[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!
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- 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
For Preschoolers: Let’s Fold for Fun! Origami Ideas for January (Numbers 11–20) for Little Ones
Daruma origami that even 3-year-olds can make!
Let me introduce an origami daruma that even a three-year-old can make.
It’s great as a New Year’s decoration, and carefully following the folding steps is beneficial for brain development, so I highly recommend it.
First, fold a red sheet of origami paper into a triangle.
Unfold it, then fold the corner on the creased side twice, and slightly fold the left and right sides.
Next, fold three corners toward the center.
Of those three corners, fold the middle edge upward, then flip the paper over and fold both corners into triangles.
Turn it face up, draw the daruma’s face on the white area, and you’re done.
Easy! Long-tailed Tit Origami
Adorably round! The long-tailed tit known as the Shima-enaga, a wild bird native to Hokkaido.
In recent years, we often see goods and items featuring its cute appearance as a motif.
Here’s an idea to make a Shima-enaga using a single sheet of origami paper, plus a pen and glue.
Once you’ve folded the creases, the base is done.
Making the wings and tail seems like something you could enjoy while teaching and learning together with friends or teachers! It could be fun to give it a smiling expression, too.
If you display the finished pieces lined up on a branch, like real Shima-enaga keeping warm together, both kids and adults are sure to feel soothed.
You can make it with origami! Kagami mochi origami
Kagami mochi is characterized by stacked rice cakes and a bitter orange on top.
It looks lovely whether you stick it onto a surface or let it stand on its own, and it’s great for preschool craft projects! You’ll need white origami paper, light yellow origami paper, orange origami paper, green origami paper, colored pens, glue, and so on.
It’s exciting to make each part—the mochi, the daidai (bitter orange), and the sanpō (the wooden stand)—separately and then assemble them.
Since the origami sizes differ for each part, please follow the video to check the sizes as you make it!
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!
pine
Here’s how to fold a pine tree for preschoolers.
First, fold into a triangle twice and open it to create a cross-shaped crease.
Fold into a triangle again, then fold the left and right corners up toward the top corner.
Next, flip it over and fold the bottom edge up on both sides to align with the center line.
Pull and stretch the flappy parts on the back, and fold the left and right corners slightly inward.
Fold the top corner down, then fold the bottom corner up to the center line, and tuck the left and right corners slightly inward.
Flip it over, adjust the shape, and your pine tree is complete.
Drawing lines with a pen will make it look even more like a pine tree.
[For Preschoolers] Let’s Fold for Fun! January Origami Ideas for Little Ones (21–30)
A rabbit wearing a kimono
Let me show you how to fold a cute kimono-wearing rabbit.
First, for the head: start by folding as you would for the ‘trick boat’ (damashi-bune).
Open it top and bottom to reach the stage where it looks like a boat, but only complete the boat shape on one side.
On that boat-shaped side, make fine folds to shape the rabbit’s ears.
Fold the bottom section up, then fold both sides up into triangles toward the center.
Make an accordion fold on the lower part, and draw the rabbit’s face on the front with a pen to finish the head.
For the body: take an origami sheet folded into a triangle and fold just the tip of the crease slightly to the back.
Fold again along the existing creases, then fold in half.
Fold the bottom corner up to the top, then fold the left and right corners down—this creates the body with both hands placed forward.
Decorate the kimono with a design, attach it to the head, and you’re done!