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Origami News &
Views March-April 2010
5 Ways
Origami is Extremely
Good
for Kids, Seniors, and Everyone in
Between
Do you ever feel like a hamster on a wheel and you just want to get off
for awhile?
Do you want do something fun with your family, friends, or students
that doesn't require a lot of preparation?
Do you have a child who's struggling with math or whose
attention span you wish would be a tad longer?
Do you want to keep your brain healthy longer?
Do you want to make something with your own hands right now?
Origami may be the answer. If you're already of a fan of origami,
you know the pleasure it brings you. Here are some ways to expand
its benefits to your circle of friends, family, and co-workers.
1. Get Off the Wheel and
Out of the Rut
Doing origami gives your mind and your psyche a much needed
break. The process of folding paper forces you to turn your focus
to something else, at least for a short time.
Take some stressed-out co-workers to lunch and teach them to make the crane.
Count the miles of smiles…including your own.
2. Improve Focus and
Calmness
As reported in the documentary, Between
the Folds, Israeli teachers have discovered doing origami improves
focus
and calmness in children.
Our own observations of young children in our workshops bear this
out. They are immediately fascinated by each
transformation of
the paper.
Try this experiment: Don't tell your kids what the finished model
will be.
Notice the effect
on their interest and attention span.
A good model for this is the goldfish.
3. Strengthen Math Skills Origami
has been shown to enhance children's skill and interest in
math. Its hands-on nature makes math more fun.
As you do origami with your kids or students, ask them to describe the
different shapes the paper is taking through the process.
Don't be surprised when they see things you didn't and start making up
their own models.
4. Boost Memory and Brain
Power
There's a growing body of evidence that exercising our minds can delay
or prevent the onset of dementia in later life.
In the cover story of the February 22, 2010, issue of Time Magazine, "The Science of
Living Longer," it was reported:
| "People can improve their odds of remaining
mentally alert by keeping
their minds engaged. Learning a new language, picking up a hobby
and maintaining a rich network of social connections are all ways to
keep brain neurons firing." |
Learning a new origami model makes you think. And when you're
done, you have something you created with your own hands. You can
enjoy it yourself or share it as gift to someone else.
Doing origami with others adds the social aspect.
Is there a difficult model you gave up on? Try it again.
Slow down and really pay attention to each step.
When you've mastered it, teach it to someone else. And, consider
sharing a photo. You might learn some additional photography and
computer skills
as a bonus! Find
out more.
5. Gain an Immediate Sense
of Accomplishment
Sometimes doing something quick and easy is what you crave. Put
down the knitting for a few minutes and make some origami for someone
instead of buying a card.
Here are some suggestions:
Crane
Card
Pull-Apart
Heart Card
A large Basic
Heart - stick a note in the front slit
Why not grab a sheet of paper off your printer, pick something from the
Model
Library, and enjoy the benefits of origami right now?
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