Easy to fold! Dragon origami that kids can enjoy at daycare and kindergarten
Fun origami that nurtures children’s creativity and concentration in nurseries and kindergartens.
Dragons, with their powerful and cool image, are especially popular with kids.
Here, we introduce easy dragon origami instructions that even nursery and kindergarten children can fold.
There are plenty of simple step-by-step ideas.
Find your favorite dragon and have fun folding together to create your very own original dragon.
Enjoy quality time with children through origami!
Easy to fold! Dragon origami (1–10) that kids can enjoy at daycare and kindergarten
Flapping Dragon
This is an origami dragon you can play with—pull its tail and the wings flap! Up to a certain point, you follow the same steps as folding a crane.
Once it becomes a diamond shape, make small folds on the triangular sections to create crease lines, then open everything back up.
Pinch and collapse the center to shape it into a dragon, and add motion to the wings with accordion folds to finish.
The tail is twisted as well, giving it a more dynamic look.
The wavy wings and jagged tail can also be incorporated into simpler dragon designs, so give it a try!
A chibi-style dragon with a two-heads-tall body
Let’s make a cute, chibi two-headed-length dragon—different from the usual fierce dragon image—using just a single sheet of origami paper! With the colored side facing up, fold the paper into a triangle, then fold the left and right corners up to meet the top point.
Open the pockets on both the front and back and squash-fold them into squares.
From there, shape the head with wide, side-spreading ears and curved horns, and form the small body.
Add details like the eyes and nose, and your big-headed dragon is complete! The steps are a bit intricate, but the result is an impressively elaborate piece you wouldn’t believe was made from just one sheet.
Give it a try!
four-legged dragon
Three-dimensional dragon origami is recommended for children who are good at origami, those who enjoy detailed work, and kids who are more into “cool” than “cute”! Up to a point, the steps are the same as folding a crane, but after that there are somewhat complex procedures to create a 3D effect.
This dragon’s features are its four legs and large wings! Thanks to its sturdy, dinosaur-like legs, it remains very stable even with big wings attached.
It also sounds fun to make the dragons battle each other like in paper sumo.
A dragon with large wings
We’ll show you how to make a dragon with a compact head and large wings! Fold the origami paper into a triangle and open it, then fold the two edges along the crease toward the center line.
Flip it over and fold it in half so the pointed tips meet, then turn it over again and open it into a diamond shape.
From there, leave the wing sections as they are and form the head and legs, and you’re done.
For kids who love dinosaurs, a cool silhouette-style dragon like this may feel more appealing than one where you draw in eyes or whiskers.
Linked-ring dragon
https://www.instagram.com/p/C0_gtH4pqV4The “paper chain,” almost always used in crafts at daycares and kindergartens, is perfect here.
By threading and gluing together thin strips of origami paper to make loops, you can use this method for the dragon’s wavy body and enjoy creating an origami dragon without struggling with complex folds.
Cut the body, arms, and legs from construction paper separately, then combine them with the origami paper chain to complete the piece.
For the loops, prepare origami paper in a variety of colors and patterns so children’s individuality can shine through.
Baby dragon
Let’s make a small baby dragon with outstretched wings using a single sheet of origami! Fold the paper into a triangle, then open the pocket and fold it into a square.
Proceed as you would when folding a crane, and when you’ve folded one side into a diamond shape, leave the other side as is.
From there, as you continue folding, create a relatively large head, a plump body, wings that are large in proportion to the body, and short legs.
Finally, spread the accordion-folded wings to a suitable width, and you’ll have a tiny dragon that looks as if it’s practicing for takeoff.
A dragon that can be made in a few steps
We’ll show you a simple dragon origami method that’s easy for kids to try.
Fold the paper in half into a triangle, then fold the left and right sides inward.
When you do this, align the corners with the base.
Fold the parts you just made back diagonally upward so they look like ears from the front, then fold the bottom section upward and flip it to the front—your dragon’s face is complete! There’s plenty of space to draw details, so feel free to add horns, eyes, a nose, whiskers, and more to create your own original dragon.