Make a Paper Boat
Difficulty: Very Easy
Age: 4 and up
Kids have been making this classic boat for more than a century. It really floats, but to make it last longer than the Titanic, waterproof the bottom with a layer of clear tape.
What you'll need:
- A piece of classic, letter-sized paper (or a few, in case you need a couple of tries to get it right)
How to make it:
- Put a rectangular piece of paper in front of you with a short side at the top. Fold the top edge down to meet the bottom edge and crease. Fold the left side to meet the right side, crease, and then unfold at that crease. Fold the top left and right corners down to meet at the middle and crease, like you' re making a paper airplane. There are 2 strips of paper below the 2 triangles you just made. Fold the top strip up and crease, then turn paper over and repeat. (See photo.)
- Rotate the paper so the point of the triangle is on one side. Pick it up and open the triangle, keeping your thumbs inside. (See photo.)
- As you open it up, it will flatten into a diamond shape. Tuck in stray flaps, if any, and crease. (See photo.)
- Fold one bottom point up to meet the top point of the diamond, crease, then turn paper over and repeat. As you did in B, rotate the triangle and open it, flattening into a diamond shape. (See photo.)
- As shown in the diagram, pick up the diamond and gently pull both sides apart a bit. (See photo.)
- Continue to pull them apart. (See photo.)
- When they won' t pull apart any more, flatten into a canoe shape. (See photo.)
Originally published in Wondertime magazine


