33 Easy Origami Tutorials & Projects For Kids
Tiny hands make the best origami artists.
Dragon Images / Shutterstock We’ve all had a long couple of months, coming up with ways to keep the kids occupied while you work from home. And we’ve surrendered to letting them play on screens way more often than we care to admit.
But keeping children’s senses engaged, encouraging them to use their hands, and supporting their creativity is just as important as entertaining them. Luckily, origami for kids is a great way to keep the little ones entertained at home while producing adorable DIY decor.
Origami is the art of folding paper to make ornate statues and sculptures. It is most often associated with Japanese culture, but it is an art form that anyone from anywhere in the world can join in on. All you need is paper!
You’ll see from the following tutorials that colored paper can look best on certain designs, but this multi-sensory play is all about working with what you have, so feel free to use whatever paper you have at home.
33 Best Origami Tutorials For Kids
All of these tutorials have easy follow-along steps for children and beginners, and all you have to do is press play.
1. Origami Whale
The world’s largest mammal looks adorable and mini in paper form.
2. Origami Rabbit
Hop right into this quick origami rabbit tutorial. You could even add some cotton wool to make a fluffy little tail.
3. Origami Cat Box
These cat boxes make purrrfect holders for pocket money, candies, hair ties, or other miniature origami friends.
4. Origami Bat
Get spooky with these DIY bat decorations, which are just the trick you need.
5. Origami Ghost
Another bootiful decoration for spooky season, these ghosts can be strung on a Halloween garland.
6. Origami Turtle
Slow and steady wins the race. Your little ones can take their time with this simple tutorial.
7. Origami Heart
Spread the love by putting your heart into this paper project.
8. Origami Butterfly
This 3-minute project will transform paper into a butterfly in no time at all, meaning you can create a whole butterfly family in under 10 minutes.
9. Origami Hummingbird
If the butterfly wasn’t enough to make you flutter, this one should be. These elegant origami birds make beautiful decorations.
10. Origami Shuriken
This ninja star toy isn’t just a fun origami project, it can also be used for frisbee throws.
11. Origami Crown
This tutorial rules! Make this and follow it up with a good fort-building session to make a kingdom in your living room.
12. Origami Sword
To defend your kingdom, you’ll need this paper sword. Fight enemies away from your fortress and keep your crown.
13. Origami Dog
Are you kids driving you barking mad with the requests for a puppy? This might suffice... for 5 minutes.
14. Origami Jumping Frog
This one might require a little extra attention, but tiny fingers might have the advantage here for all those minute folds.
15. Origami Dinosaur
Bring the prehistoric T-rex back to life in less than 10 minutes.
16. Origami Ice Cream Cones
How adorable are these paper ice cream cones? They make a great prop for kids who love to play pretend. They can host their own ice cream truck without having to worry about a melted mess.
17. Origami Sunglasses
It must be summer if you’re making ice cream cones, so you’ll need these to protect your vision and look super-cool.
18. Origami Chick
This sweet little guy can make a great Easter decoration.
19. Origami Fish
Just keep swimming. This fish is the perfect friend for the whale. Just don’t put them in water!
20. Origami Candies
No sugar rush here! These cute candies can be used as wall decor or glued onto gift boxes.
21. Origami Snake
You will need glue or tape for this slithery friend, which goes against traditional origami rules. But hey, art is open to interpretation, right?
22. Origami Stars
You’re a star! Use these on your kids’ star chart after they finish chores, do their homework, or behave well. It will be all the more rewarding if they’re the ones making the stars.
23. Origami Dress
Dress to impress with some patterned paper and this tutorial.
24. Origami Crab
Take this tutorial side-step-by-side-step to make another sea creature.
25. Origami Fox
These timid creatures might be hard to find in real life, but with a paper version, they’re never too far.
26. Origami Roses
Wake up and smell the (paper) roses by making this floral arrangement.
27. Origami Diamonds
Roses? Diamonds? Is there a paper proposal coming?
28. Origami Envelope
Snail mail is the best way to reach out to long-distance family members these days, so this DIY paper envelope is perfect for greeting cards and well wishes.
29. Origami Watches
Time is of the essence, so get to work on these adorable paper watches.
30. Origami Fortune Teller
Do kids these days even know what these are? Time to relive your glory days with this fun school yard game.
31. Origami Penguin
Ruffle up some feathers with these adorable little guys.
32. Origami Box
These containers make great storage for your kids' bedrooms.
33. Paper Airplane
It would be wrong not to include this classic. We’ve been making these in classrooms since before we even knew what the word origami meant.
Alice Kelly is a writer and storyteller with a passion for lifestyle, entertainment, and trending topics. When she’s not creating content for Your Tango, you can catch her working on creative fiction and vintage shopping.