It moves! You can play with it! Fun origami. How to make origami toys.
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!
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It moves! You can play with it! Fun origami. How to make origami toys (51–60)
Rolling Origami
Here’s an introduction to a simple rolling origami.
You can make it with a single sheet of origami paper, so give it a try! First, hold the top corners of the paper and fold it into a triangle.
Fold it twice horizontally, then flip it over and fold both sides toward the center.
Crease well and open it up, then fold the bottom corners into small triangles, and it’s done! If you pinch both tips of the corner and let go, it will roll around—it’s really fun.
Because the steps are simple, it’s great for small children, too.
Use your favorite color of origami paper and give it a try!
jack-in-the-box
Here’s how to make a cute jack-in-the-box.
First, firmly crease the bottom of the outer box and shape it into a box.
Glue the inner part that will become the lid of the finished outer box.
Next, make the inside: fold two sheets of origami paper into thirds and cut them.
Glue each strip, then connect the two together.
Make a base, glue the outer box bottom to the base, and then glue the connected strips to the base.
Attach the cute rabbit first, close the box, and you’re done! Give this adorable jack-in-the-box with a pop-up rabbit a try!
Tap-tap hammer
Here’s an introduction to making a “Ton-ton Hammer” out of origami.
First, fold the paper to create crease lines.
For the hammer head, open it to a 45-degree angle and fold it into a box shape.
The key is to crease the base firmly as you fold.
Once the hammer head is done, shape the handle, and your sound-making Ton-ton Hammer is complete! Gently tap it on a desk and have fun playing with it.
It’ll be interesting to hear what kind of sounds it makes.
Give it a try!
Infinite Cube
Introducing the endlessly transformable Infinity Cube! We’ll make it using 7.5 × 7.5 cm origami paper.
First, create six identical pieces from origami paper to form the base of the cube.
Once you’ve made all six, connect them to assemble a cube.
The key is to insert each piece into the pockets one by one.
Take your time and be careful when fitting them into the pockets! After finishing one cube, make a total of eight cubes and connect them with cellophane tape.
Masking tape also works! When connecting them, be mindful of where you place the tape.
Once everything is linked, your Infinity Cube is complete! You can enjoy all sorts of shape transformations.
Magic Triangle
This is a three-dimensional triangular object with an eye-catching, colorful look made up of fine triangles.
A notable feature is that you can repeatedly squash it and open it, so you can enjoy the changing shapes.
You make parts from three sheets of origami and simply assemble them, so be sure to pay close attention to the reverses and the creation of gaps in each piece.
Use the diagonal creases as guides and fold while noting the difference between the front and back colors.
Finish by creating a parallelogram with gaps in various places, insert each part into the gaps, and adjust the shape to complete it.
It also seems fun to play with color combinations and finish it in your own unique palette.
