Lovely childcare

It moves! You can play with it! Fun origami. How to make origami toys.

20 years of experience as a nursery teacher / kindergarten teacherhiyoko sensei
I’m Hiyoko-sensei, a former nursery school teacher from Hyogo Prefecture. Ever since I was five, my dream was to become a childcare worker, and before I knew it, 20 years had passed since I achieved that dream. Through singing and playing with the children, I kept working with the spirit of someone in their twenties, even as I increasingly felt my physical limits year by year (haha). From here on, I’d like to share helpful information carefully and thoughtfully, drawing on my on-site experience.

Origami is one of those essential activities in early childhood care: it helps develop children’s dexterity and concentration, and lets them experience the joy and sense of achievement that comes from completing a project.

This time, we’ll show you how to make moving toys using origami.

We’re focusing on toys you can make using only origami paper, so there’s very little to prepare—another nice bonus.

You’ll find lots of origami toys with unique, kid-pleasing movements that will spark their curiosity and keep them fully engaged.

Pick the ones that catch your eye, make them, and have fun playing with them!

It moves! You can play with it! Fun origami. How to make origami toys (51–60)

Spinning shuriken

[Playable Origami] I tried making a spinning shuriken.

Spinning shuriken

Here’s how to make a shuriken that spins when you blow on it.

We’re using 15×15 cm origami paper, but for small children, 10×10 cm is recommended.

When forming the pinwheel shape, press the creases firmly.

Fold along the creases to shape it into a shuriken—this is the key step! Be careful not to mix up the areas that you glue.

Once you tidy up the pocket section that helps the shuriken spin, it’s complete.

Hold the shuriken gently and blow on it—it will spin around and it’s really fun! Give it a try.

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Simple moving caterpillar

Let’s make a simple moving caterpillar out of origami! Use a sheet of origami paper cut into quarters.

Fold the paper in half and open it, then fold both edges to meet the center crease.

Fold both edges to the center once more, and finally fold the whole piece in half along the center line.

If you’ve got creases dividing it into eight sections, you’re good to go! Open the paper, make the creases at both ends into valley folds, and the center into a mountain fold so it pops up.

Draw the caterpillar’s face with a pen, and you’re done! Try blowing on the tail end with a straw to make it move.

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Kurukuru X

Origami toy “Kurukuru X (X)”

Kurukuru X

Let’s make a Spinning X you can twirl around and bounce up and down like a little jumper! Prepare one sheet of origami paper and a pencil or pen for marking.

First, fold the origami paper in half and open it.

Fold the top and bottom edges to meet the center crease.

Then fold the top and bottom toward the center once more; when you open it, you should have seven vertical creases—perfect.

Rotate the paper and repeat the same folding steps.

Use a pen to mark a zigzag pattern, then crease along those lines.

The folding is a bit tricky, but if you carefully follow the creases, you’ll end up with an X shape.

There are lots of ways to play with it, so coming up with your own games will be fun too!

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Cicada airplane

Origami toy “Cicada Plane”

Cicada airplane

A cicada turns into an airplane!? Let’s make a cicada-shaped plane that you hook onto a rubber band and launch with a snap.

Prepare one sheet of origami paper and a rubber band.

The folding method is simple, but there are many steps, so make sharp creases as you go.

The finished cicada has a spot in the middle where you can hook the rubber band, so attach it there and launch it! It’s also fun to race them with your friends.

When launching, make sure to play safely in a wide, open area with no people or animals nearby.

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Origami with parts that move like a volcanic eruption

[Playable Origami] A fun toy where the part pops up like a volcanic eruption — origami moving toy [with voice commentary] / Baaba’s Origami

Origami with parts that move like a volcanic eruption

It’s a fun idea where moving the leg parts up and down alternately makes the central piece climb.

Fold the origami paper into a triangle twice, then squash the pocket areas to make two squares.

Place it with the flappy side facing down, fold the bottom corner up to meet the top, then unfold.

Using the crease you just made as a guide, roll it up three times.

Do the same on the back side.

Flip the origami so the folded sides are on the inside, then fold the flat sections so the lower left and right edges align with the center line.

Fold the back side the same way.

Flip it again to bring the previously folded-up part to the front, then cut the top with scissors.

Tuck that into the leg parts, and you’re done.

Draw a face on the piece to finish it cutely!

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