Math Delights

What is a flexagon and why would you want to make one? Flexagons, according to Darren Scott's Go-Make-Art.com pdf file, are flat models made from folded strips of paper that can be folded, or flexed, to reveal a number of hidden faces. They are amusing toys that have also caught the interest of mathematicians, and paper crafters alike. I suggest making one of the simplest types, called a trihexaflexagon. While its name is complicated, making one isn't. It shouldn't take much more than 10 minutes of your time if you use one the template provided on the last page of Darren's article. If you decorate your own it will take a little longer. See the flexagon in action by watching the video http://one.revver.com/watch/132857.

Masters for Flexagons

• www.go-make-art.com/contributors/darrenscott.pdf
• www.flexagon.net/flexagons/TriHexSangakuTemplate.jpg
• http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3008/2410395604_ea74de2152.jpg?v=0

The more precisely you cut and fold the templates, the more easily the flexigons flex. To improve the chances of creating flexible flexigons and to save time, with a paper cutter, I cut out the templates for 2nd-4th graders.

You can also find a template for a flexagon in the book Historical Connections in Mathematics, Volume II, page 56.

http://store.aimsedu.org/aims_store/books/historical-connections-in-mathematics-vol-ii.html