Action toys

Folds that move: birds that flap their wings or snap their beaks, frogs that jump, water bombs, propellers that spin. This action origami keeps children amused, and adults get hooked too. For a paper toy, the choice of paper matters: it needs enough spring.

The traditional paper boat takes about three minutes to fold. The American jumping frog needs a square that is not too thin so that it has some spring. The snapping bird works best with printer paper or bristol board, so that the snap can be heard. For more experienced folders, Yami Yamauchi's modular fireworks spins around on itself, but putting it together is difficult.