Lovely Play & Recreation

For New Year’s! A collection of fun origami ideas to make, decorate, and play with in childcare

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked for 10 years as a kindergarten teacher and for 7 years as an after-school childcare instructor, then took a post as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I also engaged in activities that shared Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational play, working with many children. Afterwards, through freelance writing, planning, and editing work at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and conveying ideas. Leveraging the perspective cultivated in educational settings and my experience as an editor, I aim to deliver practical information—focusing on fields related to music and children—that values both input and output. Hobbies include instruments, singing, handcrafts, toys, drawing, traditional play, the outdoors, books, DIY, and crafts. Special skill: spinning-top tricks.
Accompanist / Piano Instructoryuri
Accompanist pianist × piano instructor × web writer. I began piano lessons at age four and, inspired by my piano teacher, decided to pursue music. I went on to specialized music programs in high school and university, where I discovered the appeal of accompanying instrumentalists and singers. Currently, alongside teaching piano, I work mainly in my home region of Aichi as an accompanist for flute, voice, choir, and more. Through lessons, my students often introduce me to trending songs, and my hobby is trying anything on the piano—Japanese and Western pop, commercial jingles, and beyond. Since 2021, I’ve also been active as a web writer, covering music and a variety of other genres.

Where do you start when preparing to welcome the New Year at a daycare or kindergarten? In this article, we’ve gathered origami ideas for the New Year that children can enjoy together.

From classic motifs like daruma dolls, lion dances, and kagami mochi to crafts that lead to play—such as playing fukuwarai with an otafuku mask or writing wishes on ema plaques—these are all projects that extend the fun after folding! There are no difficult steps, and we focus on activities that small hands can try with an adult’s help.

Once finished, use them as wall decorations or display them in the classroom to boost the New Year atmosphere!

For the New Year! A collection of fun origami ideas to make, display, and play with in childcare (51–60)

want to

[Origami] Easy! New Year’s Sea Bream – How to Fold ORIGAMI Fish

want to

Let’s try folding a sea bream—the classic symbol of celebration—out of origami! It’s perfect for children’s New Year origami play or as a craft activity for seniors.

The key is to proceed while firmly making each crease at the start.

It’s also nice that there aren’t many folds or fine steps.

Finish by drawing the fish’s eyes, scales, and fins, and you’re done.

If you’re not comfortable drawing with a pen, you can easily complete it by using round stickers and the like.

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Daruma

[Origami] How to Fold a New Year’s Daruma – Origami Daruma

Daruma

This is a daruma origami that’s perfect for New Year’s decorations.

The key point is that it’s an easy folding method that kids can try too! The trick is to make firm creases at the beginning as you fold.

After shaping it into a square, you fold the corners to create a round daruma.

Finish by drawing the daruma’s face and patterns, and you’re done! If you want an even easier way to make the face, you can use round stickers.

Enjoy making them with origami in various colors and patterns!

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chopstick sleeve

Origami chopstick holder: Understand it in 1 minute!! Super easy.

chopstick sleeve

How about making chopstick sleeves out of origami that you can use at the New Year’s table? You won’t need any difficult folds, so anyone can make them easily and quickly! The keys to this origami are to crease firmly, form it into a sleeve at the end, and finish by showing off the pattern.

Whether it’s a traditional Japanese motif or a playful design, any patterned origami paper will make a lovely chopstick sleeve.

Try using your favorite pattern to brighten up your New Year’s table.

It would also be wonderful to take on this project together as a family while preparing for the holiday!

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kusudama (decorative paper ball used for celebrations)

Origami Kusudama (Sonobe) – 12 pieces

kusudama (decorative paper ball used for celebrations)

Kusudama, which creates a festive atmosphere, is perfect for the New Year! If you use colorful origami paper, it becomes a very beautiful decoration.

The process might be a bit complicated, but if your family works together, it’s fun to make.

Displaying the finished kusudama at the entrance will lift the New Year spirit.

Working together happily will spark conversation and fill the time with smiles.

It will become a wonderful memory that brightly colors the start of the new year.

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In conclusion

We’ve introduced origami that you can enjoy playing with at nurseries and at home during the New Year. Some pieces become three-dimensional even with simple folding methods, sparking children’s creativity. The time spent folding origami itself will surely become a warm moment of communication with family and friends. Displaying the creations will instantly fill your room with a festive New Year atmosphere. Savor the spirit of January and have fun with origami play!