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 (21–30)
Moving! Origami TongsNEW!
How about origami tongs that really pinch? This is a moving toy you can make from a single sheet of double-sided origami paper.
Fold it twice into a triangle, open it once, then fold the left and right edges along the center line.
Open it up and use the crease lines to collapse-fold.
Fold the longer edges in two places along the center line, open the hollow sections, and flatten them.
After making the folded parts into mountain folds, the tong’s mouth will open and close—your chomp-chomp origami tongs are complete.
They can actually pick up small objects, which is lots of fun.
Give it a try as a toy for your child!
Basketball gameNEW!
Let’s make 36 of these and combine them to complete it.
The way it stretches, shrinks, and wiggles as it changes shape is sure to be addictive.
It will be fun to use lots of colors and make it colorful.
A toy you can wiggle and play withNEW!
Let’s make an origami piece that moves in a mysterious way as it changes shape! Prepare 36 sheets of 7.5 cm square origami paper.
We’ll make many small parts and combine them to complete the piece.
Fold the paper in half so it becomes horizontally long, then fold the two corners toward the center on the opposite side.
Turn it over, fold it so the top and bottom are reversed, open the pocket and flatten it, and one part is complete.
Twisting Soap Bubbles
We’d like to introduce a spinning “soap bubble” craft made with holographic origami paper.
Cut your favorite color of holographic origami paper into thin strips and stick them onto a round sticker in eight directions.
Attach a hole-punched sticker to a straw, then press the holographic paper strips onto it.
Since scissors are used, please be mindful depending on the child’s age.
Before threading the bamboo skewer through the hole, cut the straw—but be careful not to cut the holographic paper along with it.
Once it’s finished, try spinning it slowly or quickly; it will look beautiful like soap bubbles and is lots of fun.
Depending on the age, using a thin, long straw instead of a bamboo skewer is also recommended.
Give it a try!
It moves! A flapping batNEW!
This is perfect for Halloween decorations or toys, with wings that flap amusingly.
First, cut the origami paper into a long rectangle and fold it in half vertically to make a crease.
Then fold both ends into triangles toward the center.
Keeping that shape, fold it in half vertically again, and fold further in the same direction to add a light crease at the center.
Next, flip it over and insert a finger at the center to make two creases.
Reinforce the creases you made earlier, and it’s done! By lightly holding the top and bottom of the center and moving them, the wings on both sides will flap.
