[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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- Origami Fun in Winter for One-Year-Olds! Simple ideas for tearing and sticking, too
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- 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
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.
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!
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.
Origami snow rabbit
This is a craft for making a snow bunny with a cute, rounded white shape and tiny leaves.
You’ll need one sheet of white origami paper, two small pieces of green origami paper, a red dot sticker, and a crayon.
Fold the white origami into a triangle, then tuck the corners inward to form the snow bunny’s round body.
The shape becomes clear quickly, so even three-year-olds can feel, “It’s coming together!” Add a little touch of color to the wintry look by attaching small folded green-paper leaves to the head.
Use the sticker for the eyes and draw the mouth with a crayon.
It’s also fun to talk together about what kind of face to make.
With only a few steps, this idea lets kids fully enjoy the fun of creating.
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.
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.
[For Preschoolers] Let’s Fold for Fun! January Origami Ideas for Little Ones (21–30)
Winter origami! Cute kotatsu
Here is an introduction to making a kotatsu out of origami.
First, fold a sheet of origami paper in half in the color you like.
Since it’s a kotatsu, a patterned paper might be cuter.
Then fold back about one-third.
After folding, unfold it, fold it to half that width, and return it.
On the back side, fold back one-third as well.
Next, fold the back diagonally to create the kotatsu’s slope, and the main body is complete.
Now make the tabletop for the kotatsu.
Use a quarter-size sheet of origami paper for this.
Next, make the mandarin orange, which is essential for a kotatsu.
This one is very small, so have an adult help you.