Easy origami that delights the elderly. Enjoy a heart-lifting time with seasonal origami.
Origami is a wonderful hobby that lets you enjoy the charm of the seasons.
Seasonal creations—like spring clovers, summer festival coats (happi), and autumn maple leaves—have a mysterious way of warming the heart.
Here, we introduce seasonal origami that can be enjoyed together with older adults.
Beyond their visual beauty, these activities can also help stimulate the brain through fingertip movements.
Most of the designs are simple and easy to fold, so seniors can join in comfortably.
They’re perfect for facility events or spending quality time with family.
We hope you enjoy a lovely moment through origami.
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Seasonal Origami (21–30)
Rabbit’s Easter egg
Easter is a festival that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and it is set on a Sunday between late March and April each year.
Eggs and rabbits, regarded as symbols of rebirth and prosperity, are known as Easter symbols.
This time, we’ll introduce an origami Easter bunny.
After folding an Easter bunny with your favorite color or pattern of origami paper, use a pen or colored pencils to draw the eyes and mouth.
You can give it personality depending on the kind of face you choose.
By the way, each egg color has its own meaning, so how about turning it into a quiz as you work?
A child wearing a raincoat
During the rainy season, we tend to stay indoors more and go out less.
But it all depends on how you look at it.
Instead of thinking you can’t go out, why not see it as a great chance to enjoy time at home? This time, we’re introducing an origami idea: a “child in a raincoat.” You’ll use two colors of origami paper, which means lots of finger movement.
Some steps are a bit complex, but that makes it a good stimulus for the brain, so you can expect brain-training benefits too.
Once finished, the piece can also be used as a finger puppet.
Paper cutouts of osmanthus flowers
Kinmokusei (fragrant orange osmanthus) is a plant that blooms with orange flowers in autumn and is known as one of Japan’s three great fragrant trees—its scent is very popular.
This project shows how to create a pattern resembling a chain of tiny kinmokusei flowers by cutting folded origami.
Fold the origami into a triangle, mark flower shapes on it, then cut along the marks and unfold to reveal a connected row of kinmokusei.
Since it can look flat on its own, it’s also recommended to layer the pieces, glue them onto a backing sheet, or add decorations like stickers to give it a more three-dimensional look.
Carp streamers with plump, scaly patterns
Here is a carp streamer (koinobori) you can display indoors at your facility.
Many places change their wall decorations each month, don’t they? Some older adults seem to feel the season through wall decorations related to the month’s representative events and celebrations.
Seeing koinobori decorations may remind them of Children’s Day in May and the Boys’ Festival (Tango no Sekku).
A koinobori with charmingly plump scales is fun not only to make but also just to look at.
The puffy scales, made with two sheets of origami paper, aren’t difficult, so many older adults should be able to create them.
By admiring the wonderful koinobori they made themselves, they can also feel a sense of accomplishment.
Pacific saury
Speaking of autumn, pacific saury (sanma) comes to mind.
So, how about making a sanma out of origami this time? If you fold a sanma with origami and decorate your room with it, it will give your space a rich sense of the season.
By using both the colored and white sides of the paper, it will look even more realistic.
Try putting a small sticker for the eye.
The fine details might be a bit challenging, but once it’s finished, older adults are likely to feel a sense of accomplishment.
Let’s have fun making it together—offer support according to each older person’s skill level.
If you display the finished origami sanma on the wall, it will surely create an autumnal atmosphere.
tapioca juice
Tapioca drinks that sparked a huge boom might feel unfamiliar to some seniors, but they turn out super cute—why not give them a try? You could even make them with your grandkids and give them as gifts! Use a single sheet of origami paper to make the drink cup, and create the tapioca pearls by punching circles out of black origami with a hole punch.
If you don’t have a hole punch or find it troublesome, you can simply use black round stickers instead.
A red straw adds a nice accent, so make that last to finish it off! Changing the color of the origami will change the vibe, so be sure to experiment.
Cute pumpkin
A pumpkin that’s perfect for Halloween crafts and autumn origami.
It has a three-dimensional finish and can stand on its own, making it great for Halloween decorations! The pumpkin is relatively simple to make, so it’s ideal for seniors to enjoy as well.
Start with regular-sized origami paper, and once you get the hang of it, try making it with smaller sheets too! You can also easily make a hat to place on the pumpkin, so have fun creating them as a set.