MAKING ORIGAMI: AN INTERESTING ACVITY FOR PRIMARY CHILDREN

As future primary school teachers, we are constantly looking for ways or methodologies to make learning exciting, interactive and meaningful for our students. One activity that has gained popularity in the classroom is origami, the Japanese art of paper folding. We will look at powerful tools to foster creativity and learning in our classrooms.

Benefits of Origami 

Origami has many benefits for elementary school children. By practising origami, students improve their concentration and patience. In addition, it stimulates creativity and problem solving, as children must follow the instructions given to them. 

Another remarkable aspect of origami is its connection to mathematics. By folding paper, students learn geometric concepts such as shapes, symmetry, angles and proportions in a practical and tangible way. This helps them to better understand these concepts and apply them in real-life situations. 

Origami Activities to Teach Geometry

Origami of Geometric Shapes: Making shapes such as cubes, pyramids, stars and boxes allows students to explore the properties of these shapes in a practical way.

Origami and Symmetry: Creating symmetrical shapes through origami helps children understand this fundamental geometric concept. They can make butterflies, flowers and other symmetrical designs.

References

Boakes, N. J. (2009). Origami instruction in the middle school mathematics classroom.

Cipolat, C., & Schorr, R. Y. (2004). Origami in the classroom.

Georgeson, J. (2015). Origami in the early years.

Montroll, J. (1991). Animal origami for the enthusiast.

Rutzky, J. (2004). Origami for the enthusiast.