Origami, the ancient Japanese art of paper folding, may seem like a simple act at first glance; After all, all you need is a piece of paper to start making some folds that would give you a certain shape, right? Well, kind of, but not entirely true. It’s a complex act that involves a lot of mental work, planning, and a whole set of skills to be able to control the outcome of the paper with the hands the way you want to get the desired shapes.
Not surprisingly, this age-old art has found its way in various aspects of life, from architecture and robotics, mathematics and space technology, to medicine and medical engineering. The way it requires you to think things through before you get to work with the paper, analyse, plan, and use your hands also proves it’s essential in one more aspect where it could provide crucial benefits – children’s skill development.
Is Origami Good for Kids?
With the range of origami kit types available, varying in brand and price as much as type of paper and theme, you can choose something based on your child’s age, as much as their preference. This would allow you to see how positively this fun activity affects their hand-eye coordination, manual dexterity, motor skills, mathematical skills, plus problem solving when you get to try out some paper folding with them.
Over time, you can also notice a positive impact on their mental health as it provides a sense of calm and comfort for the times when they’re stressed, and can even be something you use to boost their connections to others, and improve their social skills. To be able to reap all this, however, be sure to be more mindful with the choices you make out of the various options.
Children Aged 3 and 4
While origami is often thought as this activity that’s not quite meant for toddlers, you’d be amazed to see just how capable your 3-year old can be with this kind of crafts. As this is an age where the focus should be on having fun and disguising the learning, rather than creating the perfect origami figures, pick out something simpler that comes with simple folding instructions.
An origami kit created for children aged 4 would be a nice start to see whether they’re into crafting this young. The origami faces kit by Djeco is a great and cute choice as it comes with fun papers, as well as stickers they could add to the paper themselves without your assistance.
Children Aged 4 and 5
These are ages when kids already know more of the world around them, better understand concepts about time, and know more about colours, shapes, letters, and numbers. This gives you the chance to show them more of what the origami sets can offer, like have them do 3 step by step folds with poetic-patterned papers to create some lovely figures. Djeco’s origami haru set is a nice option.
Children Aged 5 and 6
When they’re already 5, kids develop more improved physical coordination, hand-eye coordination, motor skills, social skills, and more creativity as they draw and paint more recognisable items. Being preschoolers gives you the chance to teach them something more about reading and mathematical skills through fun play with origami toys like the various animal kits they can enjoy creating.
Some, in the example of 4M holographic luminous origami unicorn, also come with convenient fold holes to make the process smoother. And, as a finishing touch, your child gets to complete the creation with incredible LED lights, turning this origami into a true ornament they can decorate their room with. Neon papers and phosphorescent ink details are a great choice too for glow-in-the-dark figures.
Children Aged 6 and 7
At this period, children already learn how to question things, as well as get a better understanding of numerical concepts, which makes for the perfect time to bring in some more advanced origami kits. This is where you can introduce them to the unforgettable fortune tellers you grew up with, or some more advanced animals like bird and dinosaur figures.
Children Aged 7 and 8
As children aged 7 and 8 are more coordinated physically, they know how to write and read, and do some maths tasks, as well as create more complex cut-outs and drawings, you can introduce them to a higher-level origami set with more detailed animals and figures. Sea creatures, planes, boats, and even lanterns are all great options.
Children Aged 8 and Above
Assuming you started with the introduction to simpler and traditional origami when they were in preschool, this is the time when you can move on to showing them more of what the interesting origami world can offer – like letting them hone their skills with creating 3D sculptures, assembling a modular kit consisting of various pieces, i.e. sheets of different colours.
And, if you haven’t introduced them to origami, this is where you can let them have fun getting to know this paper art through making some of the animal figures, like rabbits, birds, frogs. Then, once they’re confident in their paper-folding skills, you can have fun with the modular together.