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 (31–40)
It’s like it’s alive! Pachi-paku faceNEW!
A mysterious origami piece that looks like it’s talking when you move the finished face.
Use one sheet of origami for the eyes and nose, and one sheet for the mouth.
First, for the eyes-and-nose sheet, make vertical accordion folds.
Next, add horizontal accordion creases as well, but without unfolding the accordions near the center; instead, create four triangles partway along to form the eyes.
Then, for the mouth sheet, make accordion creases vertically and horizontally in the same way, leaving one of the accordion folds kept folded at the center.
Create a larger bulge for the mouth, shaping the top and bottom, to complete the mouth.
Finally, combine the eye-nose part with the mouth part and you’re done.
If you firmly hold the combined section and move it, the face will move!
A stag beetle with moving antlers
Let me introduce the Horn-Moving Horned Rhinoceros Beetle.
We’ll fold along creases in the origami paper as we go.
The key is to make firm, well-defined creases in each section.
For the horn, adding V-shaped creases enhances the look and makes it appear cooler.
Folding both the body and horn improves the horn’s movement, so it’s highly recommended.
Once finished, place it on a desk and gently tap the head area to play—the horn will move and it’s adorable.
Give it a try!
Paper Sumo (Tonton Paper Sumo)
This video introduces how to make sumo wrestlers out of origami.
You can also enjoy a little hand game together with the origami.
Place the wrestlers you made on a table or a cardboard box, tap-tap to create vibrations, and try to topple your opponent.
As long as you have some origami paper, it’s a quick, space-saving game you can play anywhere, even while you’re waiting out and about.
If you choose a base with a hollow interior, like cardboard, you’ll need to control your strength more, which makes it even more exciting! Try different ways to play and have fun!
Endless Card
We’ll show you how to make an endless card where the picture changes every time you flip it! To prevent pen bleed, we recommend using thick origami paper.
If you don’t have thick origami, you can also cut drawing paper into a square and use that.
Fold horizontally and align the top and bottom edges to the center to make crease lines.
You’ll need scissors partway through, so please use them carefully depending on the user’s age.
Cut the necessary sections with scissors.
When applying glue, be careful not to glue the wrong areas.
Once the glue has dried, lift the center edges and make crease lines so that all four sides can flip continuously.
After it’s finished, use a pen to draw your favorite pictures or letters on each panel and enjoy!
pinwheel
Why not try making a pinwheel with origami? Pinwheels are fun twice over—you can enjoy making them and then playing with them.
You don’t need scissors or glue, so give it a try.
The folding method is similar to the yakko-san, hakama, and “trick boat” models.
The key is to gently puff out the blade sections so they catch the wind and spin easily.
Attach it to a stick like a straw to finish it off so it spins well.
If you run while holding it, it spins wonderfully, making it a great item for outdoor play!
