Flexagons 

This is an activity that one of our coaches learned in a summer workshop.  We really enjoyed making flexagons and we think you will, too!

A flexagon is a strip of paper that is folded into a hexagonal shape.  The paper can then be flexed to show different faces of the hexagon. 

Click here to see a movie of a flexagon being used.

The instructions below tell how to make a dodecahexaflexagon.   That is a flexagon with 12 faces.

You will need a strip of paper about 64 inches long and about 2.75 inches wide.  Adding machine tape works well.

1.  Fold the strip into 37 perfect triangles. Fold the paper both ways to make a good crease.   Label the triangles as shown below.   Always keep the left and right ends at the same place as you work. 

2.  We cut  6 triangles from 12 different patterns of wrapping paper and glued the paper to the numbers.  Use one pattern for all the ones, another for the twos, and so on.  Remember which pattern you used for each number.

3.  Now begin to fold the paper by placing 7 on 7, 8 on 8, 9 on 9, and so on.  If you used wrapping paper, you will match up the patterns for the sevens, eights, etc.  You should end up with this:

4.  Now fold again by placing 6 on 6, 5 on 5, 4 on 4, and so on.   You should end up with this:

5.  Now fold over 1 on 1, 1 on 1, 1 on 1, and so on  to make a hexagon.  Lift the blank and open the 2 out to find another blank.  Place the 4 down on the 4 and glue the blanks together.

6.  When the glue dries you can begin to flex.  Practice flexing until you get all 12 faces to turn up in the same order. 

Click here for photos that show how to flex the dodecahexaflexagon.