Origami n' Stuff 4 Kids

Cat Origami

Crazy for cats? Choose your favorite feline and print and fold a cat origami.

Difficulty: Easy (suitable for young children)

Click on a cat to print your origami and follow directions.

Orange Tabby Cat Origami

White Cat Origami

Black Cat 1

Black Cat 2

Directions:

1. Cut out origami cat pattern along outer solid lines.

2. Fold back along diagonal line.

3. Turn your origami cat over, so that the printed side faces DOWN.

4. Fold ear down along diagonal line as shown.
Repeat on other side.

5. Fold cat's ear up as shown.
Repeat on other side.

6. Turn origami over with printed side facing UP.
Fold back top (white section) of cat's head.
Fold back bottom of cat's chin.

Now your origami cat is done!

Print and Color Malia in Hawaii!

Print and color Malia in Hawaii--Celebrating all the Parts of Me!

Malia in Hawai'i
Written by Karyn Hopper
Illustrated by Tammy Yee
Mutual Publishing 2013
ISBN: 978-1939487-19-3

Surfing or dancing, parades or hula, noodles or sushi? Malia likes them all!

Malia in Hawai'i is the story of a little girl with a long name, and an even longer list of things she likes to eat and do. Join Malia Sachi Ging Ging Lee as she explores the food and fun of her Hawai'i home.

Color and Identify: Hawaiian Intertidal Zones

What will you see at the rocky shore?

Hawaii's intertidal zone is home to a variety of plants and animals that are well suited to the push and pull of tides. When the tide is low, rocks are exposed to the hot sun. Shellfish hug the rocks to keep moisture in. Some snails even have an operculum, a "door" that closes shut to prevent them from drying out. When the tide is high, rocks are submerged and fish, mollusks and other creatures emerge from crevices and hiding spots under rocks, free to roam. Some animals even prefer the spray zone, where waves constantly pound the shore.

Plants and animals living in the intertidal zone must also adapt to drastic changes in temperature and the level of salt in the tide pools.

Tide pools can be fun, but you must use caution when exploring. Always wear protective foot covering. Rocks can be slippery, so watch your step. Beware of animals, like urchins, that can be venomous. Avoid stepping on and destroying plants and coral. If you overturn a rock, replace it the way you found it so that the plants and animals beneath the rocks aren't exposed to sunlight and drying out. And NEVER turn your back to the waves! Always be mindful of the sea and all its creatures.

Print and color this identification sheet of Hawaii's rocky shore:

Hawaiian 'Opihi Origami

'Opihi are limpets that live on the shores of Hawaii. With their cone-shaped, squat shells, they can withstand the mightiest waves as they cling tightly to the rocks.

'Opihi have long been considered an essential part of a Hawaiian luau—'opihi pickers risk their lives to collect these prized delicacies and are sometimes swept out to sea. However, overharvesting has made this native shellfish harder and harder to find. To better understand how we can conserve our 'opihi populations for future generations, scientists have been working hard at learning about the 'opihi's life cycle, and enlisting the vital help of local communities to develop plans that will ensure that our coastlines are preserved for future generations.

There are three species of 'opihi. 'Opihi Makaiauli (blackfoot 'opihi) is found in clinging tightly to rocks in the splash zone, and can tolerate being exposed to the sun during low tides. 'Opihi 'ālinalina (yellowfoot ʻopihi) have shells with jagged edges that were used by Hawaiians as scrapers for shredding coconut meat. These need moisture, and are found in the most dangerous tidal zones where there is constant wave action. ʻOpihi kōʻele (giant or kneecap ʻopihi) is found submerged in water, and can grow up to four inches across.

PRINT AND FOLD IKI, THE LITTLEST ʻOPIHI ORIGAMI

DIRECTIONS:

1. Print Iki, the Littlest ʻOpihi origami. Cut out image along outer solid lines.

2. With printed side facing up, fold down on solid line. UNFOLD.

3. Turn over, so that the printed side is facing DOWN.
4. Fold along diagonal line as shown. UNFOLD.

5. Repeat diagonal fold on the other side. UNFOLD.

6. Your 'Opihi Origami should be creased as illustrated.

7. With printed side down, fold down, forming a "tent" along the creases.

8. Fold body up along solid line.

9. Tuck tapered end of body into shell.

Origami based on:
Iki, The Littlest 'Opihi
2nd Edition
Written and Illustrated by Tammy Yee
Windword Books 2013
ISBN: 978-1493657971

'Opihi are shellfish that live clinging to the rocky shores in Hawaii. But Iki, the littlest 'opihi, seeks adventure in the open ocean. Will he ever join the other 'opihi and learn to "stick to it"?

