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Jumping Origami Frog Instructions

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These jumping origami frog instructions will make it so easy to create paper frogs and the whole family will have fun! This paper frog craft is a great activity for kids to practice fine motor skills.

It also makes a fun paper toy that kids (and adults) enjoy playing with. My family has spent an embarrassing amount of time competing to see who can get their frog to do the perfect flip.

Origami colored paper jumping frogs in  cupcake liners with numbers written on them.

What is Origami?

If you are not familiar with origami it is the art of paper folding.

I am amazed by the intricate works of art that can be created with paper. The word origami is derived from two Japanese words, “ori” and “gami”. Ori means folding and gami means paper.

Traditional origami involves folding a square piece of paper into different sculptures. There is no cutting, gluing or taping involved in traditional origami.

Do I Need to Use Origami Paper?

A common question that gets asked is if it is necessary to use actual origami paper.

The answer to this question is that it depends on how you want your project to turn out. Origami paper comes already cut into a 6-inch square which is the needed size for origami.

The paper is also thin and works much better for folding. Thicker paper like craft paper and construction paper don’t crease as nicely.

You can use regular paper that has been cut into a 6-inch square but you may have trouble getting the intricate folds accurate and the end result may not be quite as good.

The good news is that origami paper is inexpensive and a pack will last you a long time!

Making a Square Sheet of Paper

If you don’t have origami paper and aren’t ready to buy some, you can easily transform a sheet of ordinary printer paper into a good stand-in.

Take a rectangular piece of printer paper and a ruler. To get the proper origami size, use the ruler to form a 6 x 6″ square.

If you don’t want to have so much excess paper, you can make the squares 5 1/2 x 5 1/2″ so you can get two squares out of a single piece of rectangle paper.

Use a pair of scissors to cut out the square(s).

multi-colored origami frogs on a black and white striped background.

Supplies Needed

I love projects that only require minimal supplies. You only need square paper!

Later in the post I explain a game you can play with the frogs that uses cupcake liners. But if you just want to make a jumping origami frog to play with however you choose, you can skip the cupcake liners.

How to Make Origami Jumping Frogs

I’m going to walk you through how to make a jumping frog with detailed step by step photo instructions.

The key to origami is to follow each step exactly before moving on to the next step.

6-inch origami paper on a black background.

Step One: Fold in Half

Start off by taking your 6-inch origami paper and fold it in half.

pink origami paper folded in half on on a black background.

Step Two: Fold Right Corner

Keep the paper folded. Pull the top right-hand corner over to form a triangle on the top half of the paper. Crease this fold.

pink origami paper folded into diagonal on top right corner on a black background.

Step Three: Fold Left Corner

Make another diagonal fold with the left corner (similar to what you did in the previous step). Be sure to crease it.

pink origami paper folded into diagonal on top left corner on a black background.

Step Four: Fold Right Lower Corner

The top corners can be unfolded because they have been creased. Now fold the lower right corner and crease it.

pink origami paper folded into diagonal on lower right corner on a black background.

Step Five: Fold Lower Left Corner

Now unfold the lower right corner. It is time to fold the lower left corner just like you have done the other 3 corners. Crease it.

pink origami paper folded into diagonal on lower left corner on a black background.

Step Six: Unfold

Since all 4 corners have been folded and creased you can unfold the paper.

You should have 2 X shapes and a diamond in the center from the folds and creases.

Step Seven: Form Triangle

The trickiest part of these jumping origami frog instructions are right now!

On the top half, pull inwards from your X shape to form a triangle. I call these squash folds and they are sometimes hard to get just right.

on a black background, the top half of a pink origami paper is folded using fingers.

Crease it into place. It should like kind of like a little house.

on a black background, the pink origami paper is folded like a little house.

Step Eight: Fold Bottom

Now repeat the same process for the bottom. Your paper will be folded up into a nice little diamond.

on a black background, the pink origami paper is folded up into a nice little diamond.

Step Nine: Fold Top Left Corner

It is time to fold the top left corner of the top triangle up. Crease this fold.

on a black background, pink origami paper top left corner is folded with the triangle up.

Step Ten: Fold Top Right Corner

Repeat the same process on the upper right corner of the top triangle. Crease it.

on a black background, pink origami paper top right corner is folded with the triangle up.

Step Eleven: Create Arms

Now fold the top part of the left side of the piece you just folded upwards, back down. This will begin to form the frog’s arms.

origami paper is now folded with the top part of the left side folded upwards, back down.

