This time, we’re introducing cute origami activities for three-year-olds.
At age three, children’s vocabulary grows, and they start to manage simple back-and-forth exchanges.
In terms of development, their fine motor skills improve, and they begin to do simple self-care tasks on their own, like fastening buttons and putting on socks.
They also start to enjoy using their hands more, and you’ll often see them actively engaging in hands-on play like origami, pretend play, or connecting Plarail train sets.
We’ll be showcasing some very popular origami for children like these, so please have fun trying them out with your own creative twists!
- For Age 3: Have Fun Making with Your Child! A Collection of Easy Dinosaur Origami Ideas
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- [For 3-year-olds] Let’s make strawberries with origami! A collection of easy strawberry folding ideas
- [For 3-year-olds] Easy-to-make origami rabbit ideas collection
- [Origami] Simple Origami Ideas to Feel the Spring with 3-Year-Olds
- [For Preschoolers] Fold with Fun! January Origami Ideas for Little Ones
- [For Preschoolers] Let’s Make It Together with the Kids! Origami Ideas for February
- Simple origami for kids: cute, playable origami ideas
- [Preschool] Recommended for 3-year-olds! Easy-to-make fall origami craft ideas
- Origami for 2-Year-Olds: Fun and Educational! Origami Ideas for Toddlers
- [For 3-year-olds] A fun collection of easy origami fish to make!
- [For 3-year-olds] Let's make it with origami! A collection of easy mushroom folds
- Fun Halloween Origami for 3-Year-Olds
Perfect for first-timers! A collection of origami that’s super popular with kids from age 3! (1–10)
King of insects! Origami rhinoceros beetleNEW!
Some families may do origami together with their children.
If you’re going to do it, you’ll want to fold something that’s easy for kids, right? There are beetle designs—king of the insects—that are simple to fold.
Even though they’re easy for kids, the wings and body are clearly separated like a real rhinoceros beetle.
It even has a long, impressive horn that gives it that authentic beetle presence.
It’s also a great idea to make a watermelon or a tree out of construction paper or origami and display them together with the beetle.
How about making lots of beetles and putting them on display?
Also great for walls! A cherry blossom made with 5 sheets of origamiNEW!
Let’s make a cherry blossom using five sheets of origami.
Prepare five sheets of origami paper and start folding.
First, fold the paper into a triangle once; the key for the second triangle fold is to offset the tip slightly as you fold.
Fold up the side where the paper is not fluttering, and fold the opposite side to match the crease.
It’s also recommended to use glue to hold it in place so it doesn’t spread open.
Make five pieces in the same way, combine them, and finish as a single cherry blossom.
Using different colors of origami to create a variety of colorful cherry blossoms is also cute.
How to fold ice cream
Let’s make a cold and delicious ice cream! First, fold the origami paper into a triangle, crease it well, and unfold.
Fold along the creased lines toward the center to form a triangle shape.
At this point, it looks like the cone part of the ice cream.
Fold the top ice-cream part downward and flip it over.
Fold about 1 centimeter of the ice-cream part, then flip it over again.
Now it looks like a pointy soft-serve cone.
Tuck the ice-cream part to the back to round it out, and your ice cream is complete! Adding stickers as toppings would make it even cuter!
How to fold a Shinkansen (origami)
Let’s make a Shinkansen—hugely popular with kids—out of origami! You only need one sheet, so get a piece in your favorite color.
First, place the paper color-side up and fold it in half.
Open it, then fold the top and bottom in by about one-third.
With the colored side still facing up, fold it in half again.
Next, fold the upper left corner into a triangle and tuck it inside; this will be the nose of the Shinkansen.
Do the same with the lower white section—fold it into a triangle and tuck it in—and your Shinkansen is complete.
It’s also fun to draw windows with a pen or crayon, or draw tracks on construction paper and let it “run” along them!
How to fold a tulip
Let’s make tulips that kids love.
Prepare a total of two sheets of origami: one for the flower and one for the stem and leaf.
For the flower: fold the paper into a triangle twice.
After making the creases, unfold one step to return to the triangle shape.
Fold up the left and right corners to form the flower.
It’s recommended to adjust the width of these folds to suit the children’s preferences.
For the leaf and stem: fold the origami into a triangle, crease, and open it.
To form a long triangle, fold each side toward the center crease, then fold in half along the center line.
With the wider end at the bottom, fold up a small portion to finish.
Attach the stem part to the flower with clear tape, and your tulip is complete!
How to fold a heart
It’s exciting when you can make a cute heart shape just by folding, isn’t it? Here’s how to fold an adorable heart.
There are many steps, but since most folds are symmetrical, give it a try! First, crease a cross (both vertical and horizontal) and unfold.
Next, fold the bottom up toward the center line.
Flip it over, then fold both the left and right sides so that the part you just folded aligns with the vertical center line.
Flip it over again, and fold the wider bottom section on both sides toward the vertical center line.
Fold the square sections on both sides toward the vertical line as well.
When you fold down the triangular section, the top part will puff open—gently squash it and fold it into a heart shape to finish.
How to fold a rabbit (origami)
Let’s try folding a cute rabbit with long ears! Prepare one sheet of your favorite origami paper.
First, place it with the white, non-colored side facing up.
Fold it into a triangle twice, then open the pocket and gently squash it from the top to make a square.
Do the same on the back side.
Fold down the flaps that are loose, and repeat on the back.
You should start to see the ears appear; finally, fold the left and right sides toward the center to shape the face and ears, and you’re done! As you fold, saying things like “Are the ears starting to show?” and “What shape will the face be?” will help the children stay excited and engaged while they make it.