Math Playground
Activities

Symmetry fold

Fold, cut, unfold — see reflection symmetry come out of paper.

Fold a piece of paper in half. Cut a shape out of the folded edge. Open it up — the result is symmetric about the fold line. Reflection symmetry, made physical.

Try this

Fold once for one line of symmetry. Fold twice (perpendicular) for two lines of symmetry — you'll get something with four-fold reflection. Fold three or four times for snowflake-like shapes.

Curvy cuts make stranger results. Try cutting a wavy line, then unfolding — you'll get a perfectly symmetric blob you couldn't have drawn freehand.

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