| Flexagons
are fascinating manipulative toys made from
folded strips of paper which, when flexed, change
shape and pattern in remarkable ways. The
simplest type of flexagons are the
tetraflexagons. Flexagons and
Flexigation provides a good introduction to
making, flexing and mapping some basic members of
this family and shows how they can be used as the
basis of puzzles and magical effects. The most complex and
fascinating flexagons to explore and flex are the
silverflexagons, which are made from strips
divided into right angle isosceles triangles. You
can find detailed instructions showing how to
make, flex and explore many of the best of these
in my book Silverflexagons and
the Flexatube.
An extract
from this book analysing the Woven Flexatube can
be found below.
I have also
written The Magic of
Flexagons for Tarquin publications. This is a
more general cut-out-and-glue-together book,
which provides an excellent introduction to a
wide range of interesting flexagons and the
Flexatube.
There is a
page in the Public Paperfolding History Project
section of this site about the history of Flexagons.
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