[Childcare] Make and play! Origami ideas
Origami plays a big role in daycares and kindergartens.
With just a single sheet, you can make all kinds of things—origami helps nurture children’s imagination, thinking skills, concentration, and fine motor skills.
It’s something you’ll definitely want to incorporate a lot into playtime.
So this time, we’re introducing ideas for origami you can make and play with.
Of course, we’ve included the classic airplane that everyone has folded at least once, as well as lots of unique ideas—like balloons and cameras—that spark kids’ curiosity.
After you finish your creations, set aside plenty of time to play so everyone can have a blast together.
We hope you find this helpful.
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[Childcare] Make-and-Play! Origami Ideas (11–20)
Realistic male and female rhinoceros beetlesNEW!
Do you know the difference between male and female rhinoceros beetles? The biggest difference is that males have impressive horns, while females don’t.
It can be fun to explore these differences while making male and female beetles.
Let’s try making the male’s horn and the female’s face using rectangular pieces of origami paper.
It’s also nice to craft together with your child while talking about how males and females differ.
Besides the horn and face, you can twist origami to make legs and focus on the finer details, allowing you to create a rhinoceros beetle that looks just like the real thing.
Snap camera
These days, cameras are a given feature on smartphones, but in the past, simply owning a camera was something to aspire to and it was a treasured item.
In those days, the kind of camera a child could have was this origami “pachin camera.” How about making this retro, Showa-era–style camera together as a parent and child, and letting your thoughts drift back to the old days? The folding method is quite similar to the yakko-san and the hakama of the yakko-san, so it might be easy for those who can fold those.
It’s clever that it even makes a shutter-click sound.
Paper dragonfly
This is called a paper helicopter.
When you drop it from a high place, its two blades spin as it falls, making it a very fun origami craft.
It’s very easy to make, so try making several.
Since you’ll use scissors, please have a guardian supervise small children.
This paper helicopter shows both front and back sides, so using double-sided origami makes it colorful and is recommended.
The way it falls varies depending on the paper’s thickness and type, so try different kinds of paper.
Decoy boat
The trick boat, a playful origami that lets you pretend you’re holding the sail only to find it has somehow become the bow, has been passed down for generations as one of the origami you can play with.
It’s easy to make, and it shares steps with many other origami models, so it’s handy to remember.
Enjoy making them in different sizes and colors.
Even if you don’t use origami paper, it’s fun to make colorful versions with wrapping paper and the like.
For children, showing them how the sail turns into the bow can be a great learning experience.
clock
A wristwatch is a symbol of adulthood.
It’s one of those things kids admire and want to try wearing.
The finished shape is intricate, but making it isn’t that hard.
Create the dial with a separate piece of origami paper, write in the numbers, and you’re done.
It’s also fun to tape it on and wear it on your wrist.
Besides origami paper, using wrapping paper works great too—your watch will be colorful and personalized, so it’s highly recommended.
Give it a try!
shuriken
Origami shuriken are colorful when made with two colors, and they look really cool, don’t they? Why not try folding a shuriken that would make a great souvenir from an overseas trip? Once you finish, you can use it for ninja pretend play or have fun throwing it at targets—it’s sure to be a hit.
Although it has sharp-looking points, it’s made of paper, so it doesn’t hurt much and there’s little risk of injury, which is nice.
In addition to the standard shape you often see, there are several other types of shuriken as well, so if you’re interested, try looking them up.
[Childcare] Make-and-play! Origami Ideas (21–30)
munch munch
Do you know the “pakupaku”? I’m not exactly sure what it’s modeled after, but for some reason this origami is fascinating.
Because it’s not clearly one thing, you can use it in all kinds of ways.
You can stick eyes on the outside to make it into a mysterious creature, open and close it while reading a picture book, draw marks or pictures on the inside of the “mouth,” or turn it upside down to use as a little container.
If you make it with large wrapping paper, it could even hold snacks at a party.
The handy pakupaku—give it a try!