How Origami Can Benefit Your Child!

Origami is not a new word to many of us as it is trending art in the crafts world.  But for those of you who don’t know about it, origami is a Japanese art of paper folding. The literal translation of origami is, ori (folding) and gami (paper) which is folding paper. While the kids in Japan learn this art at their mother’s knees, kids in the rest of the world are picking up this art at school.

Did you know there are a number of benefits associated with origami, especially for kids? Researches have shown that paper-folding, particularly in the elementary school level has unique and valuable benefits that help in developing vital skills, so here are a few:

Behavioral skills

Origami is a very good example of ‘schematic learning that is done through repeatable actions’. For a child to be successful, he/she must closely watch and listen carefully to the specific instructions the teacher will give, which the child has to carry out with the neatness and the accuracy in order to get similar results. This is a true example where the student’s success is determined by the activity rather than the teacher. Through origami, the child also learns to be patient and focus all their energy on the work at hand, thus increasing their self-esteem.

Cooperative learning

Origami is usually taught in a classroom of 30 or more children, thus eliminating the status associated with age differences, this way the younger children can interact with the older children, sometimes even teaching them the tricks of origami. This provides a very good platform for the children as they can team up with kids of different grade levels.

A Link to math

Origami is an art of transforming a flat piece of paper and turning it into a three dimensional figurine; this is a unique exercise, especially in spatial reasoning. So what does it have to do with math? Well, origami is all about symmetry; for the many folds you do, the same number of folds have to be done on the other side. This process has a huge role to play in learning the fundamental algebraic rules. In addition to this, origami helps in creating and manipulating basic geometric shapes such as rectangles, triangles and squares.

Cognitive Development

The actual folding in origami involves the children to use their hands, while following a specific set of steps that is done in sequence, thereby producing a visible result that is clever and pleasing. The steps involved must be carried on in a prescribed way for a successful outcome. In short, the motor activity involved in origami is vital for the development of intuitive thought and also for the mental representation of space.  

Additional benefits of origami

Provides a positive learning experience

Helps in stimulation for children

Suitable for children with learning disability

Develops the hand eye co-ordination

Origami is therefore hugely beneficial for children and for their mental development. Introducing your child to this craft will do them a lot of good.

Looking for a good origami class for your child? Click here to find class near your locality!

Image source: Net