Simple Origami for Kids

The art of folding paper to make objects is known as origami. It is one of the most creative paper crafts and it is easy to learn too. It is the perfect craft to make for long rainy afternoons when there is nothing else to do. It keeps small kids occupied and it helps in enhancing mind and body co ordination. You might think of it as just another paper craft, but origami can be used as a powerful instrument for treating anger management issues and depression. For kids, it is better to start with simple objects that are easy to create and do not require complicated folding techniques. Any object that can be created by minimum folding and creasing of paper is ideal for kids.

Origami Whale
Take a piece of square paper and place it on your work table so that it forms a diamond shape. Now fold it diagonally, so that you get a triangular shaped piece of paper. Unfold the paper and you will see a crease in the middle of the paper. Next, fold the left side of the paper so that it meets the crease line and fold the right side so that it meets the crease line. Now fold the top of the paper so that it meets the crease at the center point. Fold the entire paper in half and rotate it clockwise by 90 degrees. Next mark a diagonal line at the tail end of the paper and make a fold on the marked line. Your origami fish is ready and all you need to do is draw eyes of the fish with a marker.

Origami Hat
A very simple origami for kids is an origami hat. To make an origami hat you need a rectangular piece of paper. First place the rectangular piece of paper on the work table and fold it in half. Next, fold the left and the right top corners of the rectangle to meet at the center. Now you will be left with a narrow bottom edge. Fold the bottom edge of the paper upwards. Flip the paper to the other side and fold the other bottom edge upwards. Your origami hat is ready.

Origami Fan
To make an origami fan, you need to place a square piece of origami paper on the work table with its colored or patterned side facing down. Fold the bottom edges of the paper by about 1 centimeter making sure that the crease is straight and crisp. Now flip the paper to the other side and fold 1 centimeter of the bottom edge upwards. Make sure that the edges of the paper line up with each other. Continue flipping the paper and folding it in this way until the entire paper resembles an accordion. Once you are done folding, open up the folds a little and make a crease about 2 centimeters from the bottom for the handle. Your origami fan is ready.

Origami Boat
An easy origami for kids is a origami boat. To make an origami boat, you need a rectangular piece of paper. Fold the paper in half, lengthwise and then fold it again vertically to form a smaller rectangle. Now, unfold the second fold and you will be left with a crease running down the middle of the paper. Next, fold the top left and right side of the rectangle towards the crease. Fold the bottom edge of the paper upwards on both sides. Now bring the bottom corners of the rectangle towards the bottom, so that you are left with a square piece of paper. Fold the lower corner of the square paper upwards. Do the same on the other side so that you are left with a folded triangle. Bring the bottom edges of the triangle towards each other so that you are left with a smaller square. Finally, pull the outer corners of the squares to obtain the boat.

These basic origami instructions are easy to follow and does not require advanced folding techniques. Paper folding is fun and kids can learn to make different origami objects.