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PlayOwl
A blue origami whale facing right, with a big square head, a flat belly, a tail folded up at the back and a drawn eye and smile.
The finished project.

Origami · folding only

Flat Whale

  • Starter (level 1 of 5)
  • 7 min
  • 8 steps
  • Ages 5–9 (a guide, not a rule)
  • No scissors
  • No glue
  • No adult help needed
Start Making Print

This whale is folded, not drawn: a kite shape becomes the body, the white corner tucks behind to make a big blunt head, and the thin end folds up into a tail. It lies flat, so you can stick it in a notebook or swim it across the table. Blue paper that is white on the back looks like the sea.

Before you start

You need

Decorating (optional): Draw an eye and a smile. You can draw a water spout above the head on the paper you stick it to.

No square of origami paper? No origami paper? Fold the corner of a printer sheet over to the opposite edge, then tear off the extra strip along a sharp crease to make a square.

How to place the paper before the first step
Your paper: Put the square down like a diamond, with one corner pointing to each side and the white side facing up.
  • Valley fold: blue dashes. Fold toward you, like a valley.
  • Mountain fold: pink dash-dot. Fold away from you, like a mountain.
  • Crease: a thin gray line where you folded before.

Step by step

Each step shows what to do (left) and how it should look after (right).

  1. Step 1: fold and unfold, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 1 result Result
    Step 1 of 8 Fold and unfold Fold the bottom corner up to the top corner, then unfold it. Now there is a crease across the middle.
  2. Step 2: valley fold, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 2 result Result
    Step 2 of 8 Valley fold Fold the top left edge down so it lies along the middle crease.
  3. Step 3: valley fold, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 3 result Result
    Step 3 of 8 Valley fold Fold the bottom left edge up to the middle crease too. This shape is called a kite.
  4. Step 4: mountain fold, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 4 result Result
    Step 4 of 8 Mountain fold Fold the white corner on the right behind the paper. The fold goes from one side corner to the other.
  5. Step 5: mountain fold, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 5 result Result
    Step 5 of 8 Mountain fold Fold the bottom half behind along the middle crease.
  6. Step 6: mountain fold, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 6 result Result
    Step 6 of 8 Mountain fold Fold the top corner of the head behind, just a little, to round the head. (A closer view of the folded whale, so the small folds are easier to see.)
  7. Step 7: valley fold, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 7 result Result
    Step 7 of 8 Valley fold Fold the thin end up on the slanted line to make the tail.
  8. Step 8: draw, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 8 result Result
    Step 8 of 8 Draw Draw an eye and a smile on the big head. Your whale is ready to swim!
A blue origami whale facing right, with a big square head, a flat belly, a tail folded up at the back and a drawn eye and smile.

You made it!

Yours may look a little different. That is part of making things by hand.

Print the steps

If something goes wrong

The two kite flaps overlap or leave a gap in the middle.

Each edge should lie exactly on the middle crease. Unfold and line the edge up with the crease, then press from the left point outward.

The whale will not stay folded in half.

Press the middle fold hard with your fingernail, or put the whale under a book for a minute.

The tail is too small or points the wrong way.

Unfold the tail and fold it again closer to the head, with the fold line slanting back toward the thin end.

Helpful hints

  • Always fold from the left point outward and press as you go.
  • The middle crease is your guide for the first folds, so make it sharp.
  • Fold slowly near the thin end: there are many layers there.

The traditional simple whale folded from a kite shape, a widely taught beginner model. Diagrams drawn for PlayOwl.

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