David Mitchell's Origami Heaven - Passive Play Designs

Origami Heaven

A paperfolding paradise

The website of writer and paperfolding designer David Mitchell

Passive Play Designs (including Paper Planes)

Passive play origami is the design and realisation of origami toys, such as boats, planes, spinners and tumblers, that do not change their shape or form when played with. It is, of course, the origami not the play which is passive here.

Name: Basketball Hoop with Stabiliser - passive play origami design. Adaptation of a modern design of unknown origin by the addition of a spring loaded stabiliser.

Paper type / shape: 2 x A4 or similar rectangles / Homogeneous paper.

Designer / Date: David Mitchell, 2005.

Reference: 072

Diagrams: Office Origami - Adam Russ - Universe Publishing - ISBN 0-7893-1313-8 // Online diagrams can be found on the Designs of unknown origin page of this site.

Name: Boat with Sail - passive play origami design. Development of Sampan.

Paper type / shape: 2 x squares / Any kind of paper.

Designer / Date: David Mitchell, 2009.

Reference: 055

Diagrams: Kid-O-Gami - Sandy Creek - David Mitchell - ISBN 978-1-4351-2338-0

Name: Clingons aka Aliens - passive play origami design. Clingons will hang from each other to form a chain.

Paper type / shape: Squares / Any kind of paper.

Designer / Date: David Mitchell, 1989.

Reference: 040

Diagrams: As Aliens in BOM 184 June 1997 // As Clingons in Complete Origami - Collins and Brown - David Mitchell - ISBN 978-1-84340-397-5 // On-line diagrams are available on the Single Sheet Designs page of this site.

Name: Easy Hens - very simple Broody Hen, Watchful Hen and Feeding Hen designs - passive play origami designs. Feeding hen will peck at the ground.

Paper type / shape: Square / Any kind of paper.

Designer / Date: David Mitchell, 2005 but similar to earlier designs by other paperfolders.

Reference: 538

Diagrams: Origami Animals - Greenwich Editions - David Mitchell - ISBN 1-86288-770-4 // On-line diagrams are available on the Single Sheet Designs page of this site.

Name: Flick Flack - passive play origami design. A version of Seiryo Takekawa's Tarumpty Tum Tum (aka Tumbler). Flick Flack has added roll-back ability.

Paper type / shape: A4 / Homogeneous paper.

Designer / Date: David Mitchell, 2002.

Reference: 243

Diagrams: On-line diagrams are available on the Single Sheet Designs page of this site.

Name: Kendal Flier - rubber band launched paper plane.

Paper type / shape: A4 or similar rectangle / Homogeneous paper.

Designer / Date: David Mitchell, 1990.

Reference: 062

Diagrams: Paper Airplanes - Nick Robinson - The Apple Press - ISBN 1-85076-325-9 (drawn upside down) // As Jet Fighter in Office Origami - Adam Russ - Universe Publishing - ISBN 0-7893-1313-8 // As Supersonic in Paper Planes - David Mitchell - Collins and Brown - ISBN 1-84340-331-5. // On-line diagrams are available on the Paper Planes page of this site.