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[For 5-year-olds] Let’s make origami! A collection of fun folding ideas
Here are some origami ideas for five-year-olds.
By the time children are five, you’ll often see them helping each other with parts they don’t understand or folding while looking at an origami instruction book.
While respecting each child’s pace, teachers should also enjoy working on these together with the children.
We’re introducing lots of ideas—ones you can fold and play with, as well as cute ones to decorate with or wear—so once the origami is finished, be sure to have fun playing with the children!
[For 5-Year-Olds] Let’s Make Origami! A Collection of Fun Folding Ideas (1–10)
Push Pop
Let’s make and play with origami! Here are some ideas for making a push pop.
Push pops are typically toys made of silicone with small poppable bumps lined up, and the fun part is pressing them with your fingers.
Many kids probably love the sensation of pressing a push pop.
This time, let’s try making a push pop out of origami.
All you need is one sheet of origami paper in your favorite color or pattern.
The key is to fold carefully and align the corners! Give it a try.
Whirl-Whirl Fruit
A fun seed that twirls as it falls when dropped from a high place! Here’s an idea for a twirling seed.
Instead of just making an origami piece, you can actually move it and play with it, which helps children stay engaged and focused for a long time.
All you need is one sheet of origami paper in your favorite color.
Since there are some tricky steps in the process, it’s best to work on it together with a teacher or a guardian.
When children overcome the difficult steps and see the finished piece, they can feel their efforts take shape, fostering self-esteem and a sense of accomplishment.
Suisui Snake
The way it shoots forward is so fun! Here’s an idea for a “Gliding Snake.” This make-and-play origami project is great for nurturing children’s concentration and creativity, and it gives them a sense of accomplishment—highly recommended.
This time, let’s make a Gliding Snake with origami! All you need is origami paper.
Since adding many fine creases is important, it’s best to work carefully and slowly.
It could be fun to compete on how far your Gliding Snake can travel! Let’s enjoy a Gliding Snake Championship!
ruffous horseshoe bat
Just like a real bat! Here’s an idea for a flapping bat.
Bats are nocturnal and often rest during the day in caves, gaps in trees, or attics, but many children are familiar with them from Halloween illustrations and picture books.
This time, let’s make a flapping bat with origami.
All you need is origami paper cut to half size.
The steps are simple and easy to follow, so once kids learn the folds, they’ll likely be able to make one on their own!
Heart origami
Write a message inside a heart and give it as a gift! Here are some heart origami ideas.
When children make heart-shaped origami, not only does it look cute, but they may also be enjoying the process of turning their feelings and affection for someone special into a tangible form.
These heart origami ideas are perfect for kids who are starting to feel, “I want to make someone happy.” It’s also nice that you can make them with just a single sheet of origami paper.
Writing words of thanks or a secret message on the finished heart is sure to add an extra thrill.
Slinky
It’s fun to make and play with! Here are some ideas for a slinky.
A slinky is typically a springy toy made of metal or plastic with a unique spiral shape.
When you hold it and tilt it, it’s captivating to watch it descend down stairs or a slope.
This time, let’s make a slinky with origami! You’ll need quarter-sized sheets of origami paper, cardstock, and glue or double-sided tape.
Since you’ll be repeatedly folding the same parts and need to follow the steps carefully, it’s a project that encourages focused, attentive crafting.
Make the whole body! Cute horse origami
This is an idea where you make the head and body separately, glue them together, and finish it as a horse.
First, we’ll make the head: fold the origami paper into a triangle, then fold the left and right corners up to meet the top corner.
Next, as you would when making a samurai helmet, open the folded-up corners to the left and right and crease them, then fold them back along the creases.
These parts will be the horse’s ears.
Turn the paper over, fold one layer of the bottom corner up diagonally to make a triangle, crease it, and unfold.
Then fold the bottom corner up again into a small triangle, and fold the base of that small triangle up along the crease.
Fold the top corner down into a triangle, flip the paper over, fold the bottom corner up, then fold the left and right corners inward—this completes the head.
For the body, first fold the origami paper so it becomes a rectangle and make a crease.
Fold the top and bottom edges to that center crease, then fold the left and right edges to meet in the middle to make the paper a square again.
Open the pocketed sections and squash-fold them to make two boat shapes.
Fold the top left and right corners vertically inward to form the legs.
Tuck the lower left corner inside, then make a step fold on the right corner to create the tail.
Fold this in half, attach the head you made earlier, and it’s done.
