A LITTLE OCEAN MADE OF PAPER.
Fold a fish and a whale, then give them a sea to explore. Choose colors, draw bubbles and seaweed, and build a paper aquarium with your child.
These images illustrate craft ideas. Actual results may vary. Lay your actual folded pieces on the backing sheet before attaching them.
Square origami paper, blue backing paper, colored pencils or pens, and optional glue or double-sided tape. A3 gives several animals room; use fewer pieces on A4 or join two sheets. No cutting or gluing is needed for the folding steps. If the paper animals feel crowded, enlarge the background instead of forcing smaller folds.
6 STEPS · 3D INSTRUCTIONS
Six steps form the mouth and tail. Help hold the paper for the small mouth fold and check the tail direction together. Fold several in matching colors or different sizes to make a school.
Start folding →
7 STEPS · 3D INSTRUCTIONS
Seven steps form a broad body and narrow tail. After folding in half, turn it sideways before raising the tail. Use larger paper than for the fish to make it the centerpiece.
Start folding →Start with a 15 cm square and place the finished animal on your backing sheet. Try a 7.5 cm square for smaller fish, helping with small folds. Halving the paper side roughly halves the width and height of the same folded model.
Draw a seabed and seaweed on blue paper. Leave swimming space and room for bubbles. Position the whale first, then arrange fish in the remaining space.
For a display, use a little glue or double-sided tape on flat areas of the back without crushing tails or folds. For stories, leave the animals loose so they can swim to new places.
Name each animal and decide where it is going. Take a role each and travel through the seaweed forest or along a trail of bubbles.
Group fish by color or size. Arrange them from large to small, or let them swim in pairs. A new arrangement makes a new game.
Add name labels and introduce the animals to a visitor. If writing is tricky, an adult can write the words while your child adds pictures or patterns.
New to folding? Explore the beginner guide →
Explore all origami models →