Origami Heart

What You Need:

• Origami paper
• Scissors
• Pen

What You Do:

1. Start out with one sheet of square origami paper. If you don't have access to any actual origami paper, don't worry! Any type of paper will work as long as it's in the shape of a square. Just remember that the bigger the square, the easier it will be for your child to create an origami heart.
2. Have your child use scissors to cut the paper in half, right down the center of the square. Your child should end up with two rectangles, not two triangles.
3. Set aside one of the rectangles.
4. If the paper has a design on one side and nothing on the other, have your child set the design side down. The blank side should be facing up.
5. Have your child turn the rectangle length-wise.
6. Let your child fold both of the top corners down to to the center of the bottom edge of the paper. This should create a triangle.
7. Show your child how to crease these folds before unfolding the paper back into the shape of a rectangle.
8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 with the opposite side of the paper. When your child is done, there should be two faint folded "X" shapes on the rectangle.
9. Have your child now fold and crease the rectangle in half twice: first vertically and then horizontally.
10. Let your child fold the two shorter sides of the rectangle to meet the center creased line. The paper should now resemble a pair of doors. 
11. Help your child tuck each corner inward. The corners should easily tuck inside due to the diagonal creases created earlier. When your child is done, there will be small square.
12. Have your child turn this square so that it looks like a diamond with the paper line edge running vertical, creating two traingles.
13. Starting with the left triangle, let your child fold the corners to meet the farthest corner of the triangle. This should create a diamond shape.
14. Have your child repeat this with the right triangle. Now your child should have two new diamond shapes made up of four total triangles.
15. Time for the tricky squash fold! Help your child open each triangle and squash it down into a square shape. This may take some practice -- be patient. When your child is done, there should be a total of four squares.
16. Help your child identify the two opposite corners on each of the squares that can be lifted. Have your child fold each of these corners into the center of the square. This will change each square into a miniature, ice cream-shaped cone (with a triangular piece of paper ice cream on top).
17. Last tricky step! Have your child squash fold all eight traingles.
18. Let your child flip the paper over and turn it so it looks like a diamond.
19. Have your child fold the top corner of the diamond down to meet the bottom corner. Is the paper starting to look like a heart? Your child is almost done!
20. Let your child flip the paper over again.
21. Notice how the left and right sides of your child's heart end in odd, pointy corners? Help your child bend fold these back and out of the way.
22. The heart is all done. Have your child make more blossom hearts for decorations or to give to friends.