Origami Crafts for Kids

There is more to origami than simple folding and unfolding of paper. It is a mentally stimulating art form that involves the use of our hands to make a three dimensional object from a flat piece of paper. Although the basic folds in origami are few, a combination of these folds can be used to create intricate objects. If you want to introduce your children to the joys of origami, then you should teach them to make simple objects. Trying to teach them all the folding techniques and asking them to master these techniques might make kids lose interest in origami. So the best approach would be to show them how to make objects like origami whale, hat or flowers.

Origami Cup
To develop your child's interest in origami start with something small. An origami cup is an ideal choice since it is easy to make and the cup can be used for storing crayons and erasers. To make this simple origami, take a square piece of paper and place it in such a way that it forms a diamond shape. Now fold the paper diagonally so that the bottom corner of the paper meets the top corner. You will be left with a triangular sheet of paper. Now fold the right corner of the triangular piece of paper to the opposite side, angle slightly upwards. Next fold one of the top corner downwards. Now flip the paper over and fold the other corner of the triangle towards the center. Flip the paper once again and fold the other top corner downwards. Finally place your fingers inside the top pocket of the paper to open up the cup. Your origami cup is complete.

Origami House
Another easy origami for kids is an origami house. To make an origami house, first fold a square piece of origami paper into half. Unfold the paper and you will see a center crease. Next fold the top portion of the paper to meet the crease and do the same with the bottom portion. Now fold the paper in half once again so that the left edge meets the right edge. Unfold and flip the paper to the other side. Fold the right edge of the paper to meet the center crease and then fold the left edge of the paper to meet the center crease. Place your finger inside the flap on the top left corner and squish the paper to create a triangle. Repeat this step on the top right corner. Flip the paper once again and voila! You have a house.

Origami Rat
A good way to get kids interested in origami is by teaching them to make animals and birds. Making this origami rat is incredibly easy and kids are sure to love it. First place a square piece of paper on the work table and orient it in such a way that it forms a diamond shape. Fold the paper diagonally from left to right and unfold. Fold the top corner to meet the bottom corner, so that the paper forms a triangle. Next fold the right side towards the left making the fold about 2 cm away from the center crease. Now fold the upper flap of this paper to meet the middle crease. Next fold the bottom corner of the paper inwards. Draw the eyes and whiskers of the rat and your origami rat is ready.

Origami Whale
To make an origami whale, first place a square piece of paper in a diamond pattern on your table. Now fold the paper into half along its length and unfold. Fold the right side to meet the center crease and do the same on the other side. Next fold the top corner of the paper to meet the center crease. Now fold the paper in half and turn the paper in such a way that it resembles a whale. To make the whale's tail, turn the tail end upwards into a small triangle. Flip the paper to the other side and draw an eye. The origami whale is done.

Teaching origami to kids is a lot of fun and they can have a good time making these objects. However, make sure that you teach kids easy origami crafts that do not require complicated folds.