Origami

I start as a flat, colorful square. I can be bright red or sunny yellow. I am as light as a sleepy butterfly. My corners are sharp and my edges are straight. Then, gentle hands pick me up. Whoosh. They begin to fold me. A little tuck here, a little crease there. I am changing. I am becoming something new and wonderful. I am Origami. I love being folded. It is like a fun surprise every time.

The most special thing about me is that I am made from just one piece of paper. No scissors. Snip, snip? No. No sticky glue. Just folding. A long, long time ago, starting in the 1600s, people in a beautiful country called Japan learned my secret. They folded paper into amazing shapes. It was like magic. They made me into pretty birds with wings that could flap, flap, flap. They made me into little boats that could sail on imaginary seas. People gave these paper shapes as special gifts to friends to make them smile. They also used me to make their homes beautiful and happy.

Now, children all over the world can learn my secrets. It's so much fun. With a few careful folds, you can make a frog that jumps. Boing. You can make a pretty flower to smell. Or you can even make a big dinosaur that goes ROAR. Every time you fold me, you are telling a story with your hands. You use your wonderful imagination to create something new. I show you that from something simple, like a piece of paper, you can make a world of wonder. What will you fold today?