Easy Winter-Themed Origami Ideas for 5-Year-Olds
Origami is a big hit for recreation.
It’s perfect for free folding to spark imagination, and the fine finger movements help develop dexterity and concentration.
In this article, we introduce winter-themed origami designs and how to make them, tailored for five-year-olds.
Let’s fold winter events like Christmas, New Year’s, and Setsubun, as well as winter foods, animals, and seasonal motifs with origami.
Kids can even use the origami they fold to make Christmas ornaments.
Enjoy it as an indoor recreational activity during the cold season.
[For 5-Year-Olds] Simple Winter-Themed Origami Ideas (1–10)
Santa Claus
Making a Santa Claus out of origami is a wonderful idea.
If you use red paper for Santa’s outfit and white paper for his beard, you’ll instantly be surrounded by a Christmas atmosphere.
As you fold together with your child, it’s nice to enjoy conversations like, “What kind of person is Santa?” or “What presents will he bring?” The finished Santa can be hung on the Christmas tree or displayed around the room.
Through origami play, your child’s imagination and creativity are likely to grow.
Easy with just one sheet! Snowman
The charm of this origami is how easy it is—you can make a snowman with just one sheet of white paper.
There are many small, detailed folds, so try tackling it together with your child.
Each step is simple, but because it involves lots of precise finger work, staying focused is important.
As you go, guide them with prompts like “This part is next,” or demonstrate each step so they can work with confidence.
At the end, draw the face with a pen or add patterns, and each snowman will have its own unique expression.
When you line up the finished pieces for display, you can clearly see how different their expressions are—even though they’re all snowmen—making them even more fun to look at.
Snow fairy! Adorable long-tailed tit (Shima-enaga)
Why not try making the popular long-tailed tit as a “snow fairy” with origami? All you need is a single sheet of your favorite origami paper and a black pen, so preparation is super easy.
Fold by creasing and flipping the paper as you go: use the white front side to represent the body and the colored back side for the wings.
Finish by drawing the eyes and beak with a black pen to enjoy different expressions.
With few steps, it’s easy even for a 3-year-old, so it’s highly recommended.
After it’s done, you can show them to each other or line them up on the wall to create a cute atmosphere.
penguin
I’ll show you how to fold a cute penguin! First, place the origami paper with the back side facing up, fold along the diagonal, and crease well.
Fold the top corner to align with the center line, unfold, then fold along the crease you just made.
Fold the top edge down to meet that line.
Turn it over, then fold the top left and right edges in to meet the center line.
Fold the boundary between the white and colored areas at the top down to align with the line below.
Turn it over again, fold about 1 cm from the top-right corner toward the left, then fold the right corner in to meet the center line.
Next, fold the left corner in to meet the right corner.
Fold the bottom corner up to the same position.
From the inner corners of the left and right triangles, fold so that the edges line up with the boundary between the white and colored areas.
First, fold the left and right sides of the two triangles so their edges meet the boundary.
Fold from the notch down to the bottom corner.
Fold down the top corner.
Finally, draw the eyes and beak with a pen or crayon, and you’re done!
ogre
During the Setsubun season, try making ogres (oni) out of origami! Use any color you like—red, blue, yellow, and more.
With a single sheet of origami paper, you can make the oni’s face and even its horns.
Fold it into a triangle, and use one of the pointed parts as the horns.
Once you’re done folding, draw the oni’s face with a pen.
Make it scary or cute—design the face however you like! You can also make a separate body for the oni.
Create lots of oni in different colors and turn them into lively Setsubun decorations!
Daruma garland
https://www.tiktok.com/@chooobo2/video/7308312661668678913Let’s make daruma, a good-luck charm from the Edo period! Here’s a daruma garland you can try.
You’ll need origami paper in your favorite colors, tape, and string.
It’s said that each daruma color carries a special wish.
It might be nice to look up the meanings with the kids before you start crafting.
You can also choose any number of daruma to include.
If you want to make small daruma, cut the origami paper into quarter-size pieces and get creative! It’ll make your room look colorful.
Santa’s sleigh
https://www.tiktok.com/@poccle/video/7303522204799487234Brighten your Christmas with origami! Here’s how to make Santa’s sleigh.
All you need is one sheet of origami paper in any color you like.
First, fold it into a triangle and fold the bottom section upward.
Next, flip the paper over and fold the top section downward.
Finally, adjust the size to match your Santa by tucking the right side to the back—and you’re done! When attaching it to a wall or construction paper, try adding a sleigh rope with masking tape or yarn.
You can also use patterned origami paper, so give it a try!