Step Twelve: Repeat Arm Folds

Do the same thing on the right side.

origami paper is now folded with the top part of the right side folded upwards, back down.

Step Thirteen: Fold Bottom Half

Now repeat the last 4 steps and fold the bottom portion to match the top portion.

the origami paper is now folded so the bottom portion matches the top portion.

Step Fourteen: Turn Over

Turn the paper over and fold the bottom part of the diamond in between the two bottom legs upward. Crease it.

pink origami paper is folded to look like it has legs on a black background.

Step Fifteen: Form Triangle

Now take the left side of the diamond and pull it towards the center to form a triangle. Crease this fold. Repeat this on the right side and you will start to see the frog forming!!

on a black background, the pink origami paper is folded to form a triangle.

Step Sixteen: Fold in Half

Flip your frog back over to the front. Find the part of the frog that you folded upwards in step fourteen. Fold the frog in half here and make sure to crease it very well. This will form the “spring” where the frogs jump will come from.

pink origami paper folded to look like a frog on a black background.

Step Seventeen: Fold Downwards

Now fold in half back downwards the part you just folded up.

a finger touching pink origami paper folded to look like a frog on a black background.

Step Eighteen: Make Frog Jump!

You are done making your frog! If you want to see him jump just push down on his back legs and he will flip, jump and fly around!

multi-colored origami frogs on a black and white striped background.

If you want, you can add googly eyes to your frog, or you can make paper eyes using a hole-punch and black paper or blue paper (or any other color you like!).

Game Ideas

There are lots of fun ways to play with these origami jumping frogs.

origami jumping frog and cupcake liners to jump into on a black and white striped background.

Here are some easy ideas:

  • Use cupcake liners that have numbers written on the inside. Make your frogs jump and try to land in the liners. You earn the number of points listed on the liner.
  • Have a contest and see whose frog can jump the furthest.
  • See who can make their frog flip the most times.
Origami frogs and cupcake liners with numbers written on them on a black and white striped background.

If you loved this fun kids activity be sure to check these out:

Printable Step by Step Directions

If you want to print off this easy step by step guide so you can make this again and again just print via the card below.

Print
5 from 2 votes

Jumping Origami Frog Instructions

These Jumping Origami Frog Instructions are easy to follow and you will have jumping frogs in no time.
Active Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Yield: 1 frog

Materials

  • Origami Paper*
  • Cupcake Liners

Instructions

  • Fold a piece of origami paper in half.
    pink origami paper folded in half
  • Keeping the paper folded, pull the top right hand corner over to form a triangle on the top half of the paper. Crease.
    instructions for making origami jumping frogs
  • Unfold it and repeat on each of the other corners.
    easy instructions for making origami jumping frogs
  • Unfold your paper and you should have two ‘x’ shapes and a diamond in the center from your folds.
  • This is the trickiest part! On the top half, pull inwards from your ‘x’ shape to form a triangle. Crease it into place. It should look like a little house.
  • Repeat on the bottom. Your paper will be folded up nicely into a diamond.
  • Starting from the top, fold the top left corner of the top triangle up. Crease.
  • Repeat on the right side.
  • Fold the top part of the left side of the piece you just folded upwards, back down. This is going to form the frog’s arms.
  • Repeat on the other side.
    instructions for making origami jumping frogs
  • Repeat steps 7-10 on the bottom half now.
    instructions for making origami jumping frogs
  • You have just formed the frog’s arms and legs! You are almost done!
    steps for making origami jumping frogs
  • Flip the paper over. Fold the bottom part of the diamond in between the two bottom legs upward. Crease.
    instructions for making origami jumping frogs
  • Take the left side of the diamond and pull it towards the center to form a triangle. Crease.
    instructions for making origami jumping frogs
  • Repeat on the right side. You should see your frog forming now!
    instructions for making origami jumping frogs
  • Flip your frog over.
    instructions for making origami jumping frogs with pink paper
  • Find the part of the frog that you folded upwards in step 13. You are going to fold the frog in half here. Be sure to crease well! This is where the ‘spring’ from his jump will come from.
    instructions for making origami jumping frogs
  • Fold in half back downwards the part you just folded up. Your frog is done!
    instructions for making origami jumping frogs
  • To make him jump, simply push down on his back legs and release! He will flip and jump!
    instructions for making origami jumping frogs

Notes

Game ideas:
Gather up cupcake liners and draw different numbers into them. Make your frogs jump and earn points if they land inside. See which frog will jump the furthest. See who can make their frog flip the most times.

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