Snowflakes and Paper Chains: Fold and Snip

Step by step

1. 1Get ready: printed half-shape templates, paper to fold, and scissors.
2. 2Show the magic: unfold a finished paper chain or remind them of ones they loved seeing when they were tiny.
3. 3Fold in half, in quarters, or like an accordion: let your child fold, then help line up the edges.
4. 4Predict before cutting: ask "What do you think it will look like unfolded?" (Pros can even draw their guess).
5. 5Cut the half-shape along the fold through all the layers; give a little hand support if the paper is tough to cut.
6. 6Unfold, compare with the guess, then tape snowflakes to windows and garlands on the wall.

What it builds

Cutting folded paper is like working blind: kids have to picture ahead of time what each cut will look like once opened. That symmetry they used to marvel at becomes a power they create themselves, snip after snip.