Coloring for Kids: Whales' Tails and Turtle Trails

Print and color this page from the children's book, Whales' Tails and Turtle Trails by Tammy Yee.

Whales' Tails & Turtle Trails
Written and Illustrated by Tammy Yee
Island Heritage Publishing, 2010
ISBN 1-59700-928-8

Go on a dreamy adventure with Turtle as he explores the ocean and the wondrous creatures that inhabit it. Turtle is joined with his friend Seal and together they encounter many delights along their travels. Children will enjoy the rhyming prose and vibrant illustrations throughout this charming board book.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

A Book that Grows wiht your child

By sierra on January 23, 2011

This book was an excellent investment, a book that I could read over and over again. We have enjoyed this book so much we are searching for more by the same illustrator and author. At first my son was captivated by the colorful and enchanting illustrations; then he grew into the activities on each page, from finding shapes in the clouds, to counting fish. We also enjoy following the different sea creatures on each page including turtle, seal, fishes, dolphin, and whale.

another great book for kids by Tammy Yee

Books by Tammy Yee always delight. This is another great book for little kids, filled with imaginative text and illustrations.

Squeaking Caterpillars!

At first glance, this caterpillar looks too cute to be true, like a rubber squeaky toy...

Photo by Kirby Wolfe.

To find out if it was real, I translated the video's description, which led me to Usutabiga (ウスタビガ), the Japanese name for the Saturniid moth, Rhodinia fugax. Found throughout Japan, China and North Korea, this silk moth has the amazing capacity as larvae to produce squeaking noises when disturbed. They can even squeak from inside their cocoons...

According to LiveScience.com,

"Caterpillars apparently can whistle, letting out squeaks that can fend off attacking birds, scientists have now found.

They don't whistle by puckering their lips and blowing, since they don't have lips. Instead, they blow out their sides, researchers said.

Scientists have known for more than 100 years that many caterpillars can generate clicking or squeaking noises. However, researchers have only recently begun to experimentally investigate how these noises are made and what roles they might play."

Other members of the Saturniid moth family are also known for larvae that produce clicking sounds with their mandibles (jaws) as a warning before secreting stinky chemicals, and some are covered with stinging hairs. (Warning: you should never handle a caterpillar that is covered in spines or hair, because they often contain venom that can cause a painful skin reaction.)

The eggs of the squeaky silkmoth overwinter and hatch in the spring. Caterpillars feed on oak, walnut, hawthorn, sycamore, birch and rose before spinning a pitcher-plant shaped cocoon. Adults have a 3.5-inch wingspan.

©Tammy Yee

Origami folding fun at Ocean Literacy Day

Join me at the Waikiki Aquarium for Ocean Literacy Day this Saturday, Sept. 14 from 9am to noon. The focus will be on sharks, so I'll be displaying my hammerhead shark painting and a few other ocean-related original watercolors from my children's books...and I'll bring along print and fold Moorish idol origami for the keiki. Fellow children's book illustrators Elizabeth Oh and Ruth Moen Cabanting will also be showing some of their paintings.

There will be keiki arts and crafts, storytelling and more as books about the ocean come to life with costumed characters. Shark experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System will also be on hand to teach families about shark biology and how scientists track them during research.

Sponsored in part by Aqua Hotels and Resorts and NOAA.

http://www.waquarium.org/news-events.html

Origami Eagles Soar in Guatemala

I love hearing from parents, schools, museums and non-profits requesting permission to use my origami as a part of their children's activities and events, and I was especially thrilled to receive these photos from Margaret Trautrim, of children in Guatemala folding my origami eagle! Many thanks, Margaret. Emails like yours make my day!

Origami n' Stuff 4 Kids

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