How can Origami benefit your Child: 10 Easy Animal Faces for Beginners and Kids to Try

Origami is more than Art. Many people aren't aware of the benefits of Origami. So here is a small effort from my side to help you - parents out there, to understand how learning and practicing Origami will help your child.

ORIGAMI - The Japanese Art of Paper Folding

Many books have been written on Origami and lots of research has been done on how Origami has educational benefits. Let's have a glimpse as to how Origami can benefit your child.

Origami has a close relationship to Mathematics. A few books that discuss the relation of Origami with Maths are Origami Omnibus by Kunihiko Kasahara, Origami from Angelfish to Zen, Mathematical Origami and more...You would have heard of your maths teacher giving examples such as; Fold the paper into a half to get a rectangle, fold it into further half to get quarters, Fold a square sheet into a triangle, and so on...ORIGAMI HELPS UNDERSTAND MATHEMATICS BETTER.

Origami helps kids in understanding the IMPORTANCE OF SEQUENCING. Origami involves sequential folding of paper. There are steps that have to be followed and that there is no shortcut. 

Research says that Origami promotes CROSS BRAIN ACTIVITY. At body level, your hands are active, sending impulses to your brain and activating the left and right hemispheres. While at the mind level, it is triggering your memory, non-verbal thinking, attention, and imagination.  

Completing a small project creates a SENSE OF ACHIEVEMENT AND PRIDE. It helps in boosting self-confidence. At the first try when you are unable to fold it correctly, you can always refold and try again. On completion, the child would have gained joy and confidence that he/she too can do it.

In short I would say that Origami is a CREATIVE WAY TO IMPROVE BRAIN FUNCTIONING AND ADDING ART to the space around you.

In this post, I am sharing ten tutorials, that would guide you step by step in making animal faces which can be fun for the kids and adults as well. Not only will you enjoy making them but in the end, you would have transformed a scrap of paper into something beautiful...Also, there's one more thing, you don't need expensive or fancy papers to do Origami...to start with just use some waste paper or newspapers, used gift wrappers, brown papers. ORIGAMI IS A GREAT WAY TO RECYCLE PAPER.

Origami Paper Size

How to choose the paper:
All of them require a square sheet of paper to start with. The standard size of paper is 3" x 3" (75mm x 75mm), 6" x 6" and 10" x 10". The paper must be able to hold a crease. So using thick paper isn't advisable in some cases, as it will be difficult to fold them. The ones that have been used for the tutorials below are mostly 3" square sheets. 

So here are the tutorials...

Have Fun Folding and Refolding!

Note:
Each tutorial ranges from 5 to 8 steps and it will take around 3 to 5 minutes, for the beginners, to complete each model. Also, note the hidden lines or creases shown on the pictures; they indicate folds in the next step. Focus on one step at a time. Repetition is the key to remember the sequence!

I hope this article inspires you to make more interesting Origami creations.

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