A call-and-response game
One bird asks a question and another bird answers. Try a quiet morning call, a warning call or a made-up song. Different body colours help a small group tell their characters apart.
Your printable square
Live previewBird square · 18 × 18 cm · A4
Feather markings and a golden beak printed on each pocket.
The eyes pair on the upper pockets and the name sits on the lower pockets. These are flat template previews. Recognition, artwork visibility and finger pockets still need physical review; no verified folded example is available. Ear, feather and gill markings stay flat on the paper.
Six steps from square to puppet
Keep the guide after cutting out your square. Dashed lines are creases, not cuts. Only cut the outside edge.
1. Print and cut
Print single-sided at 100% (Actual size). Turn off headers and footers. Cut out the 18 cm square; keep this guide.
2. Crease the middle
Put the picture face down. Fold in half left to right, then open. Fold top to bottom, then open.
3. Corners to centre
Keep the picture face down. Bring all four corners to the centre where the creases cross. Press each fold flat.
4. Turn over and repeat
Turn the smaller square over. Bring its four corners to the centre again. Press flat.
5. Make it flexible
Fold the little square in half both ways, opening after each fold. This loosens the creases for the finger pockets.
6. Open the pockets
Lift the four loose square flaps underneath. Put a thumb and finger from each hand into the pockets. Hold the two eyes above the named lower pockets. Bring the tips together; open and close to talk.
What you need
One sheet of ordinary printer paper, a printer and scissors to trim the square. An adult should help with cutting and the first fold. A 70 to 90 gsm sheet is easier to crease than card.
Before you print
Is this a crane or a flapping bird?
No. It is a four-pocket talking puppet. The beak and feathers are printed markings; the moving part is the mouth you open with your fingers.
Which pockets make the upper and lower jaw?
A fortune-teller puppet has four finger pockets. The two top corner pockets carry the eyes and nose and form the upper jaw. The two bottom corner pockets form the lower jaw and carry the name. Hold the eyes above the names. The eight triangles around the edges carry the inside of the mouth; the central diamond stays plain because it is hidden between layers.
How do I check the A4 or Letter print?
The layout targets A4 and Letter landscape, with an 18 × 18 cm square and the guide beside it. Browser pagination and measured prints have not yet been verified. Before printing, check that the preview has exactly one page, with the whole square and all six instructions visible. Select the matching paper size here and in your printer. Use landscape orientation, Actual size or 100%, and turn off headers and footers. Measure both edges before cutting; each should be 18 cm. If the preview clips or the measurement differs, do not use that print.
What if I do not have a colour printer?
Choose “Colour it yourself”. The body and tongue areas turn white, while eyes, noses and necessary lines remain. Add pencil or crayon colours before folding. Some printers also let you print the colour version in greyscale.
How do I open the finger pockets?
After the two rounds of corner folds, turn the little square so the four loose square flaps face you. Lift each flap gently from the outside edge. Slide your thumbs and index fingers underneath, then bring the four corners together. Try flexing the middle creases again if it is stiff.
Is the folding layout tested?
Node and Python checks cover the current artwork geometry, generated SVGs and control wiring. Names stay on one line, with smaller letters for longer names. Transform checks rule out mirrored printed text; they do not prove upright, readable names on a folded puppet. A simulation of an older sheet informed the mouth and eye placement, but does not validate the current names. Actual browser font rendering, A4 and Letter print previews, measured prints and first-time folds of all six animals remain unverified. No current folded photographs are available.
Pick another animal
All six use the same fold. Changing animal restores its starting colours and keeps your name and print settings.