[Origami] Simple Origami Folding Ideas to Savor Spring with 5-Year-Olds
Origami is one of those activities that nurtures dexterity in the fingers and boosts concentration, positively supporting children’s healthy development.
By the time children are five, the range of things they can make with origami increases dramatically, so it’s great to incorporate an environment in childcare where they can freely create anytime.
Here, we’re sharing spring-themed origami ideas for five-year-olds.
We’ve included plenty of fun folding instructions featuring springtime flowers, insects, and seasonal foods.
Add little twists—like drawing on what you made or adding stickers—to expand the play, and make good use of these ideas for spring crafts.
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[Origami] Simple origami ideas to enjoy spring with 5-year-olds (91–100)
rice ball
With spring’s arrival, many preschools and kindergartens likely enjoy field trips and longer strolls.
Here’s an origami idea to go with that theme: how to fold a rice ball (onigiri).
Prepare a sheet of black origami paper to represent the nori (seaweed).
Fold it in half twice into a square to make creases, then unfold.
Fold three corners toward the center point.
Flip the paper over, then fold the remaining corner up so its tip meets the center point.
Next, slightly fold the corners to round the shape, and your onigiri is complete! On the small white “rice” area that shows, draw your favorite filling, or add a red round sticker to make it look like an umeboshi (pickled plum) onigiri—it looks delicious.
pinwheel
Let me show you how to make a pinwheel that’s perfect for spring.
We’ll fold it using the basic “two-layer boat” method.
With this method, identical boat shapes appear on the top and bottom; usually you’d fold those together to complete the boat, but since we’re making a pinwheel, stop at the point where the matching top and bottom boats are formed.
Next, create the pinwheel’s blades by folding the bottom-left corner downward and the top-right corner upward—that’s it! It looks super cute in lots of different colors.
Display it in your room to bring in the feeling of a pleasant spring breeze.
shiitake mushroom
That big shiitake cap is so fun! Here’s an idea for making a shiitake mushroom out of origami.
All you need is brown origami paper plus a pen or colored pencils.
The main focus is the cap-like part of the mushroom.
There are many steps that involve making creases, but it’s simple and easy to follow.
What’s more, adding faces or expressions to the finished mushroom with pens or colored pencils really sparks creativity.
Give it a try and let your kids’ individuality shine.
A rabbit hopping and bouncing
Make it with a single sheet of origami! Let me introduce an idea for a bunny that hops up and down.
All you need is origami paper in your favorite color, plus pens or colored pencils.
It’s an activity that lets kids have fun while using their imagination to see how the finished bunny moves.
It’s exciting to use your favorite color of origami paper to make a hopping bunny! Some steps are a bit tricky, so it’s best to work together with a teacher or guardian.
By drawing the face and patterns with pens or colored pencils, you can create your very own unique hopping bunny!
cabbage white butterfly
Distinctive black spots! Here’s an idea for making a cabbage white butterfly out of origami.
Let’s create a cute butterfly that flutters in spring.
The key to this idea is the step where you slip your fingers between the layers of origami and gently open it up.
After making firm creases, open the paper.
Once it’s finished, add patterns with a black pen, colored pencils, or round stickers to make it look even nicer! Try displaying it together with paper flowers and other spring crafts.