Place the simple open square before the child, the edge directly in front of him. Call it a tablecloth and ask where the different members of the family sit. If able to wield the scissors, let him fringe the edge all around.
1. Book. Give a second square and, showing him which are the front corners, tell him to take hold of these and fold the paper over so that the front edge is just on a line with the back edge. Let him iron the table cloth (crease the fold with his thumb nail) so as to make a sharp line when opened. This makes a little book or tent. Ask what he can read in the book; who camps out in the tent; etc.
2. Window. Make another tent. Keep the tent in front of the child and tell him to open it and then to fold the left side over so that the left edge exactly meets the right edge. Crease and open, and the result is a window with four panes. Have the child tell what he plays he can see through it.
3. Tunnel. Fold a square once through the middle as before. Open and notice the sharp line made by the crease. Now fold the front edge to meet exactly this line. Open and then fold the back edge to meet this line. Open in such a way that the form when standing makes a little tunnel. Roll a marble under it.
Paper-Folding.
4. Barn. Fold a square into sixteen little squares by making a tunnel in one direction and then folding a tunnel in the other direction, so that the creases cross each other at right angles. Open out and cut from the left edge and from the right edge three slits along the horizontal creases to the first intersecting vertical crease. (See [illustration].) Now fold No. 1 over No. 2 so that one little square exactly covers the other and paste or pin together. Do the same at the other end. This draws the paper into shape of gable roof. Place remaining flaps so that one overlaps the other a trifle, as shown in the illustration. Then cut a door in the side. (See [illustration].) This can be made of a large sheet of strong paper and will house very large paper animals.
5. Sailboat. Place a square of paper directly in front of you. Fold the front edge backward to meet exactly the back edge and crease. Open and fold the left edge over to meet exactly the right edge and crease. Open.
Turn the paper over so that the under side is uppermost, and place so that a corner is directly in front of you. Fold the paper so that the front corner exactly meets the back corner and crease. Open and fold so that the left corner exactly meets the right corner.