Easy origami for kids

Before you fold

These six folds are our own plain-language instructions for beginners. Fold slowly and press every crease with a fingertip so it stays sharp.

A crease is a pressed fold line. A valley fold bends the paper toward you, and a mountain fold bends it away from you.

Paper tips

Plain printer paper is fine. For a square, a grown-up can fold one corner of a rectangle across to the opposite edge and tear off the spare strip. Coloured paper or magazine pages add variety, if not too thick to crease. Work on a flat table and keep spare sheets nearby, because the first try is often a practice one.

1. Paper boat

Age hint: 6 and up.

You need: one rectangular sheet of paper, bigger than a postcard.

1. Lay the paper with the long edges at top and bottom. Fold the top edge down to the bottom edge and crease it, so the fold is at the top.
2. Fold the two top corners down to meet in the middle, like a roof, with two strips below.
3. Fold the front bottom strip up over the roof edges, turn over and fold the other strip up too. This is the hat.
4. Open the hat with your thumbs and press it flat into a diamond.
5. Fold the lower point of the front layer up to the top point, then turn over and do the same at the back.
6. Open the folded triangle into a diamond again. Hold the left and right points, gently pull them apart and press the bottom flat. Your boat is ready.

Try this: Test it in a shallow tub with a grown-up beside you.

2. Paper hat

Age hint: 5 and up.

You need: one big rectangular sheet, such as a page of old newspaper.

1. Lay the paper with long edges at top and bottom. Fold the top edge down to the bottom edge and crease.
2. With the fold at the top, fold the two top corners down to meet in the centre.
3. Fold the front bottom strip up over the roof edges.
4. Turn the paper over and fold the other strip up in the same way.
5. Open the bottom and try it on a head or a teddy.

3. Paper kite

Age hint: 5 and up.

You need: one square of paper and a crayon or pen.

1. Place the square like a diamond, with one corner pointing toward you. Fold the left corner across to the right corner, press the crease, then unfold. You now have a straight crease from the top corner to the bottom corner.
2. Fold the top-left edge in so it lies along the centre crease, and press the new crease.
3. Fold the top-right edge in to meet the centre crease in the same way. The top now has a pointed kite shape.
4. Turn the kite over if you like, then draw a pattern on it and a wavy tail below the bottom point.

Try this: Make kites from different coloured squares and line them up on a window sill. This one is for display, not for flying.

4. Simple fish

Age hint: 5 and up.

You need: one square of paper, ideally a different colour on each side.

1. Place the square like a diamond. Fold the bottom corner up to the top corner to make a triangle, with the long folded edge at the bottom.
2. Pick the right-hand corner at the bottom as the tail. Fold it up by about a finger's width and press the crease.
3. Fold the raised tip back down the other way, about halfway along it, so the tail makes a small Z. This is the tail fin.
4. Draw an eye near the left-hand corner, the head, and add stripes.

5. Corner bookmark

Age hint: 4 and up.

You need: one strip of paper about three fingers wide and as long as a hand and a half (a grown-up can fold and tear one from a page), and a book.

1. Hold the strip with a short end at the top and the long sides left and right.
2. Fold the top-left corner across so the top edge lies along the right-hand edge. Press the crease firmly. This makes a pointed tip at the top.
3. Slide the plain bottom end of the strip between the pages of a book, so the pointed tip peeks out above the page.
4. Decorate the tip with a face, a pattern or a small picture.

Try this: Make one strip wider and one narrower, and see which pointed tip you like best.

6. Puppy face

Age hint: 4 and up.

You need: one square of paper and a pen.

1. Place the square like a diamond, with a corner pointing toward you.
2. Fold it corner to corner into a triangle, with the long edge at the top and the point facing down.
3. Fold the left and right corners of the long edge down a little way so they flop outward like floppy ears.
4. Draw two eyes and a nose near the bottom point, then add spots, whiskers or a smile.

More to do on Rangooo

Try easy paper crafts, turn clean household items into recycled crafts, add faces with easy drawing ideas, keep busy with rainy day activities, browse stories and activities, play a round of family game night ideas or try easy science activities.

A note for grown-ups

Paper edges can give small paper cuts, so show children how to hold paper by the sides and fold away from the fingers. No scissors are needed for any fold here. Keep small scraps away from little mouths. Sit beside younger children, help with the hardest folds, and praise effort rather than neatness. Water play with boats needs your full attention.

Questions

What is the best age to start paper folding?

Many children from about four can manage the puppy face and corner bookmark with a grown-up beside them. The hat, fish and paper kite suit ages five and up, and the boat suits six and up. Treat these as a guide.

What paper works best for beginners?

Square or rectangular printer paper and lightweight craft paper work well. Very thick card is hard to crease, and thin tissue tears easily.

Do we need scissors or glue?

No. Every fold here uses paper alone. If a square is needed, a grown-up can fold one corner across and tear off the spare strip beforehand.

What if my fold does not turn out right?

Unfold, smooth the paper flat and try again, or start a fresh sheet and go slower. Press each crease firmly and line up the corners before you flatten a fold.