[Kindergartners (Older Group)] Folding is Fun! Recommended January Origami Idea Collection for Senior Kindergarteners
Try asking the children, “What comes to mind when you think of January?” You’ll likely hear lots of answers, like New Year’s, rice cakes (mochi), Mt.
Fuji, and mandarins.
Let’s have fun folding those January images the children imagine using origami! In this article, we’re sharing January origami ideas that are fun for older kindergarteners to make.
Some folds are a bit complex, but being able to work together and consult with friends is one of the wonderful strengths of older kindergarteners.
Be sure to make lots of them!
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For Kindergarten Seniors: Fun Folding! Recommended January Origami Ideas for Older Kindergarteners (21–30)
Origami horse you can make with a single sheet
Perfect for the Year of the Horse! Here’s an idea for making a horse’s face out of origami.
New Year’s cards are often associated with illustrations and drawings, but if you create one by attaching an origami piece, it adds depth and turns it into a very special card.
This design uses a simple series of folds along the creases and can be made with just one sheet of origami paper.
You’ll need a craft knife to make the mane, so have it ready before you start.
Use black round stickers for the eyes and draw the nostrils with a pen.
Easy and cute! Shimenawa wreath
Something to make for New Year’s! Let’s decorate the room with a fluffy-looking origami shimenawa.
You’ll need ten 7.5 cm square sheets of origami paper and glue or double-sided tape.
Since you first make parts from the ten sheets and then assemble them, it seems like a great way to develop children’s thinking and spatial awareness.
If you attach flowers, the twelve zodiac animals, or other New Year’s ornaments to the shimenawa, it will look even more festive.
Recommended for preschoolers in the middle to senior age range! Give it a try.
Origami Plum Blossoms Kids Can Enjoy—Perfect for New Year’s Too!
Free-thinking sparks children’s creativity! It’s a great idea that lets kids enjoy both the focus of folding origami along lines and corners, and the excitement of tearing it dynamically.
Use the torn origami as beautiful branches, then stick on carefully folded plum blossoms to create your very own plum tree.
Drawing the pistils and stamens with crayons or colored pencils will help capture the distinctive features of plum flowers even more.
Take this opportunity to give it a try!
A plump, cute long-tailed tit (Shima-enaga)
Let’s make a cute long-tailed tit (shima-enaga) from Hokkaido with origami.
You’ll need 7.5 cm square origami paper, round stickers, a black pen, two strips cut lengthwise from a 15 cm square sheet of brown origami paper (each 1/4 the width), scissors, glue, and so on.
The step for folding the long-tailed tit’s wings is a bit complex, so children will likely feel more comfortable working carefully together with a teacher or guardian.
The finished long-tailed tit can stand on its own, so it looks adorable as is, but if you make a branch out of the brown origami and combine them, you can bring out even more charm.
Great for walls too! Recommended origami for January
Let’s make New Year–themed items using washi-patterned origami and chiyogami.
The video features hagoita paddles, spinning tops (koma), kagami mochi, daruma dolls, and shuttlecocks (hane).
The ideas are full of exciting touches for kids—like customizing the daruma’s face to match the zodiac animal or freely choosing origami colors for the shuttlecocks.
When decorating indoors, you can get creative by mounting them on construction paper or stringing them together like a garland!
Easy and cute! A one-sheet origami horse
This idea starts by making creases in a 5×5 grid and then shaping it into a horse.
The creases are crucial, so fold carefully to ensure each square is a clean, perfect square.
Even after the 5×5 grid is complete, continue the process while adding creases.
Since there are quite a lot of steps, have an adult help and supervise as you fold.
The inside reverse folds that leave the mane intact are intricate and quite challenging, so proceed carefully while checking each step.
Once the horse is finished, add the eyes to give it a cute look.
Tear-and-paste fun! Horse collage
Let’s try making a horse collage using torn origami paper.
It’s an idea that could be handy when sending New Year’s cards to friends.
The process is to sketch a simple outline on paper and then stick origami pieces on top.
A simple sketch is fine, but be sure to clearly express distinctive features like the mane and nose—those are the key points that make it look like a horse.
In this idea, the horse is holding a carrot and smiling.
Think about the design, including its pose and facial expression.