Flexagons
Made out of paper, a flexagon can be folded into itself for what seems like an infinite loop, but is actually just 4 repeating frames. Combined with colors and storytelling, they can be a great way to explore different subjects through paper engineering.
Included with the instructions are 3 templates to use along with classroom activity inspiration.
How to set up a flexagon:
Depending on different factors of your classroom, you may choose to prepare steps 1-5 ahead of time for your students.
Materials:
- Printer
- Card stock (a sturdy weight like 80g)
- Scissors (or craft knife with a metal ruler)
- Glue stick
- Art supplies for adding color and details
Video:
Here is a quick video going over the same steps that are typed up below with images.
Step 1: Print
I have provided 3 flexagon templates, the first one is blank, and one- sided. The human body and tree templates are two-sided and I recommend using the Printer Instructions for a successful print.
Blank Flexagon TemplateHuman Body TemplateTree Template
Step 2: Cut
Cut around the outer edge of the rectangle.
TIP: When cutting the outside line, make sure to cut the black line off, or it will make a reappearance in the final piece.
Step 3: Slice smaller cut lines
Carefully cut all the solid lines that are highlighted in the image below.
TIP: Make sure to not cut all the way to the edge. There needs to be a little bit of paper left. Only cut where there is a solid line.
Step 4: Fold
Fold the outside edges toward the center, crease on the dotted lines.
TIP: Use your fingernail or the side of a credit card to flatten the fold further.
Step 5: Glue
Use a glue stick to coat the solid grey rectangles with glue, and then re-fold the edges to the center that you made in Step 4.
Step 6: Train it
After the glue is dry, start folding through the frames until it starts to flow more smoothly.
Step 7: Add Color
For my example, I drew the life cycle of a seed. The video below shows my process of how I decided what to draw on each frame, and the end result.
