Origami n' Stuff 4 Kids

Origami Butterflies

Print and fold Origami Butterflies!

Diana Fritillary Butterfly

Print and fold the official state butterfly of Arkansas.

Diana Fritillary Butterfly Origami

Add caption

Two-Tailed Swallowtail Butterfly

Arizona's official state butterfly, the two-tailed swallowtail, can be found

Two-Tailed Swallowtail Butterfly Origami

Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly

This black swallowtail butterfly can be found in the eastern United States, and occasionally as far north as southern Ontario and south to Cuba. Caterpillars feed on spicebush or sassafras, while adults feed on nectar from azaleas, milkweed and thistle flowers. The spicebush swallowtail is the official state butterfly of Mississippi.

Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly Origami

Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly

The Western Tiger Swallowtail is a commonly found in western North America, from British Columbia to North Dakota in the north to Baja California and New Mexico in the South.

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, found throughout the Eastern United States as far north as southern Vermont and west to Eastern Colorado, is the official state butterfly of Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia.

Monarch Butterfly Origami

With its distinctive orange and black markings, the monarch butterfly is the most famous of North American butterflies, best known for its long migrations.

Kamehameha Butterfly Origami (Pulelehua)

The pulelehua, or Kamehameha butterfly, is one of only two butterflies native to Hawai'i. With its bright red wings, bold black borders, and 2 1/2 inch wingspan, pulelehua are often seen fluttering near koa trees, where adults feed on the sweet sap oozing from broken branches.

Kamehameha Butterfly Origami

©2010 Tammy Yee
All rights reserved

Robert Lang merges mathematics with aesthetics to fold complex origami insects and creatures from a single sheet of paper. His scientific approach helps him make folds once thought impossible -- and has secured his place as one of the first great Western masters of the art. Here he explains the history and principles behind origami, and how it is applied in engineering space telescopes, solar sails and airbags.

To learn more, visit his website: www.langorigami.com

TENNESSEE, the Volunteer State

STATE FLAG AND MORE COLORING AND ORIGAMI ACTIVITIES COMING SOON

Admission: 16th State (June 1, 1796)
Capital: Nashville

Nickname: The Volunteer State

State Motto: Agriculture and Commerce
State Song: My Homeland Tennessee by Neil Grayson Talor and Roy Lamont Smith

State Amphibian: Tennessee Cave Salamander
State Bird: Mockingbird
State Bird (Game Bird): Bobwhite Quail
State Butterfly: Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly
State Fish (Commercial): Channel Catfish
State Fish (Game Fish): Smallmouth Bass
State Flowers: Iris and Passion Flower
State Gem: Tennessee River Pearl
State Insects: Firefly, Honeybee & Ladybug
State Reptile: Eastern Box Turtle
State Trees: Tulip and Yellowwood
State Wild Animal: Raccoon

Clothespin Candle Holder

Recycle tuna cans and clothespins to create candle holders and centerpiece planters for your summer barbeque! A great summer project for the kids.

Materials:
Empty tuna cans, washed and dried
Clothespins
Paint

Arrange and clip clothespins around edge of tuna can.

Paint red, white and blue...and you're done!

Memorial Day: USS Arizona Memorial

In the aftermath of the Civil War, the United States was a nation in need of healing. A day of remembrance was set aside to honor Civil War soldiers, brethren from North and South, who made the ultimate sacrifice. On May 5, 1868 General John A. Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic proclaimed May 30, 1868 as the first official Decoration Day:

General John A. Logan

"The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit."

On that first Decoration Day people gathered at Arlington National Cemetery to hear General James Garfield honor the fallen. After his speech, 5,000 participants decorated the graves of more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers. Thus began a long tradition of healing and quiet contemplation.

Over the years Decoration Day came to be known as Memorial Day, commemorating those who gave their lives serving the nation in war. As the true meaning of Memorial Day dwindled, giving way to commercialism, there rose a need to restore the observance to its original intent. In December 2000, a resolution was passed to remind Americans of our soldiers' sacrifice. The "National Moment of Remembrance" calls for all Americans to "voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to 'Taps" at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day.

USS Arizona Memorial and the Battleship Missouri, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

"The USS Arizona is the final resting place for many of the ship's 1,177 crewmen who lost their lives on December 7, 1941. The 184-foot-long Memorial structure spanning the mid-portion of the sunken battleship consists of three main sections: the entry and assembly rooms; a central area designed for ceremonies and general observation; and the shrine room, where the names of those killed on the Arizona are engraved on the marble wall."

~National Park Service

Color the USS Arizona Memorial: