DIY origami paper boat for children

Ahoy, little captains and sailors! Are you ready to embark on an exciting journey into the world of origami?

Origami, the Japanese art of paper folding, is not only a great way to engage your child’s creativity but also a fantastic opportunity to learn about shapes and develop fine motor skills.

What you need

• Square sheet of paper (any size or colour will do)
• Scissors (optional, for trimming paper to a square shape)
• Markers or coloured pencils (for decorating the boat)

How to make it

1. Start with a square sheet of paper. If you have rectangular paper, you can trim it into a square shape using scissors.
2. Fold the square in half diagonally, from one corner to the opposite corner, creating a triangle.
3. Unfold the triangle, and then fold the paper in half diagonally again, but this time in the opposite direction.
4. Rotate the paper so that the open end of the triangle faces away from you.
5. Take the right and left corners of the triangle and fold them towards the top corner, creating a diamond shape.
6. Fold the bottom corner of the diamond up towards the top point, leaving a small triangle at the bottom.
7. Flip the paper over and fold the bottom corners inwards, towards the centreline.
8. Fold the bottom edge of the paper up, creating the base of the boat.
9. Open up the boat by gently pushing the sides apart, and voila! You have your origami paper boat.
10. Use markers or coloured pencils to decorate the boat, adding waves, portholes, or even a friendly sailor.