Fold a Napkin Each
What you need
- a cloth or paper napkin for each person
- the plates, already on the table
How to do it
- Ask your child how many people are eating, and count out that many napkins.
- Show them how to fold one in half to make a rectangle, then in half again to make a square.
- Let them fold the rest, pressing each fold flat with their hand.
- Put one beside each plate, then check together that nobody has been missed.
Why it matters
Folding is careful corner-to-corner work, and a napkin by every plate is counting that everyone at the table can see.
What they're learning
- Corner to corner
- Lining up two corners before pressing the fold.
- One for each
- A napkin for every plate is counting out for the whole table.
- Shape words
- Rectangle, square, triangle: each fold makes a new shape.
What to look for
Notice them lining up the corners before they press the fold.
A tip
Cloth napkins are easier to fold than thin paper ones. A wonky fold is still a fold.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: fold once to make a rectangle, then set them out
Harder: fold them corner to corner into triangles, and count the corners on each
