Why Origami Is The Perfect Craft To Teach Kids On Holiday

Any current parent, or indeed anyone who grew up with siblings, will be able to testify to just how infuriating children can become when they are bored. It’s like something within them snaps. Suddenly, their only viable source of entertainment consists of bludgeoning their sister over the head with her favorite stuffed toy or snatching the tablet away from their brother for a better view. Many a family holiday has gotten off to a shaky start simply because the long journeys involved make the kids bored.

In today’s world of smartphones, tablets, and constant online connections, the art of going analog has been lost. This used to be a generational thing. My parents could easily remember a time before all of those things. That is not so much the case now. This author is 27 (that’s about 65 in internet years); parents of my age and younger have grown up all their lives with technology, so they might genuinely not know how to suggest their kids have fun without it. This is where, believe it or not, origami comes in.

Learning to Unplug

Origami is the art of making sculptures from paper. It is simple to do but difficult to master. However, we challenge even the most hardcore internet junky to resist the addiction once they have finished their first successful piece. Now, if you find yourself thinking that your kids just aren’t into arts and crafts and are unlikely to enjoy it, still give it a try! Origami is quite unlike any other art form, part of the joy f doing it, especially for children, is that often you won’t know what you are making until the end. It isn’t until you put the last fold into place and take your hand away that you finally see what you have created.

Origami is not difficult in the true sense of the word. It does require patience and practice, however. Even trying the simplest origami models should occupy kids long enough to take their minds off their phones for a little while.

Super Cheap!

If your kids love origami, then you are in for a real treat because this is a very cheap hobby. The only thing you need in order to make origami is paper. Paper is cheap, you can even find a lot of free paper about once you start looking. When you can turn the pages of any old newspaper, magazine, or anything else, into a beautiful little display of art, you will see opportunities everywhere.

Anyone Can do it

If you find yourself looking at a piece of paper, looking at a piece of origami, and thinking ‘there is no way I can do that!’, do not worry. There are very few people who have the kind of mind that can look at a piece of paper and see the folding process in their head. Most people will work from instructions, and then from memory.

There are instructions widely and freely available online, which will teach you how to make a variety of different types of model. Origami Way is an excellent site with a variety of tutorials.

If you are preparing a family vacation with your kids, consider investing in a book on origami, and some paper, of course. Who knows, it might just turn out the be the greatest accidental discovery of their lives!