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How to fold an origami sports day

A busy field build. Fold three track lanes with white lines, a stepped podium, a finish arch and tape, runners with folded strides, a sack racer, a winner with a medal and trophy, bunting, then stand it up.

You need: 36 pieces: light-blue A4; white, red, yellow, blue, green, brick-red, teal, skin, gold, brown, purple and tan paper (sizes in steps). Scissors, glue.. Challenge, 93 steps, about 120 minutes.

Steps

  1. Sky: crease the middle. Start with the sky: a light-blue A4 sheet lying long. Fold it in half, short edges together, and open it. It bends on this crease to stand.
  2. Bunting cord: new sheet. Set the sky aside. For the bunting cord, take a 28.8 × 0.8 cm white strip, lying long.
  3. Bunting cord: narrow it. Fold the long edges behind to meet in the middle at the back: a thin, stiff cord.
  4. Flag 1: new sheet. Set the cord aside. For a flag, take a 2.3 cm square of red paper, white side up, turned like a diamond.
  5. Flag 1: fold it in half. Fold the top corner down to the bottom corner: a flag pointing down. Its folded edge hangs on the cord.
  6. Flag 2: new sheet. Set it aside. Fold a yellow flag the same way.
  7. Flag 2: fold it in half. Fold the top corner down to the bottom corner.
  8. Flag 3: new sheet. Set it aside. Fold a blue flag the same way.
  9. Flag 3: fold it in half. Fold the top corner down to the bottom corner.
  10. Flag 4: new sheet. Set it aside. Fold a red flag the same way.
  11. Flag 4: fold it in half. Fold the top corner down to the bottom corner.
  12. Flag 5: new sheet. Set it aside. Fold a yellow flag the same way.
  13. Flag 5: fold it in half. Fold the top corner down to the bottom corner.
  14. Grass: new sheet. Set the last flag aside. For the grass, take a 29.7 × 12 cm green strip, white side up, long side across.
  15. Grass: fold in half. Fold the bottom edge up to the top edge. The fold is the front edge of the scene.
  16. Grass: gentle slopes. Fold the top left and right corners behind on long slants, 1.2 cm down the ends, so the ground rises in the middle.
  17. Lane 1: new sheet. Set the grass aside. For the far lane, take a 29.7 × 5 cm piece of brick-red paper, red side up.
  18. Lane 1: lane line. Fold the top edge down 3.5 mm. Its white back is the lane line.
  19. Lane 2: new sheet. Set it aside. For the next lane, take a 29.7 × 3.4 cm piece of brick-red paper.
  20. Lane 2: lane line. Fold the top edge down 3.5 mm for its white lane line.
  21. Lane 3: new sheet. Set it aside. For the next lane, take a 29.7 × 1.8 cm piece of brick-red paper.
  22. Lane 3: lane line. Fold the top edge down 3.5 mm for its white lane line.
  23. Podium: new sheet. Set the lane aside. For the podium, take a 9 × 4.5 cm piece of teal paper, teal side up, long side across.
  24. Podium: fold in thirds. Fold the left and right thirds over the middle third, 3 cm each.
  25. Podium: open it. Open both flaps flat again. The two creases mark three blocks.
  26. Podium: two slits. Cut down the left crease 1.3 cm from the top, and down the right crease 2.3 cm.
  27. Podium: step down. Fold the left top behind at the end of its slit, and the right top behind at the end of its slit: three steps, the middle one highest.
  28. Winner's legs: new sheet. Set the podium aside. Now the winner, starting with her legs: a 3.9 × 1.1 cm skin-tone strip.
  29. Winner's legs: narrow it. Fold the top and bottom edges behind to meet in the middle at the back. Press hard: a stiff strip.
  30. Winner's legs: bend the ends. Fold both ends down on slants from the bottom corners: two legs.
  31. Winner's arms: new sheet. Set the legs aside. For her arms, take a 10.6 × 1 cm skin-tone strip.
  32. Winner's arms: narrow it. Fold the top and bottom edges behind to meet in the middle at the back. Press hard: a stiff strip.
  33. Winner's arms: bend the ends. Fold both ends UP on slants from the top corners: two arms raised high.
  34. Winner's shirt: new sheet. Set the arms aside. For her shirt, take a 2 × 3.2 cm green piece, green side up.
  35. Winner's shirt: shoulders. Fold the two top corners behind, 4 mm along each edge: sloping shoulders.
  36. Medal ribbon 1: new sheet. Set the shirt aside. For the medal, fold the gallery medal small: first a 1 cm square of red paper, white side up.
  37. Medal ribbon 1: sides in. Fold the left and right edges to the middle.
  38. Medal ribbon 1: in half. Fold the left half behind. Now it's a long red strip.
  39. Medal ribbon 2: new sheet. Set it aside. For the second ribbon, take a 1 cm square of blue paper, white side up.
  40. Medal ribbon 2: sides in. Fold the left and right edges to the middle.
  41. Medal ribbon 2: in half. Fold the left half behind, just like the red one.
  42. Medal: new sheet. Set it aside. For the medal itself, take a 1.2 cm square of gold paper, gold side up.
  43. Medal: corners behind. Fold all four corners behind, so the eight edges left are all the same length.
  44. Medal: round it. Fold the eight new corners behind a little bit. Now it's nice and round.
  45. Winner's head: new sheet. Set the medal aside. For her head, take a 2.1 cm square of skin-tone paper.
  46. Winner's head: round it. Fold all four corners behind, 5 mm along each edge: a round face.
  47. Trophy handles: new sheet. Set the head aside. Fold a small gallery trophy. Handles first: a 5 × 0.3 cm piece of gold paper, white side up.
  48. Trophy handles: fold in half. Fold it in half lengthwise, so it is gold on both sides.
