As the guide to origami at About.com, I’m always on the lookout for interesting origami-related products. One item I recently came across was these adorable Food and Fold place mats from Fred and Friends.
These paper placemats have instructions for making your own origami animals. They’d be a great addition to a child’s birthday party décor or simply a fun purchase for making ordinary meals a bit more memorable.
Origami is a good way to teach kids the value of patience. Placemats with folding lines printed on them make it easier for young crafters to visualize what the finished design is supposed to look like. There are four different designs in the series and a total of 48 placemats in each pad.
In my opinion, they look like a gender neutral product that would be good for gatherings that include both boys and girls. The bird, butterfly, snake, and frog are colorful, but not particularly masculine or feminine looking.
Fred and Friends sells a lot of novelty items for your home. There are doorstops that look like oversized leaves, ketchup bottles that look like giant crayons, wine bottle stoppers that look like toilet bowel plungers, and more. Many of the items are intended for children, but there are also lots of neat adult gag gift items available as well.
Amazon.com is the biggest online retailer of items by Fred and Friends, since the company does not sell products directly from its website.
What do you think of the Food and Fold place mats from Fred and Friends? Is this an item your children would enjoy?
photo credit: Amazon
