Origami Storyteller

Origami Storyteller

By Babysits
4 min read

It is more important than ever to inspire your child's creativity. Storytelling is one of the best ways to do this while also keeping your child entertained for hours. We have combined an old playground favorite, the origami fortune teller, with the magic of storytelling to create the origami storyteller! This encourages children to create inventive fictional stories. The origami storyteller is a creative way to not only help your children with their imagination and artistic ability but will also help them develop their fine motor skills through folding the paper and drawing the different story elements.

What you will need?

  • Pen
  • A square sheet of paper
  • Crayons/coloring pencils/markers
  • Your imagination!

origami diy

Steps:

  1. Fold paper from corner to corner making a triangle
  2. Fold again from corner to corner, unfold everything to reveal four small triangles
  3. Fold the paper in half to create eight sections
  4. Fold the corner to the centre of the square
  5. Repeat with the other three corners
  6. You now end up with a smaller square
  7. Flip the paper over and fold the corner to the centre
  8. Repeat with the other three corners to reveal a square
  9. Fold and unfold the bottom edge of the square up to the top
  10. Fold and unfold the left edge of the square over to the right
  11. Push the four corners of the square together in the center and then slide four fingers into the flaps of your storyteller, creasing the folds back so your fingers fit in
  12. And VOILA, you made it!

How to play

  • Once the Origami Storyteller is created you can decide what fun easy pictures you want to draw. Start with four characters on the front side for your stories. For example a teddy bear, cat, cactus or banana.
  • On the reverse side you need to draw the destination, we chose to draw different habitats that exist on earth such as lush forests or vast deserts.
  • The final drawing is to think about plot twists such as the character facing challenges or falling in love, etc.
  • After the catcher is made and all the pictures are drawn and colored in, it is time to start creating some stories!
  • Put your fingers in the origami like you were to pinch someone and move your fingers up and down and left to right. The child can choose the character they want the story to be about.
  • If they choose the cat, you must begin playing by spelling out the word with your fingers, moving up and down and left to right three times, c - a - t.
  • Then the child can choose one of the settings they see. At that point, pull up on the setting and see which action happens.
  • Once you have all the elements of your story chosen, your child can then begin telling you a story. Tell them to think about a beginning, middle, and end.

For older children, you can make this even more challenging by having them write their story in a notebook. Adding more to the story than what they chose in the origami. Encourage your child to read this story to you when they are finished. This can build up their public speaking abilities and also give them confidence in their ideas and abilities. Use this origami tool as a story starter, to get your child thinking about how stories are structured and written.


This is also an awesome game to play with your remote babysitter. She/he can make the diy and the children can make his/her own story. Does your child like origami? We have also created a cute koala origami that can be used for other storytelling play dates.
Have fun and let your imagination grow!

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