Paper Cranes

While on our crane field trip last week, I picked up some origami paper from the gift shop.  I thought making paper cranes would be a fun way to continue our experience once we got home.


Using the instructions included in the paper pack, I ended up with this:

So, apparently I am not a visual/spacial learner.  YouTube to the rescue!  Able to follow along with someone else, I had more success.  And I knew my girls would learn best this way, too, so I made several cranes in order to gain some helpful experience.

The guide at Rowe Sanctuary shared a story with us.  She retold the story of One Thousand Paper Cranes- The Story of Sadako.  We learned of the Japanese legend that folding 1000 paper cranes would grant the wish of the folder.  Sadako was a real child ill from the atomic bomb dropped to end World War II.  She determined to make 1000 cranes to get well.  She did not live to make all 1000, but family and friends went on to finish her goal in honor of her.  It was fun to learn a legend from another country, and then expand on that by participating in an aspect of it.

We had fun this morning, making cranes.  Amana got pretty good at making them by the third one.  She hardly needed any hints or guidance at all.  Anlynn also did really well.  Lucy?  She had fun ripping the paper from the package and smashing our finished cranes!