5 ‘Bests’ About Origami for Kids and Adults
1) Origami is the best family fun.
Origami for kids AND adults. How much better can it get? Origami has had a timeless appeal over the centuries and it’s no wonder since it has such a wide audience. Finally, you’ve found something that’s fun for the whole family. But it’s not just fun; if you learn origami, you’ll find that it’s educational, relaxing, and refreshing.
2) Origami is the best math tutor.
Studies have shown that certain real life skills such as origami help to make abstract concepts such as math easier to understand. After all, math is the very foundation of eye pleasing origami designs. A good example of math in origami is the well known Kawasaki theorem: stating that if the angles surrounding a single vertex in a flat origami crease pattern are a1 (the first angle), a2 (the second angle), a3 (the third angle), a2n (the last angle), then:
a1 + a3 + a5 + … + a2n-1 = 180
and
a2 + a4 + a6 + … + a2n = 180.
Don’t worry if you don’t understand this, it is really much simpler than it appears. Each of these two equations state that if you add the angle measurements up of every other angle around a point, the sum will always be 180 degrees. Of course, if you remember anything from high school about Geometry, this now seems quite simple and rather basic to you. Yet, often, the best way you can teach math is to use origami for kids and for adults too.
Let me give you another example of a basic Geometry principle that can be proved using origami: Through a point not on a line, there is only one line parallel to the line. You see, if you put a point, not a dot or a circle, on a piece of paper, you can fold that paper so that an infinite number of lines (creases) intersect that point, but no two of those lines will be parallel. Going back to the Kawasaki Theorem, you can add up each of the angles that are created by all those lines, and you will always get 360 degrees. So if you’re learning or teaching math, why not learn origami right along with it?
3) Origami is the best physical therapist.
Origami is also used in some physical therapy programs to help develop manual dexterity. This is why origami for kids, as preposterous as it may sound at first, is such a great idea. It helps kids to achieve a greater level of hand-eye coordination, and manual dexterity, and like certain of the martial arts, boosts your child’s confidence and increases his ability to concentrate.
4) Origami is the best mind-boggling, eye-goggling entertainer.
If you haven’t guessed yet, there are more uses for origami than mentioned above. Because of its wide appeal, it is beneficial to more people than just the folder. That’s because it is just as cool to behold the finished product, as it is fun to create it. So whether you’re looking to brighten up a loved one’s day, or just to wow your circle of friends, if you learn origami, you’ll put yourself in a win-win situation.
5) Origami is ‘The Best,’ So what are you waiting for?!?
Now let me dispel the popular myth that origami is just for, the rich/and the elite. Absolutely not! Nothing could be farther from the truth. Origami for kids as well as for adults is as free as your local newspaper or a napkin from Dunkin Doughnuts. So, whether you’re looking for origami for kids or for adults, what are you waiting for? Let’s get started!