Is Origami a Pastime for Children?

Many people perceive origami as little more than a creative pastime for young children. Suitable for elementary school art classes but not much more. This perception stems largely from the fact that origami has been used in schools for years as a teaching tool for young children, and it is very well suited for that. In fact, Friedrich Froebel the founder of the kindergarten movement in Germany was an avid paper folder and made origami an integral part of the early kindergarten curriculum.

When used in this way origami can be an excellent tool to teach children concepts of geometry and mathematics. It can also be used to teach concepts of culture and artistic expression. Most of us probably had some experience with paper folding as children, either in a school classroom or just in practicing the venerable art of paper airplanes. The problem is that many people can't get beyond that conception of origami as a child's game with about as much artistic potential as a game of cat's cradle.

This perception is not necessarily wrong, just incomplete. Origami is a practice that can be used to express many things. Those expressions can be artistic, creative, analytical or mathematical, or occasionally all of that at once. We just need to put aside our preconceived notions of what we think it is or is not and take a fresh look at what it is.

I am reminded of a story told to me recently by Michael LaFosse. He had a booth at a fair where he was demonstrating origami, when a couple approached him. The man looked at the pieces he had on display and asked simply, "So what's all this?". "This is origami", Michael began, "It's an ancient Japanese art form". "Art?" the woman interrupted, "this is something my daughter does. How can that be art?". This caused Michael to reflect that, despite what your grammar school teacher may have told you, there is such a thing as a stupid question.