The March Sunshine Box activity is origami!
Origami is the art of folding paper. The word “origami” comes from the Japanese words oru, meaning “to fold,” and kami, meaning “paper.”
Origami is good for your health! Origami is exercise for your brain. The activity stimulates our brain—it requires hand-eye coordination, develops fine-motor skills, supports mental concentration, and builds memory. Doing origami can also:
- Help you feel calm and relaxed
- Engage your imagination
- Help you express yourself creatively
- Empower you by learning a new skill!
Be sure to share your creations with us by tagging @actbennington or #ACTBennington!
Origami Animals & Plants
Check out these links for step-by-step instructions of making different animals and plants.
Origami Crane
The crane, or tsuru, is one of the most well-known origami shapes. In Japan, the crane is a much-loved bird that represents peace, compassion, healing, and good luck. There is an old legend that if a person folded 1,000 cranes, they would be granted a wish!
Origami Fox Face
Origami Jumping Frog
Origami Hummingbird
Origami Butterfly
Origami Bat
Origami Tulip
Origami Potted Plants
Origami Maple Leaf
Books About Origami
Check these books out at the McCullough Free Library in North Bennington!
- Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes – Eleanor Coerr
- The Ultimate Papercraft and Origami book – Paul Jackson
- Wings & Things: Origami That Flies – Stephen Weiss
- Easy Origami Animals and Easy Origami – John Montroll
- Origami Book: Simple to Advanced – Robert Harris
All people ages 16+ can activate a (free!) McCullough Library account without a parent’s permission. There are no residency requirements or fees. People under 16 will need a parent to activate their own account and their child’s. Library accounts can be activated online here or by stopping by the library for a paper form, or by calling the library at (802) 447-7121.