[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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[For 5-Year-Olds] Let’s Make It with Origami! A Collection of Fun Folding Ideas (41–50)
Cute Santa Claus you can fold from a single sheet!
Fold the origami paper into a triangle to make a crease, then open it and fold the top corner down to meet the center.
Fold the lowered corner into a roll (tuck fold) to create the white part of the hat.
Next, fold the bottom corner up to meet the top edge, then fold it back down about 1 cm below the white part of the hat.
This white triangle will be Santa’s beard.
Turn the paper over, and fold the top left and right edges inward by about 7 mm.
Then fold both sides inward again so that the top edges align with the vertical center line.
Fold along the creases you just made so they match the lower left and right edges of the diamond shape at the center, and fold them back outward, tucking the corners into the small triangles on the left and right—these will be Santa’s arms.
Turn the paper to the front and draw the face to finish.
Just two folds! An easy wreath
A wreath made by connecting folded origami pieces is a perfect origami activity for older kindergarteners in December.
Prepare eight sheets of origami paper cut into quarters.
Fold each piece into a triangle, then fold one of the corners upward.
Make eight pieces using the same folding method, then insert the tip of one piece into the pocket of another to connect them and form a circular wreath.
Mixing colors will create a bright and cute wreath.
Decorating it with stickers or pom-poms is also recommended.
Easy and cute! Snow bunny
Snow bunnies have long been considered lucky and have been loved for generations.
The origami snow bunny is simple to fold, making it a great project for older children.
Prepare one sheet of white origami paper and two pieces of green origami paper cut into quarters.
First, make the bunny’s body with the white paper.
Fold the paper in half, then fold the left and right corners—one a bit larger and the other a bit smaller.
Fold the top triangular portion downward to form the snow bunny’s body.
For the ears, fold the green paper into a triangle and open it, then fold both sides toward the center crease.
Fold the top section in the same way to complete the bunny ears.
Attach the body and ears, and create your own original snow bunny.
Let’s make a snowman with a single sheet of origami!
Many kids want to make snowmen in winter, don’t they? Here’s an idea for an origami snowman.
First, fold the top corner of the origami paper into a small triangle and fold it down about 1 cm.
This will be the pom-pom on top of the hat.
Next, tightly roll-fold the right corner twice to create the hat’s white brim.
Fold the paper in half by matching the left and right edges, then fold the brim section back outward to match the width of the rolled folds.
Align the top and bottom to make the paper a square, then lift the top-left corner (two layers) and fold it to the opposite corner.
With the pom-pom at the top, turn the paper over, and fold the lower left and right edges toward the center line.
Open the pocket on the right side and squash-fold it, shaping it into a snowman.
Snowflake paper ornament
Here’s an idea for making a papercut design with origami.
First, fold the paper into a triangle by bringing the top and bottom corners together.
Then rotate the paper and flip the top and bottom.
Cross the two triangle corners inward and fold where they overlap neatly.
Draw a crystal-like pattern and cut it with scissors.
Open the paper to reveal your design.
The crystal’s look changes depending on how you make the cuts, so try different variations.
The moment you open it and wonder, “What pattern will it be?” is so exciting and fun.
Yukata Kids
Speaking of summer, you often see people going out to festivals wearing yukata.
Here’s an introduction to making “Yukata Kids” with origami.
It’s recommended to use patterned origami paper for the yukata.
The steps are simple, so fold each part carefully and assemble while checking the overall balance.
There are separate face and hair parts for a girl and a boy, so choose whichever you like and give it a try.
Adding a ribbon or other accessory on the hair makes it look more stylish, enhances the summery feel, and results in an even cuter finish.
Cute Shichi-Go-San origami
Actually, this idea separates the body and the long sleeves, then layers them to look like a single kimono.
First, for the long-sleeve part: fold the origami paper into a triangle twice to make creases, then unfold it and fold the top and bottom corners to the center.
Next, fold the left and right sides as well, but this time align them about 1 cm short of the center.
Fold the left and right corners back outward, flip the paper over, and fold the left and right corners slightly inward.
Flip it over again, then fold the top and bottom corners of the parts you just folded back about 1 mm inward.
Fold the paper in half along the crease, then fold both sides inward so the arms look overlapped, and that part is done.
For the body: fold the paper into a triangle with the top and bottom corners slightly offset.
Flip the paper over and fold the left and right sides so they overlap at the center.
The white area created by the offset becomes the haneri (half-collar).
Tuck the protruding bottom corner to the back, and slide it between the sleeves you made earlier.