Wisconsin Sea Grant: Frog Activities
How to Make an Origami Superfrog

Learn how to fold a paper frog that can really jump!

You may want to print out all three instruction pages before starting to fold your frog so you have all your instructions in front of you. The graphics version has diagrams which can be helpful to you when folding your Superfrog.

Tip: the magazine subscription cards inside of magazines is a thick enough paper, that it gives more spring to your frogs- and they jump the farther. Try it!)

1. To make a Superfrog, start with a square piece of paper. You can find square origami paper at bookstores and art supply shops, or you can make your own.

2. To make your own square, take a sheet of paper and fold diagonally, so that one side meets the side next to it. Cut along where the edges meet.

3. You now have a perfect square. Fold your square diagonally both ways, and in also in half.

4. Start pushing in on the points on either side of the horizontal fold, at the same time folding the top edge of the paper down until it meets the bottom edge of the paper. You want your completed fold to end up as a triangle.

5. With the triangle longest side facing towards you, take the right corner (IMPORTANT NOTE: take only the top layer, don't fold the bottom corner yet), and fold so your corner meets point the top point of the triangle.

6. Do the same on the other bottom corner (remember to fold the top layer only).

7. Fold your right top layer so that your right edge meets the middle.

8. Do the same for the other side.

9. Now fold the top right layer outward--so that the vertical edge along the middle meets the angled edge behind it.

10. Do the same on left side.

11. Turn your piece of paper over so the other side faces you now (longest side of triangle facing you).

12. Fold along diagonal on right top layer so the outside edge meets the middle.

13. Do the same on the left side.

14. Now fold the top right side outward along the diagonal so that the inner edge meets the outer edge.

15. Do the same on the left side. Your Superfrog is now very close to being finished!

16. The next folds are what make your frog able to jump. Fold your frog in half -- raising the feet (bottom of your folded paper) up to the head (top).

17. Turn your frog so that the other side is facing you and keep the head at top.

18. Now fold along the frog's back legs down towards you so the horizontal edge meets the folded edge.

19. To make it jump, lay it on a hard surface like a table, and push down on the very end of its back. (Make sure the legs are folded underneath your frog before you push!)

Congratulations, you've made an origami Superfrog!

copyright 2001 University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute