Easy Origami Paper Folding Activities for Kids or Beginners
Origami is the the Japanese name for paper folding. Numerous designs for intricate work exist, but beginners and children must start with easier projects. Colorful square paper is used for origami. Make sure you have plenty of it on hand when beginning, so that mistakes can be thrown out and begun again.
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Cup
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These cups are easy to make, and they actually hold items -- even liquid. Don't leave the liquid in long, though, or the paper will get soggy. Fold your square piece of paper in half on the diagonal, making a triangle. Lay it on the table with the fold at the bottom. Take the point on the right and bring it over so it just reaches the left side. Fold down the top layer of the point at the top down, so it covers part of the fold you just made. Flip the paper over completely and repeat the above steps, folding over the right hand point and folding down the flap at the top. Gently open the cup at the top.
Hat
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The hat needs a very large piece of paper if you are planning to wear it; newspapers work very well. Make it more fun by using the comics page. If you don't want to wear the hat, you can easily make this out of a smaller piece of paper. Fold the paper in half, then in half again. Open the last fold. You should now have a long rectangular piece of paper. Be sure the fold is along the top. At the top, fold the two points down to meet along the middle fold line. At the bottom of the paper, fold up the top flap to cover the points you folded down. Flip the hat over and fold up the flap that is on the bottom. Tuck the loose corners of the flaps in, taping them in place if you plan to wear the hat. Open it up at the bottom and place it on your head.
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Barking Dog
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You will need a pen or marker to add facial features to these animals, and you can also be creative when adding spots or stripes to their fur. Fold your square paper in half along the diagonal, then open it up and fold it along the opposite diagonal. Leave it folded. With the fold along the top, fold down the two top corners just a bit to make the ears of the dog. Take the top layer of the point at the bottom and fold it up about a quarter inch. Fold it up once more about a half inch. Your folds are now complete; draw on eyes in the middle of the face and a nose on the folded up point at the bottom. To make the dog bark, gently pull the ears out away from each other. The mouth will open like it is barking.
Fortune Teller
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Fortune tellers are often called cootie catchers, and are popular with school-age children. Write your own fortunes on the inside to make your friends laugh or groan. You need a square piece of paper. Larger works best, since you need to put your fingers inside the finished product. Fold the square in half along the diagonal to form a triangle, then fold it in half again to make a smaller triangle. Unfold all the folds. Fold each corner in to the middle of the square, where the fold lines meet. You should now have a small square. Turn the paper over so the loose points are facing down. Fold all the new corners in to the middle just as you did in the previous step; your square should now be very small. Fold the square in half, then unfold and fold it in half the other direction. Lift the small flaps and put your fingers inside. You can now open and shut the fortune teller in all directions. Write your fortunes on the inside and be prepared to foretell the future.
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