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 (41–50)
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!
It moves! You can play with it! Fun origami. How to make origami toys (51–60)
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.
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.
Basketball game
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 with
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.
Monkey’s Mountain Climb
It’s a whimsical toy where a little monkey climbs a mountain and appears from the summit.
First, make crease lines in both vertical and diagonal X shapes, then fold along those lines to form a square.
Fold the unopened section into a small triangle and cut it off as is.
The cut piece is the monkey.
Next, slightly fold up the edges of the opening part on both sides (front and back) to finish the monkey.
Place the monkey origami between the lower piece that represents the mountain’s foothills, and by moving the foothill section with small, quick motions, the monkey will climb the mountain and reach the top!
Spins round and round! A flying toy
It’s an easy-to-make toy that you’ll want to play with over and over.
First, fold the origami paper into a triangle, then roll it up tightly into a long, thin shape starting from the center.
That’s all there is to making it! To play, simply snap open the final folded tip and let go—the piece will shoot off with great speed.
The direction you unfold it affects how well it spins, so experiment and see what works best.
Once it has opened up, you can fold it back the same way and play again and again!