Fold a Paper Bat

🎂 5 + years ⏱️ 20 min 📍 Anywhere ⭐ easy

Did you know that bats sleep upside down? They hang from the ceiling of a cave with their feet. During the day, they rest, and when it gets dark, they fly out. But not like birds with their eyes. Bats see with their ears. They make sounds that we can't hear and then listen to the echo to find where a bug or a mosquito is. Snap, gotcha! Some bats are tiny, while others are larger. They are the only mammals that can truly fly. Many people think of Halloween when they see bats, maybe because they are mysterious and flutter almost silently at night. Here you can fold your own bat.

What you'll need

square piece of paper
a pair of scissors
a pen for eyes and mouth
googly eyes (optional)

How it works

Fold your square into a triangle by bringing one corner to the opposite corner.
Fold the long side of the triangle up to the halfway point of the paper.
Fold both sides down, leaving about 1 cm space from the center.
Leave 1 cm free at the top and fold the wings out to the sides.
Cut a strip from the top edge. This will make the head and ears more visible.
Turn the bat over and draw eyes, teeth, or a smiling mouth.
Find a home for your bat. Stick it in a notebook, hang it with a thread in the window, or build a bat cave out of cardboard. You can also give it a name and come up with a little story.