[For 5-year-olds] Let’s make origami! A collection of fun folding ideas
Here are some origami ideas for five-year-olds.
By the time children are five, you’ll often see them helping each other with parts they don’t understand or folding while looking at an origami instruction book.
While respecting each child’s pace, teachers should also enjoy working on these together with the children.
We’re introducing lots of ideas—ones you can fold and play with, as well as cute ones to decorate with or wear—so once the origami is finished, be sure to have fun playing with the children!
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[Age 5] Let’s Make Origami! A Collection of Fun Folding Ideas (61–70)
Cute and easy penguin
Let me introduce an origami penguin with an adorable round shape.
After making a triangular crease, fold so that both ends become parallel.
Turn the paper over, fold the corners halfway toward the center, then fold them in half once more.
Fold both ends diagonally to form the penguin’s wings and body.
Adjust the shape, draw the penguin’s facial expression, and it’s complete.
By drawing varied expressions, you can create many different penguins.
Give it a try and have fun making them!
Swirly soft-serve ice cream
You can make a three-dimensional soft-serve ice cream using origami.
First, let’s make the cone.
For the cone, draw a diagonal curved line on the origami paper as if drawing part of a circle, and cut along the line with scissors.
Draw crisscross lines to mimic a waffle cone, roll it into a cone shape, and secure it with clear tape.
For the soft-serve part, fold the origami paper in half twice.
When you have a small square, perform a squash fold to open it up.
Fold the opened piece in half, then twist it sideways as if rolling it.
Open it layer by layer and secure with tape, place it inside the waffle cone, and you’re done.
Cute crab
Searching for crabs that often hide among rocks in the sea or rivers can be a wonderfully seasonal and fulfilling activity for children.
Here’s a simple origami crab you can make.
Fold into a triangle and a square to create creases.
Using those creases as guides, tuck the paper inward to form a triangle and shape the model.
While aligning with the central starting point and center line, fold and bend to create the crab’s claws and legs.
A key tip is to press the folds firmly.
Draw eyes on round stickers, attach them, and you’re done!
Super easy! Shaved ice
Let’s make a cold and delicious summer classic—shaved ice—using a single sheet of origami paper.
Fold the paper into a triangle, and as you crease it, shape it into a shaved ice form.
The key is to create a rounded look for the shaved ice as you go.
Use bright, summery colors of origami paper.
Once it’s finished, decide what flavor you want and color it with markers.
It’s also a great idea to make fruit or other toppings and add them on.
Give it a try!
A fox you can make with three folds
Let’s make a fox face with a single sheet of origami.
It’s a simple process with just three folds, so give it a try! Fold the top corner of the paper down to meet the bottom corner.
Fold the left and right edges diagonally upward toward the center to make the ears.
Turn the paper over, and draw the nose and eyes with a pen to finish.
When folding upward, avoid making the bottom corner too sharp—this will make it easier to draw the nose.
Foxes are often depicted with narrow eyes, but if you want a cute look, round eyes work well too.
A fox that can be folded into a whole body with a single sheet
I’m going to show you how to make a cute fox out of a single sheet of origami paper, with the whole body folded from just one piece! First, turn the paper over and fold it into a triangle twice, then open it once.
Fold both corners up toward the center.
Fold the model in half so that the parts you just folded end up on the outside.
Next, make a slight diagonal fold starting from the corner, and open the middle.
This part involves some fine work, so an adult should help.
Finally, tuck the tip inward and you’re done.
Use a pen or round stickers to draw the face!
An easy fox you can fold with just two sheets
Here’s how to make a fox with two sheets of origami paper that even a 3-year-old can fold.
First, fold one sheet into a triangle.
Next, fold the top part up just a little, then flip it over.
Fold the left and right corners up toward the center—this completes the face.
Now take the second sheet and fold it into a triangle the same way, then fold the triangle’s tip diagonally.
This makes the body.
Finally, glue the face and body together, and your fox is done! Drawing the face with a pen or using round stickers is also cute, so I recommend it.
Have fun making it!