Cutting, folding and sticking
Design & Technology · Early Years · The School
Ways to join
There are lots of ways to put two things together. GLUE for paper and card. STICKY TAPE for a quick join. STAPLES for thicker card. STRING for tying. SPLIT PINS if you want a part to turn. Choosing the right one is part of making something well.
Folding makes it strong
A flat piece of paper flops over. Fold it back and forth like a fan and it becomes surprisingly strong — strong enough to hold a small book. Folding does not add anything; it just changes the shape. This is a real engineering idea that you can try in ten seconds.
Safe with an adult
Scissors, staplers and glue guns are tools, and tools need care. Always cut with an adult nearby. Cut away from your fingers. Point scissors down when you carry them. A glue gun is hot enough to burn and is only for an adult to use. Making things is fun and safe when the rules are followed.
Try to stand a flat sheet of paper on its edge: it flops. Now fold it into a zigzag, concertina-style, with folds about 2 cm apart, and stand it up. It carries a book. Look at the edge of a cardboard box and you will see exactly the same wavy layer sandwiched inside. Folding does not weaken paper; it makes it stiff.