Divide sea and land
Draw a coastline on a large landscape sheet. Put the folded vehicles down first to decide how much room each area needs. You can also place blue paper beside another color.
A LITTLE JOURNEY MADE OF PAPER.
Origami vehicles
Fold an airplane, boat and sailboat, then draw the places they travel between. Build a paper harbor and airport together and choose where your next journey will go.
A paper harbor and airport craft example
These images illustrate craft ideas. Actual results may vary. Arrange your actual folded pieces to decide the size of the backing sheet. The pier can simply be drawn on the paper.
What to prepare
Prepare square origami paper, a large backing sheet and colored pencils or pens. Start with 15 cm squares; join two backing sheets if space is tight. Folding these models needs no cutting or gluing. Adults can help with the boat’s final turns and the sailboat’s reverse fold while children choose colors and draw destinations.
Three vehicles for your paper town
10 STEPS · 3D INSTRUCTIONS
Paper airplane
A ten-step paper airplane. Open both wings and park it on your runway. An adult can hold the body while your child opens the wings.
Start folding →
16 STEPS · 3D INSTRUCTIONS
Boat
Sixteen steps make a boat with a hull and rim. Review opening the bottom, turning the walls and flipping the whole boat separately. Place it beside the pier.
Start folding →
6 STEPS · 3D INSTRUCTIONS
Sailboat
Six steps make a sail and hull. The outside reverse fold needs careful orientation even in a short sequence. Rotate the 3D view and practice creasing in both directions together.
Start folding →Make the harbor and airport map
Draw a runway and a pier
On land, draw a long rectangle with a dashed center line. Extend a pier into the sea. Leave enough space to park the vehicles separately and draw a road between the airport and harbor.
Arrange before attaching
Leave the vehicles loose for moving by hand. If making a fixed display, decide on routes and parking places first. The boat and yacht are used on a paper sea; this activity does not involve floating them in water.
Choose a destination and pretend to travel
Name your airport and harbor
Choose names such as Rainbow Airport or Star Harbor. Take turns moving the vehicles and making departure and arrival announcements.
Make tickets and connections
Write a starting point and destination on a separate piece of paper. Connect a flight with a boat trip or sail to an island. Draw passengers beside the route to build a story.
Tell a delivery story
Draw parcels and choose which vehicle will deliver them. Point to the drawings or move small paper labels instead of loading heavy objects onto the origami.
New to folding? Explore the beginner guide →
Want to fly the airplane? See launching tips and games →
Explore all origami models →