Origami Star Box -- 3rd Grade

I did Origami star boxes with 3rd grade this year - a couple of the folds are tricky for them, but everyone succeeds in the end!

Origami Flying Crane - 5th Grade

Here is a video where I talk through the steps of making an Origami Flying Crane - I do this with my 5th grade students!

Origami Cats and Dogs - Kindergarten

Here are directions for making origami cats and dogs!

I do these with kinders - it is a perfect introduction to folding. After we make one of each, as a class, I let the make as many as they can for rest of the class. I make sure to supply different sized paper - kids loving making families (mom, dad, baby, brother, sister) and markers to add eyes, noses, spots or stripes. Often the dogs end up with laser vision and purple eyes - it is hysterical.

For students that start to reach ultimate fun with cats and dogs I challenge them to make up different folds to make other animals. This year I got an elephant, turkey(picture above), spider, and some reindeer!

Dog:

Start with a square piece of paper.

Pick up one corner and pull diagonally across paper - match up corners and crease.

You should have a triangle. (make sure the long side of the triangle is at the top)

Pick up top corner - pull towards you and then down.

Crease.  Point of ear should hand off the dogs head.

Repeat with opposite corner.

This is where I stop with Kinders - but if you have awesome folders, try the next few steps!

To add extra detail - pull up top layer of dog's chin.

Pullup as far as desired - crease down.

Pick up top of triangle you just folded and bring down to meet folded edge.

You should get a tiny triangle - here is your dogs snout. 

Add some details!

Cat:

Start with a square piece of paper.

Pick up one corner and pull diagonally across paper - match up corners and crease.

You should have a triangle. (Make sure the long side of the triangle is at the top)

Pick up top corner, pull towards you and then up.

Crease down.

Repeat with opposite corner.

You can decorate this side or flip over.

Add some details!

Origami Bracelets - 4th grade

This was based on an idea our Dance teacher saw on YouTube when she was looking for a special way to fold money for a birthday. As soon as she showed me the video I remember making chains with my mom using gum and starburst wrappers.

The video used $1.00 bills which gave the bracelet some extra give to get over the hand and then cinch a bit for the wrist.  I didn't have any cash on me and for some reason trial and error seemed faster and easier than looking up dollar bill dimensions on-line.  So, I took some printer paper and started to mess with sizes - it took a couple of tries to find the right ratio for the rectangle.

I found that paper 2.5 inches wide x 7 inches long gave us the extra movement needed to fit over hands.

Students decorated 10-12 strips of paper the first day. We did a little math if they had 30 minutes left and 10 strips - then they had only 3 minutes for each one. I tried to stress that they had very little time to color/design their papers. Most finished, some didn't - but got close enough.

The next class I showed the kids how to fold, assemble, and finish their bracelets.  Most students finished, but a handful did not - I promised to put the videos on the blog so they could make/finish them during break!








Enjoy!

Origami -- Paper Airplanes

I found these instructions on the internet - if these belong to you or to a book, I apologize I found them without any credit.

I picked these varieties because they were simple enough most students could work their way through them, and the instructions are all on one sheet!

 

 

Origami Samuri Hats - 1st Grade

Here is a project that I use to do with 2nd grade - I now do it with 1st!  I use newspaper for the hats so that the students can actually wear the hats.  Start off with a square type piece of paper - luckily the newspapers in my current town re-sized their papers to be almost square.  If your newspapers are more rectangular you will need to make them square-ish.  At the very end I go around and tape the front folds of the hat since newspaper doesn't hold folds too well and the students get frustrated when they unfold.

Start with a square piece of paper.

Fold corner to opposite corner making a triangle.

With the long side of the triangle away from you - take the side corner to the bottom corner.

Repeat on other far corner.

Take only the top layer from the bottom and fold to the top point.

Repeat for other side.

Take the top later again and pull up and over to the side to make wing-tips.

Repeat on other side.

Take only the top layer from the bottom and fold halfway up top triangle.

Fold the part that is hanging below the triangle up and over - makes a rectangle type shape.

The main part of the hat is complete.

Fold the last part of the bottom triangle into the inside of the hat.

Hat is ready to be decorated!

2nd Grade - Origami Jumping Frogs

The students get a kick out of this project.  From start to finish takes about 30-35 minutes - leaving about 5 minutes for the students to play with their frogs and clean up for a 45 minute class.

First we review what 'origami' means.  I explain what we are going to make frogs that jump - some frogs will jump high, some long, some will do flips!  Next, I go over expectations for the class period as it differs from most days.  I will do a step at a time at the front of the room and they are to both watch and listen - I will do it twice.  After I do it the second time they are to try it on their own.  I will walk around and check and help students - but they are to try until I get to their table.  I always ask, "Is it okay to be frustrated?" and they say "YES!" then I said, "Is it okay to give up?" and they say "NO!".  This little exercise is always a good reminder when we start something that potentially will be frustrating for some students.  After I check everyone I will count down from 5 - when I get done I expect the room quite and ready for the next step.  I wait until the class is ready.

1. Students decorate one side of index card with markers/crayons.

2. Flip Over.

3. Fold top corner to meet side. 

4. Fold other top corner to meet colored corner. Should have smaller triangle and rectangle.

5. Unfold

6. Flip Over (should see color).

7. Fold horizontal line through middle of "X". Should have two rectangles.

8. Unfold

9. Flip Over.

10. Pull horizontal lines together.

11. Push met horizontal lines to table.

12. Push down opening - or push down the "hat".

13. Under the triangle should look like this.

14.  Fold up edges of triangle to point. 

15. Fold in the remaining sides to the middle.

16. Fold bottom up to the top.

Another view of step 16.

17. Fold top layer back to line up with fold on the bottom.

Another view of fold 17.

Flip frog over - use finger to pull back.....

 

..... let go and let the frog fly!

Be prepared for excitement!  The students really enjoy seeing their frogs jump for the first time!  If a students frog doesn't jump a few things: 1) Check the back legs - pull them out a little bit so that they have a little spring in them.  2) Make sure they are using one finger to gently launch their frogs.  Students tend to pound or squish their frogs when trying to launch them.

Happy folding!