Surfing the Net with kids
Origami is the ancient Japanese art of paper folding. Today's tour includes hundreds of easy-to-learn models. You can start with regular copy paper, but as you progress you may be interested in buying a package of special origami paper, which is thinner, easier to crease, and available in many cool colors and prints.
Kids Web Japan: Let's Make Origami web-japan.org/kidsweb/virtual/origami2/exploring01.html
Published by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kids Web Japan introduces Japan to schoolchildren around the world. This section of the site includes instructions for 13 origami models such as Dog, Cup, Piano, Balloon, and Box. Click Next to visit the Download Center, where you'll find printable origami patterns with fold marks, and colored printable origami paper.
Origami Club www.origami-club.com/en
Wow! What I love about the Origami Club is that the instructions are available both as a printable diagram and as animation. And the animation can be sped up or slowed down, depending on skill level. Other reasons to visit include the newspaper origami section, holiday collections (Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine's Day), and a page of 51 easy origami models. Just one note of caution, this Japanese site, though written in English, uses A4 and B5 paper sizes, not the standard American 8.5-by-11-inch.
Origami Fun www.origami-fun.com
Origami Fun is chock-full of projects rated by difficulty, available in printable PDF format and video, along with lots of origami tips. For the easiest models, look for those rated one or two pelicans, or go directly to the kids section. Sign up for the Origami Fun newsletter, and you'll get a sample copy of the Ultimate Origami e-book.
Origami.org.uk www.origami.org.uk
"Paper, of course, is mushed up plant material. Plants, as you know, grow through photosynthesis (energy from sunlight) so looking on the bright side, origami is like playing with sunlight." Derek Stancombe started folding paper when he was 9 or 10, "mainly because he was asthmatic and ran out of breath when trying to play sport." His beautiful site features creative, animated shorts starring origami figures, and a selection of origami games, all built in Flash.
OrigamiTube www.origamitube.com
OrigamiTube is the YouTube of origami paper folding. Because all the videos are user-submitted, the quality varies, but it's still a great source of origami how-to. You can pause and replay as often as you like, making these videos a great way to learn. To find a specific model, use the search function, or navigate through the categories such as animals, flowers, money, or kirigami (which includes cutting and folding.)
