Origami Frog
Contents of this Web Page
What is the Origami Frog?
Folding the Origami Frog
Variants
Origami-Frog on the Internet
References
.
To the Main Page   "Mathematische Basteleien"

What is the Origami Frog?
...... The Origami frog is a folding from a sheet of paper with the aspect ratio of 1:2. 


What makes this frog special is you can make him jump. Press the rear part and let it suddenly go. 
This is also a reason that it is well received by children. 
...

It is also called  jumping frog, hopping frog or Japanese Frog.

Folding the Origami Frog top
1
...... Take a sheet of paper of the size A4 (8 1/2" x 11"). Paper used for ink jet printers will do. 

Fold the upper half down on the red line. 
 
 
Red means a valley folding, blue a mountain folding on this page.


2
......... Cut off the lower strip. 

3
...... The result is a square.

4
...... Find the centre line by folding the left side on the right side and by unfolding.

Cut off the right side.


5
...... You will now work with the left side only.

The paper forms two squares one upon the other.

I have drawn a line to make this clear.


6
...... Fold one of the squares into diagonals and unfold it.

7
...... Fold the upper rectangle backward on the blue line and unfold it.

Lay the triangles at the top and at the bottom on top of each other. 
Push the triangles on the right and left inwards at the same time, so that the blue lines touch.


The following drawings are twice as big as the previous ones.
8
......
The result is the flier triangle from the Paper Pigeon

The next step is already included: 

Fold the lower portion up on the red line.


9
...... It must look like this. 

The next step is already included: 

Gently lifting the side of the triangle, fold the edge to the center as shown by the red line.

Repeat on other side.


10
...... It must look like this. 

11
......
Fold the lower corners backwards and unfold them. 

12
............ Fold the upper rectangle upwards on the red line and keep it upright.

13
...... It must look like this.

The next step is already included. It is a little bit awkward.
Fold both green triangles on the red lines upwards to the left and to the right. 
Put the upright, with the triangles connected, in the drawing hidden squares outwards at the same time. A "boat" is coming out. The upper border of the boat is coloured green in the next drawing.

If you don't understand this step, please go to Klaus Gresbrand's video. (URL below).

14
It must look like this.

15
.... Lay the front edge of the "boat" upon the rear edge.

The next step is already included: 

Fold the right and the left triangles downwards. 


16
...... It must look like this.

17
............ Fold on the red lines upwards for the four legs of the frog. 

Beware that the tops overlap a little. 


18
The frog is finished. 

If you unfold the frog, you get a symmetric pattern.

Variants    top
Obviously the frog of two squares described on this page is a classical Japanese folding. 
For example it is described on the German page labbe.de (URL below). 
I recommend the video on Klaus Gresbrand's site (URL below).

It has numerous variants. 


1
I left out the last steps of the just mentioned two descriptions.
...... ...... By making a valley and a mountain folding, the frog
will get a stair effect.

Thus the frog is shorter and more a toad.



Besides it is normal to leave out step 4 of my description. If you use double layers, the paper is stiffer and the frog can jump better later on. But then there is the handicap that folding the legs needs more efforts, which my test person (aged 7) didn't have. 

Origami Turtle
There is a turtle that can jump also.
...
Greta folded it, thank you.

Under the name Origami Schildkröte basteln

you can find the link below.


The following web sites open the way to frogs - introduced on this page - and to more frogs.

Origami Frog on the Internet    top

German

Das Bastelparadies
Einen springenden Frosch falten

Kidsweb.de
Lustige Springfrösche falten

labbe.de
Frosch

origami.ch
Frosch

Youtube (Bastelschein)
Origami Schildkröte basteln


English

Enchanted Learning
Origami Jumping Frog

Kids Web Japan
Jumping Frog

Origami-Fun
Origami Jumping Frog Instructions

Wikihow
How to Make an Origami Jumping Frog

Youtube (Art for Kids Hub)
How To Fold An Origami Jumping Frog


References   top
Joachim Schönherr: Wir falten und falzen, Leipzig 1990  (Seite 17)


Gail from Oregon Coast, thank you for supporting me in making this website. 

Feedback: Email address on my main page

This page is also available in German.

URL of my Homepage:
https://www.mathematische-basteleien.de/

©  2011 Jürgen Köller

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