However, you can take cutting paper one step further and enrich your child's experience through kirigami. In Japanese, the word kirigami means:
        kiru = "to cut"
        gami = "paper"

so kirigami is "to cut paper". Kirigami involves not only cutting paper, but folding and cutting paper. The paper will then unfold to give various symmetrical patterns.

Here are a few easy paper cutting projects that will delight your children.

• make a kirigami Christmas tree
• cut a 5-pointed star
• cut a star outline
• cut a 6-pointed star
• cut a Star of David
• make a paper chain of dolls
• make a variation paper chain of dolls
• make a circular paper chain of dolls

Paper Snowflakes and Decorations

Most people will remember kirigami as a way to make paper snowflakes. Unfolding the paper snowflake is a delightful surprise because it's almost impossible to make the exact pattern twice.

In addition to snowflakes, you can also use kirigami to cut paper flowers (great as a spring and summer activity); paper spider webs (great for Halloween); and other decorations (great for everyday!).

• make a paper snowflake
• make a paper flower
• see other unique kirigami patterns
• make a paper spider web
• make a Chinese Paper Lantern
• make an easy decoration
• make a hanging decoration
• make a rectangle window decoration (easiest)
• make a square window decoration
• make a triangle window decoration

Pop-Up Cards

Pop-up cards are sometimes categorized under kirigami since it involves folding paper and then cutting it. If your child has mastered the above crafts, then s/he is ready to try making some pop-up cards.

These pop-up cards are easy to cut, but changing the flat sheet of paper into something that pops up takes a bit of fiddling. You might even say that it takes a certain amount of spacial reasoning.

• easy pop-up card
• easy pop-up card (lips)
• easy pop-up card (heart)
• easy pop-up card (tree)
• easy pop-up card (abstract)