Do you like origami but dislike the flimsy paper? Here are some plastic 3D origami sets that are very similar to Lego, but with the same principles of origami.
Origami, the ancient Japanese art of folding paper to form objects, has now taken a step forward. Long the hobby of patient and careful people, the new I-gami construction kits can now be completed by even the kiutzy and the careless. The traditional origami forms of animals, geometric shapes, and other objects can now be made and either kept or taken apart and made into something new.
What is I-gami?
I-gami is a new type of plastic construction kit similar to the many Lego building kits. The pieces in each kit are made of a brightly coloured bendable plastic that can be folded or snapped together with other pieces. They can be made into suggested items, or one can use their own imagination and creativity to come up with just about anything. I-gami is made by Plastic Play Inc., a manufacturer based in Ontario, Canada.
I-gami Kits
I-gami is relatively new but there are already a number of different kits available. They are:
- Starter Kit - contains 150 pieces. You can use this kit to make the plastic dinosaur featured on the box cover, or any other realistic or abstract objects. This kit is recommended for ages 8 and up.
- Color Harmonies Kit - contains 350 pieces. This kit features a plastic flower garden on the box and is recommended for ages 10 and up.
- Intermediate Kit - also contains 350 pieces. This kit is great for making helicopters, space ships, and more. It is recommended for ages 10 and up.
- Advanced Kit - contains 600 pieces. You can use this kit to create a plastic shark or other fantastic projects. It is also recommended for ages 10 and up.
Learning From Origami
Origami, and by extension, I-gami, can teach children many different concepts. While it may seem like all they are doing is making a crane or a frog or a star, at the same time they are learning educational skills. Origami teaches the concept of sequencing, the idea that some tasks should be done in a specific order. It also teaches about geometric shapes, and how these shapes can be manipulated when they are folded or added on to. Other math concepts also get clearer through origami, such as fractions and symmetry.
While I-gami takes away the repetitive paper folding, it is still a creative process. Some of the frustrations of traditional origami are removed, such as dealing with imperfect folds, and the fact that a paper creation is not always very durable. I-gami creations can be kept forever, or taken apart and used over and over again. Above all, making something with an I-gami kit is a very calming activity.
