- Sarah W.
- Monday, February 15, 2021
Origami - the art of folding paper - is an entertaining and elegant art form practiced by people all over the world. All you need to become one of them is a piece of paper and some patience. The traditional origami penguin pattern is the perfect place for beginners to start. Follow along below and make an entire waddle (that's what you call a group of penguins on land)! Once you've mastered that pattern, dive deeper using the recommended digital and print resources.
Folding origami can be a meditative process, and requires so few materials to make such stunning results! As a bonus, the precise folding required helps develop spatial awareness, fine motor control, and sequencing skills, benefitting the brains of adults as well as children. Working through the occasional frustration during the learning process makes the resulting piece of art that much more rewarding!
If you have never tried origami before, the traditional penguin pattern is the perfect place to begin. Find a square piece of paper (or make your own - you'll find instructions below) and follow along here:
What if you don't have square origami paper at home? That's no problem! You can make your own using rectangles such as notebook paper or computer paper. You can even re-purpose items like junk mail or gift wrap. Follow along in the video below to make a perfectly square piece of paper:
Traditional origami folds were simple, often used as toys for children or as teaching tools, but origami has developed into a complex art form in recent decades. To learn more patterns, check out some of the resources below:
Activity TV. Origami
Birds
Pets
Cool Paper Folding
Michael LaFosse's Origami Butterflies
Trash Origami
Folding Paper
Outside the Box Origami
Origami takes center stage in the children's stories below: