Origami for Kids

Origami for kids can be a fun activity for the family. It’s fun and challenging for kids and adults alike, and with only paper needed to complete a project, it’s a perfect activity to do at home with kids when you need an activity that doesn’t require buying supplies and setting up.

While there are plenty of origami books, my kids and I have enjoyed trying some origami YouTube channels lately. There are some great origami videos for kids with very slow and clear demonstrations of how to make all kids of origami animals, paper boats, and almost anything you can imagine.

Origami, the art of folding paper into shapes and sculptures, is usually associated with Japanese culture but also has a presence in other parts of the world, such as China and Europe. Origami generally does not include cutting or gluing paper in any way, but kirigami another paper folding art does include cutting the paper.

The well-known paper crane is a good starter project as it is relatively simple. Beginners can then work their way up to more complicated projects as they master their skills.

Before starting an origami project with your kids, I recommend taking a quick preview to see if you think you child can. I wouldn’t want anyone to get discouraged and give up. That said, my youngest did way better than I would have thought with origami. Maybe start simple with a paper crane or boat and move up to more complex ones.

A Few Basic Origami Tips:

Go slowly.
Use thin paper (not construction paper).
Make precise, crisp creases.
Stop and restart the video as many times as you need.
Use big paper. (There are lots of pretty origami papers that are quite small. These are not ideal for beginners or for more complex projects.)