famous dinosaurs, there are also some you might not hear about often—but if your child loves dinosaurs, they’ll surely know them!
Take a look at the folding steps together with your child and enjoy a fun time.
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[Age 3] Have fun making with your child! A collection of easy dinosaur origami ideas (1–10)
Giganotosaurus
Let’s make a Giganotosaurus—said to be larger than a Tyrannosaurus—using a single sheet of origami paper! After creasing an X on the paper, fold both sides of one corner inward by about 5 mm.
Pinch-fold all four edges toward the center line, then fold the corner you just worked on slightly back outward.
This will be the dinosaur’s head.
Next, fold the middle triangular section inward along the center line to form the hind legs.
Turn the paper sideways, fold the head section up at a diagonal, and fold the paper in half.
Fold the head section down, then make an inside reverse fold on the opposite end to create the tail.
Finally, make a small cut under the head to form the forelegs—and you’re done!
Parasaurolophus
Parasaurolophus, known for its long crest.
It’s a herbivorous dinosaur, but it’s a popular one that often appears in kids’ cartoons and the like.
Here’s an idea for making a Parasaurolophus using a single sheet of origami paper.
A standard sheet will make a small model, so using a larger sheet is recommended.
First, crease an X across the paper, then pinch-fold all four edges toward the center line.
Turn the paper over and fold the top and bottom right edges to the center line.
Fold back the middle triangular section to form the front legs, then fold the left section inward, open it, and squash-fold to create the tail and hind legs.
Finally, fold the paper in half and shape the head by overlapping the remaining right section, and you’re done.
Munch-munch Dinosaur
Let’s make a chomping dinosaur that can open and close its mouth! First, fold the origami into a triangle to make a crease, then unfold it and fold all four edges to the center line.
Fold the paper in half to form a triangle, aligning the pointed tips.
Fold the top layer’s tip down to the bottom edge.
Next, fold the left edges of the top and bottom triangles to the center line.
Then fold the two right edges to the center line to make creases, and unfold them.
Flip the triangle to the opposite side to form the mouth.
Finally, fold the origami in half, and you’re done.
Draw eyes to make it cute!
[Age 3] Have Fun Making with Your Child! A Collection of Simple Dinosaur Origami Ideas (11–20)
Seismosaurus
The large dinosaur known as Seismosaurus is said to have been about 33 meters long.
Because it was so big that its footsteps could shake the ground, it was also called the “earthquake lizard.” By the way, due to changes in scientific consensus, the dinosaur Seismosaurus is no longer recognized today.
For this origami idea, start by cutting a standard sheet of origami paper into quarters.
Fold it in half vertically to make a crease, then open it and fold the top and bottom edges to meet at the center.
Fold all four corners inward, then tuck the folded sections inside.
Fold these four spots inward along the creases to form the legs.
Turn the paper over, fold the four edges to align with the centerline, then fold the paper in half.
Make squash folds on the left and right sections to shape the head and tail, and finally fold the legs back outward to finish.
Apatosaurus
Shall we try making an Apatosaurus, a herbivorous dinosaur that lived in the Late Jurassic? With this idea, you can make it using just one sheet of origami paper.
First, create creases marked with an X, then pinch-fold the two corners along the diagonal.
Turn the paper over, align a corner with the center line to make a guide crease and unfold, then fold the opposite corner to that guide.
Fold the corner you just worked on back outward, and to narrow the resulting triangle, fold the left and right edges inward.
This part will be the tail.
Next, rotate the paper sideways and fold it in half along the center line.
Perform an inside reverse fold on the right section, narrowing it as you fold to form the head.
Finally, make the legs to finish.
The leg section involves many fine steps, so have an adult work together with the child while proceeding.
Spinosaurus
I’ll show you how to fold a Spinosaurus using a single sheet of origami paper.
First, turn the paper over and fold it into a triangle twice.
Flip it to the front and fold it into a triangle again, with a corner pointing down.
Fold the bottom corner up to meet the edge to make a crease, then fold along that line two more times, and finally leave it folded as is.
Align with the folded corner and fold both sides so they are vertical, then fold the white section upward.
Open the left and right sides and squash-flatten them, then fold along the center line to make a crease.
Following that crease, fold both sides using the traditional crane base method.
Squash-fold into a triangle aligned with the center, and as you perform a cover fold on one side, shape the head.
On the opposite side, make a vertical fold in half, then inside-reverse-fold to form the legs.
Gently pull out the tail a little, tuck in any parts that are sticking out, and you’re done!
dinosaur
It’s exciting that you can make them stand up for display! Here are some dinosaur ideas.
For children, dinosaurs are incredibly captivating and thrilling, aren’t they? Their large, powerful forms and the mysterious fact that they went extinct spark curiosity.
Plus, with so many dinosaur-themed picture books, movies, and toys, it’s clear they remain popular with kids even today.
This time, let’s make a cool dinosaur with origami! It also sounds fun to add patterns to your finished dinosaur with pens or colored pencils.