  49. Trophy handles: ends down. Fold each end straight down on a slant, about 1.4 cm from the middle.
  50. Trophy handles: ends back in. About 7 mm lower, fold each end in towards the middle on a slant, making two square loops.
  51. Trophy foot: new sheet. Set the handles aside. For the foot, take a 1.3 cm square of brown paper, white side up.
  52. Trophy foot: fold in half. Fold the top edge down to the bottom edge.
  53. Trophy foot: flare it. Fold the two top corners behind on a slant, from near the middle of the top down the sides. The foot flares out at the bottom.
  54. Trophy cup: new sheet. Set the foot aside. For the cup, take a 2.6 cm square of gold paper, gold side up, like a diamond.
  55. Trophy cup: top behind. Fold the top corner behind, about a third of the way down. This is the rim.
  56. Trophy cup: sides behind. Fold the left and right corners behind so the sides of the cup stand up straight. The bottom point is the stem.
  57. Sack racer's arms: new sheet. Set the trophy aside. Now a sack racer, starting with his arms: a 6 × 1 cm skin-tone strip.
  58. Sack racer's arms: narrow it. Fold the top and bottom edges behind to meet in the middle at the back. Press hard: a stiff strip.
  59. Sack racer's arms: bend the ends. Fold both ends down on slants from the bottom corners: arms reaching down to hold the sack.
  60. Sack racer's shirt: new sheet. Set the arms aside. For his shirt, take a 2 cm square of red paper, red side up.
  61. Sack racer's shirt: shoulders. Fold the two top corners behind, 4 mm along each edge: sloping shoulders.
  62. Sack racer's head: new sheet. Set the shirt aside. For his head, take a 2.1 cm square of skin-tone paper.
  63. Sack racer's head: round it. Fold all four corners behind, 5 mm along each edge: a round face.
  64. Sack: new sheet. Set the head aside. For the sack, take a 3.4 × 4.8 cm piece of tan paper, tan side up.
  65. Sack: rolled rim. Fold the top edge down 5 mm: a white rolled rim round the top of the sack.
  66. Sack: round the bottom. Fold the two bottom corners behind, 7 mm along each edge: a baggy sack.
  67. Runner's legs: new sheet. Set the sack aside. Now a runner, starting with her legs: a 6.1 × 1.2 cm skin-tone strip, lying on a slant.
  68. Runner's legs: narrow it. Fold the long edges behind to meet in the middle at the back: a thin, stiff strip.
  69. Runner's legs: bend it. Fold the top part down on a line through the hip: one leg kicks back, the other strides forward.
  70. Runner's arms: new sheet. Set the legs aside. For the arms, take a 5 × 1 cm skin-tone strip, the same way.
  71. Runner's arms: narrow it. Fold the long edges behind to meet in the middle at the back: a thin, stiff strip.
  72. Runner's arms: bend it. Fold the top part down on a line through the shoulder: arms swinging, one forward, one back.
  73. Runner's vest: new sheet. Set the arms aside. For the running vest, take a 2.2 × 3 cm purple piece.
  74. Runner's vest: shoulders. Fold the two top corners behind, 4 mm along each edge: sloping shoulders.
  75. Runner's head: new sheet. Set the vest aside. For the head, take a 2.1 cm square of skin-tone paper.
  76. Runner's head: round it. Fold all four corners behind, 5 mm along each edge: a round face.
  77. Finish arch: new sheet. Set the runner aside. For the finish arch, take a 29.8 × 1.6 cm blue strip, long side across.
  78. Finish arch: narrow it. Fold the top and bottom edges behind to meet in the middle at the back. Press hard: a stiff strip.
  79. Finish arch: bend the ends. Fold both ends down on slants from the bottom corners: two tall posts under a crossbar.
  80. Leader's legs: new sheet. Set the arch aside. Now the leader, legs first: a 6.1 × 1.2 cm skin-tone strip, lying on a slant.
  81. Leader's legs: narrow it. Fold the long edges behind to meet in the middle at the back: a thin, stiff strip.
  82. Leader's legs: bend it. Fold the top part down on a line through the hip: one leg kicks back, the other strides forward.
  83. Leader's arms: new sheet. Set the legs aside. For the arms, take a 5 × 1 cm skin-tone strip, the same way.
  84. Leader's arms: narrow it. Fold the long edges behind to meet in the middle at the back: a thin, stiff strip.
  85. Leader's arms: bend it. Fold the top part down on a line through the shoulder: arms swinging, one forward, one back.
  86. Leader's vest: new sheet. Set the arms aside. For the running vest, take a 2.2 × 3 cm yellow piece.
  87. Leader's vest: shoulders. Fold the two top corners behind, 4 mm along each edge: sloping shoulders.
  88. Leader's head: new sheet. Set the vest aside. For the head, take a 2.1 cm square of skin-tone paper.
  89. Leader's head: round it. Fold all four corners behind, 5 mm along each edge: a round face.
  90. Finish tape: new sheet. Set the leader aside. For the finish tape, take a 5 × 0.7 cm red strip.
  91. Finish tape: narrow it. Fold the long edges behind to meet in the middle: a thin tape to stretch between the posts.
  92. Build the scene. Glue the cord and flags across the sky, the grass and lanes below, then the podium and winner. Add the sack racer, runner, arch, leader, and the tape last.
  93. Stand it up. Bend the sky gently towards you on the middle crease and stand the whole sports field up on the table.

And the winner is...

Draw the faces, the numbers on the podium and on the vests, and black checks along the finish arch.

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