[For Preschoolers] Fold with Fun! January Origami Ideas for Little Ones
Seeing the older preschoolers and kindergarteners, the younger ones start to feel eager to try doing things on their own.
They admire the older kids who freely create with scissors and glue, don’t they?
So today, we’d like to share some January origami ideas that younger preschoolers can enjoy.
Using tools might still be hard to do alone, but origami is easy to enjoy!
We’re introducing simple designs that younger children can fold by themselves to feel a sense of accomplishment, as well as slightly more complex folds for kids who are confident with origami and want a challenge.
We hope you make lots of them and have fun playing!
- [For Preschoolers] Let’s Make It Together with the Kids! Origami Ideas for February
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- [For 4-5-year-olds] Folding is fun! A collection of January origami ideas to enjoy with preschoolers
- Origami for 2-Year-Olds: Fun and Educational! Origami Ideas for Toddlers
- Ideas for Easy Winter Origami Crafts That Even 2-Year-Olds Will Love
- Simple origami for kids: cute, playable origami ideas
- Origami to Enjoy January and Winter! A Collection of Simple Ideas to Use in Childcare
- For older kindergarteners: Let’s make it! A collection of recommended origami ideas for February
- Origami Fun in Winter for One-Year-Olds! Simple ideas for tearing and sticking, too
- Fun spring craft ideas using origami to make with your one-year-old!
- [Origami] Try it with your 2-year-old! Easy spring origami ideas
- For preschoolers! Cute origami ideas to make in December
- Captivating for older kindergarteners! A collection of fun origami ideas for December
[Preschoolers] Let’s Fold for Fun! January Origami Ideas for Little Ones (1–10)
lion dance
I’ll show you how to fold a cute shishimai (lion dance) for January.
First, fold a red sheet of origami paper in half into a square.
Open it, turn it face up, and fold one side edge to the center crease.
Rotate it so the white part runs vertically, then fold it in half.
Open it and fold one side into a boat shape.
Slightly fold two corners on the other side to complete the face.
Add round stickers or draw the face with a pen.
Next, tear some yellow origami paper and glue it on to make the hair.
Finally, make the body with green origami paper.
Draw a pattern on the paper, then fold it in half with a slight offset.
Glue on the face, and your shishimai is complete!
snowman
Winter is a time when indoor activities increase at the preschool, especially during the cold months.
Here’s a snowman craft made with origami that’s perfect for indoor play.
Prepare two sheets of white origami paper and fold the snowman’s body and face separately.
For the body, make creases in a cross shape, then fold all four corners toward the center.
Fold each corner slightly inward and glue them down so they don’t lift—this completes the body.
For the face, fold the paper into a triangle, then fold the corners inward along the creases.
Fold the bottom corner up and the top corner forward to shape the face.
Glue down all the corners, then attach the body and face together to finish the snowman.
You can add decorations like a hat or buttons to make it even cuter.
Daruma
@hoiku.labo♬ OMG – NewJeans
Recommended for younger children! Here’s an origami daruma that’s perfect for January.
First, place the origami paper face down and make one crease vertically and one horizontally.
Align the creases and add more creases.
Fold along the creases on all sides except one of the short sides.
Next, fold just one of the short sides by one square.
Turn it over, then fold back the edges to make it look round.
Finally, draw the daruma’s face and body patterns with a pen, and you’re done! It looks cute in various colors, too.
For Preschoolers: Let’s Fold for Fun! Origami Ideas for January (Numbers 11–20) for Little Ones
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.
folding fan
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Idol – YOASOBI
When making a paper fan with origami, it’s common to use an accordion fold, but here’s a lovely variation that adds a small twist to the usual method.
First, fold the origami paper in half to make a rectangle, crease well, and open it.
Leave about a 2 cm margin above and below the center crease, then fold the top and bottom edges inward toward the center.
Next, align the short edges and make a crease; after that, proceed with a standard accordion fold.
Finally, glue or use double-sided tape to secure the edge, and you’re done! The margin becomes a cute accent.
penguin
Why not try folding a cute penguin with origami? Start by placing the white side up and fold it into a triangle, then unfold.
Fold the top corner down to the center crease, make a crease, and open it.
Fold the corner down again along the center crease.
Make sure the corner doesn’t show when you fold it.
Flip it over, then fold the left and right sides in to meet the vertical center line.
Align the beak area with the center crease and fold it down.
Flip it over again, fold the left and right corners in to meet the center line, and fold up the bottom corner.
At this point, you’ll see the penguin taking shape, so adjust the details as needed.
Drawing the face with a pen or making a parent-and-child pair using different sizes of origami paper will look adorable!
spinning top on a plane
Let’s make a spinning top—often played with at New Year’s—using origami! Take a sheet of origami paper in your favorite color, place it color side down, fold it into a triangle, and open it.
Fold the top and bottom corners toward the center crease.
Flip it over, fold up the colored-side corner to make a crease, then open it.
Keeping the creases as guides, fold upward as if tucking along the lines, and flip it over.
Fold the corner up so that it sticks out slightly past the bottom edge, and fold the left and right sides inward a little.
Fold up the left and right portions of the bottom edge to meet the center line, then fold the bottom corner down slightly.
Flip it over, and your spinning top is complete! It also looks cute if you use double-sided origami paper.