Make Cool Origami Animals or Origanimals!

What can we use if we don't have scissors, square origami paper, or stickers?

If you don't have scissors for the step 'cut off the extra strip along the open edge to make a perfect square', use a ruler and carefully fold-and-tear along the crease to make a square, and substitute stickers with small bits of colored paper or marker dots when you 'decorate the face with your colouring materials and stickers'.

My ears look lopsided or the folds don't line up — how do we fix that?

If the folds from 'fold the square diagonally corner to corner to make a triangle' or the 'fold the top right/left corner up to form an ear' steps are uneven, reopen the paper, realign the corners exactly, then press the crease firmly with your fingernail or a blunt edge and refold the ear steps slowly until they match.

How can I adapt this activity for younger or older kids?

For younger children, prepare pre-cut squares so they only do the 'fold the square diagonally' and 'fold the top corners' ear steps and decorate, while older kids can use thinner colored paper, try precise creasing on the 'fold the square diagonally' step, and make multiple Origanimals to 'arrange' into a display or scene.

What are some ways to extend or personalize our Origanimals after they're finished?

To extend the activity, fold a family of Origanimals from different colored sheets, glue small folded tabs or craft sticks to the bases so they stand as you 'arrange your Origanimals for display', and add extra details like drawn patterns, glued-on paper tails, or name tags before sharing on DIY.org.