The summer holidays have arrived so we thought we'd share with you a great project to keep little fingers busy! It's cheap, super simple and mess free, a perfect project for rainy days or on the go. You could make your own paper or check out Fun Origami for Kids: Dino! which comes with special patterned paper and more origami projects.
Origami Scutosaurus (scut-o-sore-us)
Scutosaurus, meaning "shield lizard," had bony plates of armor just beneath its skin, including its cheekbones, which were very large. Although it had a tough exterior, Scutosaurus was a slow dinosaur and an easy target for predators. Chomp! Scutosaurus couldn’t chew—it swallowed stones to grind food in its stomach!
1. Place the sheet of 10in (25cm) square paper with the design face down. Fold the corners into the center, then turn over and fold the corners in again.
2. Turn the paper over and fold forward the top edge of the paper along the center line.
3. Lift the right-hand side, then press the point forward, refolding the flap into a triangle. Turn over and repeat.
4. Lift up the paper and let the model open out slightly.
5. Press back the head from the point at the top, making a crease across its widest part and letting the lower flap come out. Fold forward the remaining two flaps to form the base for the head.
To get your special dinosaur origami paper, check out Fun Origami for Kids: Dino! by Mari Ono.
For more origami projects for kids, check out Fun Origami for Kids: Wild! by Mari Ono.