Simple Origami Ideas to Enjoy in Autumn (For 4-Year-Olds)
When summer ends and autumn arrives, we see a big increase in delicious seasonal foods, and there are major events like Halloween, too.
Here are some origami ideas with an autumn theme, designed for 4-year-olds.
We’re focusing on simple folds that are easy to make.
Through origami, children may broaden their interest and curiosity about seasonal foods that peak in autumn and the lives of autumn creatures.
If there are parts they don’t understand, it would be great if they could fold along with their teachers or discuss and proceed with friends—giving them chances to think and to learn the importance of helping one another.
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[For 4-year-olds] Simple origami ideas to enjoy in autumn (21–30)
Cute little squirrel!
A squirrel you can make from a single sheet of origami—also great for November wall displays—is a perfect craft for preschoolers.
Fold the paper into a triangle, then fold up the left and right sides to form a cup shape.
After folding down the tip of the paper, create the squirrel’s belly.
For the tail, make horizontal snips into the flappy triangular part of the paper.
Be careful not to cut all the way through.
Draw the face to finish.
To give the tail a fluffy look, you might curl it with a ballpoint pen to add some movement.
Cute! Horsetail Origami
Let’s make a cute horsetail (tsukushi) using 15×7.5 cm origami paper.
First, place the white side of the paper facing up and fold it into a square by bringing the top and bottom edges together.
Open it once the crease is made, then fold the bottom edge up to meet the crease.
Rotate the paper 90 degrees to the right and turn it over, then fold the top and bottom edges inward to make it into thirds.
Create the hakama (pleated trousers) look by making two step folds (valley–mountain) on the white section, then fold the top and bottom inward toward the center.
At this point, it’s easier if you squash-fold the right corner into a triangle.
Finally, fold all four corners of the brown section inward, and you’re done.
[For 4-year-olds] Simple Origami Ideas to Enjoy in Autumn (31–40)
Two ways to fold an acorn
Even when we say “acorns” as a catch-all, there are many kinds—apparently more than 20 species native to Japan alone.
In this idea, we introduce two styles: a long acorn and a round acorn.
That said, the folding method is the same for both.
With the colored side of the origami facing up, fold down the top edge.
This part becomes the acorn’s cap, so make this section narrower for a long acorn and wider for a round acorn.
After folding the cap, flip the paper over and fold the left and right edges toward the center line.
A key point here is to align only the brown section with the center line.
You want the white section to suggest the cap’s flare, so fold it while slightly opening it outward and flattening it.
After that, just fold the top and bottom corners inward to refine the shape.
Adding patterns to the cap makes it extra cute.
Ginkgo hanging ornament
Ginkgo decorations, which are very popular as autumn ornaments, add a warm touch to any room.
Prepare origami paper, string, double-sided tape, and a stapler, then let’s get started.
Fold the origami paper in half horizontally three times, aligning with the center line, then unfold it completely.
Flip the paper front and back as you make an accordion fold.
Trim the corners to create a rounded shape, fold it in half toward the center, and staple the bottom.
Finally, stick the center together with double-sided tape to finish.
Attach them to a string to make hanging garlands, or decorate walls and other spaces—have fun creating!
A cute autumn tree made of origami
Let’s make a simple autumn tree using origami.
Prepare two sheets of origami paper and create separate parts for the leaves and the trunk.
For the leaves, fold into triangles and squares, pressing firmly with your fingers to set crisp creases.
Following the creases, fold everything inward as if tucking it inside.
If it’s difficult, have an adult help.
Once you shape the corners into leaf-like points, the leaf section is complete.
For the trunk, fold along the center line to create a three-dimensional shape.
Attach the leaves and trunk together to finish.
It’s also nice to use different paper colors for a more autumnal look.
Realistic fallen leaves you can make with origami!
Red, yellow, green, brown… Autumn begins with colorful foliage and is a season to enjoy leaves in many shades.
So why not make fallen leaves with origami, too? They’re great for wall decorations and a handy idea to remember.
To prepare, fold the origami paper in half top to bottom to make a rectangle, place it with the fold at the bottom, then crease diagonally from the top right corner to the bottom left corner and cut along the crease with scissors.
You’ll use the remaining triangular piece of origami paper.
Fold the top corner of the triangle down to meet the base to halve it, then repeat this same fold three more times.
Next, unfold the paper and refold it in an accordion (zigzag) pattern.
Fold the origami in half, bringing the left and right sides together, glue the inner layers, adjust the shape, and you’re done.
Origami Halloween pumpkin
Here’s an origami idea for fallen leaves that also helps kids practice using scissors.
Place the colored side up and fold the paper into a triangle.
Next, make accordion folds from the left edge in 1 cm widths.
Once the accordion folds are done, unfold back to the triangle and fold up the base diagonally so that the left side becomes thicker.
Fold the top corners outward into small triangles, then slowly open the paper.
Tuck the triangular corner tips to the back to shape it like a leaf.
Open the white section on the left edge, make a slit on the opposite side, and form the leaf stem.
After that, add small cuts or folds as you like to give it the look of a fallen leaf.