Some origami is meant to be admired, and some is meant to be played with — this monkey mountain is firmly in the second camp. You fold a simple triangular base, snip off the top to free a little monkey, then tuck him between two paper "mountain" triangles. The magic is in the motion: shuffle the triangles up and down and the monkey appears to climb, popping out the top. It's a wonderful little trick to fold for kids, and the kind of toy that earns delighted laughs every time. Grab a square sheet and let's make one!

STEP 1: Start with a square piece of paper, coloured side up.

Fold it in half in both directions.

STEP 2: Turn the paper over to the white side.

Fold the paper in half, crease well and open, then fold again in the other direction.

STEP 3: Using the creases you have made, bring the top three corners of the model down to the bottom corner and flatten it.

STEP 4: Cut the top of the model off — this is the monkey!

STEP 5: Fold the uppermost flap upward along the line shown.

Repeat this step on the flap on the back of the model.

STEP 6: Now put the “monkey” in between the two bottom triangles.

STEP 7: The monkey is ready to climb the mountain!

To make him climb, move the bottom triangles up and down while keeping them together.

The monkey will climb all the way to the top if you keep shuffling the mountain… and then he pops out the top!