A jumping paper frog is an origami toy made from one square sheet that hops several centimetres into the air when you press its back. The secret is the zigzag accordion fold at the rear, which acts like a tiny spring. Kids can finish one in about eight minutes.

🎨 What You Need

  • One square piece of paper, 15 by 15 centimetres
  • Green is traditional, but any colour works
  • A flat table to fold on
  • Optional: googly eyes or marker for a face

How to Fold a High Jumping Frog

  1. Start with a square sheet, coloured side down, and fold it in half from top to bottom.
  2. Fold the top corners diagonally to meet at the centre, creating a triangle on top.
  3. Lift the bottom edges up to meet the point of the triangle, forming a diamond on top.
  4. Fold the side points of the diamond outward to make the frog's front legs.
  5. Flip the paper over and fold the bottom edge up to about the middle.
  6. Now make a zigzag accordion fold: fold the bottom up, then back down to make the springy back legs.
  7. Turn the frog right side up and draw two eyes on the head.
  8. Press down on the back fold and let go quickly to make your frog jump.
💡 Parikshet's Tip: The thinner and crisper the accordion fold, the higher your frog will leap. Run your fingernail along each crease twice for extra spring.

🌟 Did You Know?

Real tree frogs can jump over 50 times their own body length, which is like a child jumping across a football pitch in one hop.

Frog Jumping Tips

  • Use lighter paper for higher jumps
  • Press the back with your finger then slide off quickly
  • Practise on a flat surface like a table
  • Try a jumping competition with a friend

🎯 Frog Race Challenge

  1. Make three frogs in different colours
  2. Mark a finish line with tape
  3. Each player presses their frog to make it hop
  4. First frog over the line wins

What You'll Make

You will fold a paper jumping frog that actually leaps when you press and release its back — a satisfying combination of origami art and simple spring physics. With the right paper and tight folds, these frogs can jump 10 to 15 centimetres in the air!

Materials Needed

  • One piece of A4 paper or a stiff index card
  • A flat, hard surface for crisp folding
  • Optional: green marker pen to colour the frog first
  • Optional: a small ruler to help make perfectly straight folds

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Hold your paper landscape (horizontal). Fold the top-right corner down diagonally to meet the left edge. Press flat and unfold. Fold the top-left corner down to the right edge. Press and unfold. You now have an X crease at the top.
  2. Fold the paper horizontally across the bottom point of the X crease. Unfold.
  3. Push the sides of the top section inward along your diagonal creases, collapsing it into a flat triangle pointing upward. Press all edges flat.
  4. Fold the bottom-left corner of the triangle up to the top tip. Repeat with the bottom-right corner. These two flaps are the front feet of your frog.
  5. Fold both sides of the rectangular lower section inward to meet the centre. Press flat.
  6. Fold the entire bottom section upward. Then fold the new bottom edge back down to the fold line you just made — creating a springy accordion pleat at the back of the frog.
  7. Turn the frog over so the smooth side faces up. Press firmly on the back pleats with one finger and slide your finger backwards quickly. Watch the frog spring into the air!

Tips for Best Results

  • Index cards and cardstock jump much better than regular printer paper because they are stiffer and store more spring energy.
  • Make every fold as crisp as possible by running your thumbnail along each crease to flatten it completely.
  • Challenge yourself to make a series of frogs in different sizes and see if bigger or smaller ones jump further.

Show It Off!

Line up several frogs and have a jumping race across a table — your engineering skills and folding precision directly determine the winner!