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How to fold an origami jumping frog

The classic hopping frog from a stiff index card. A waterbomb fold makes the head and front feet, and a pleat underneath becomes the spring that launches it.

You need: 1 index card, 7.5 × 12.5 cm (or stiff paper cut to that size). Medium, 11 steps, about 10 minutes.

Steps

  1. Mark the body. Fold the bottom up so the card's top part is a square, and crease along the fold.
  2. Open it again. Fold the bottom back down.
  3. Crease a diagonal. Fold the top left corner down to the right edge, crease, and unfold.
  4. Crease the other. Do the same with the top right corner. The creases make an X across the square.
  5. Top edge down. Fold the top edge down so the fold runs through the middle of the X.
  6. Make the head. Push the sides in along the X creases and flatten everything into a triangle. This is the head.
  7. Front feet. Fold the inner bottom corner of each front flap up and out across the side of the head, so it sticks out as a front foot.
  8. Snip the sides. Snip along the bottom of the head from each side halfway to the middle, so the body's sides can fold in.
  9. Sides to the middle. Fold the long sides of the body in to meet at the middle.
  10. Bottom up behind. Fold the bottom of the body up behind, so its edge meets the bottom of the head.
  11. Make the spring. Fold that flap back down in half, behind. This zigzag underneath is the spring.

Ribbit!

Draw two eyes on the head. Press down on the back end of the frog, slide your finger off, and watch it jump.

How to make it jump

  1. Set the frog on a table, head pointing away from you.
  2. Press the back edge down with a fingertip to squash the spring.
  3. Slide your finger off the back quickly. Hold races to see whose frog jumps furthest.

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