Paper Punk

Hey PaperPunk fans! If you missed Episode 4, no worries at all, catch it below!



In Episode 4, the scene opens up outside the rock concert attended by both Alex, Brad and their friends.
Alex and Brad leave the concert a little early and plan to go for a quick bite in the city. As soon as the two are spotted, paparazzi go crazy with their cameras, snapping photos of the pair.

Caught by surprise, Alex is taken back by all the flashes and begins to feel very uncomfortable. Of course, Brad realizes this is bad and apologizes on the media’s behalf.

The two hop in Brad’s car, grab a quick bite, and he drops her off at home explaining he would call her later.

The next morning, all hell breaks loose in the Fit’s household. Brad’s parents are outraged by the tabloids which read the two are spotted kissing outside the rock concert, hand in hand and appearing very close.


Brad and his parent’s get into a heated argument, which leaves Brad very annoyed and in a compromising situation with Alex. He just wants his mother and father to be happy for him for once.

What will come of Alex and Brad’s newfound romance? Is it sabotaged for good?

Stay tuned for Episode 5 airing June 23^rd to find out! #TheYoungAndTheDressless

This blog is an ode to our paper activity ancestors, Origami.

Did you know Origami is actually one of the world’s oldest forms of both art and craft? Literally meaning, “folding paper”, the act of folding paper into basic shapes and figures dates back to the Edo period (1603 – 1867) in Japan.

Here are some reasons why we think Origami ROCKS:

It's accessible.

Paper. All you need is paper and your two hands, that’s it! Who doesn’t have a piece of paper within an arm’s reach?

It’s beautiful.

With a few simple folds, you can create a stunning origami masterpiece. Create folded geometric feats from a simple piece of paper.

Origami goes beyond a few folds. It’s a great activity for improving your thinking skills and problem solving. Often there are videos like these that teach you how to fold, step by step: Origami Crane (Folding Instructions).

If you’re like us, you’ll give anything a try and then do it your own way. However, frustrating the learning process may be at times, you are actually improving your problem-solving skills even when your bird ends up looking like a dog. 

If you’re looking for an accessible craft that helps build your design intuition, try origami.

If you’re looking to add a little more STEM to your activities, try adding a little Paper Punk in the mix. Paper Punk is the best of both worlds, LEGO + Origami. 

 

Hey Paper Punk fans!

We hope you’ve been enjoying our Young and The Dressless soap opera episodes. If you didn’t already know, our soap opera was made using Paper Punk’s Urban Fold and Color + Build kits!

Here’s a quick synopsis of what Episode 3 is about. If you didn’t catch the episode yet, you can watch it live here:



Episode 3

In Episode 3, the scene opens up inside the rock concert with both Alex and her friend Emma dancing alongside Brad and his friend Fabio. Fabio thinks Alex is checking him out, and once the two girls head to the bar for a drink, Fabio and Brad follow in hopes that Fabio will strike up conversation with Alex.

Both Emma and Alex realize that in fact the two gentleman they’ve spotted are band members of The Rolling Bones, a famous rock band in North America.

Fabio gathers up the confidence to approach Alex, but is quickly shut down as it’s quite clear she has her eyes set on Brad.

Flattered, Brad approaches Alex and asks her to dance. There’s an obvious attraction between the two. In the end, the two decide to leave the concert (hand in hand) to grab a bite to eat in the big apple.



Well, that escalated quickly!

Stay tuned for a ton of drama happening in Episode 4, airing June 9^th. To hold you off until then, here’s a sneak peak of what the new episode will entail.

Episode 4 is all about the tabloids blowing up about the spotting of famous rock star, Brad Fit and Alexandra Zang, outside a rock concert in NYC.

Famous rock star and a struggling fashion designer from the country spotted getting close? OF COURSE, there will be drama! Let’s see how this will unravel.

#TheYoungAndTheDressless

When you think of graffiti what comes to mind? Drawings on the side of a building? Scribbles on the side of a train?

We are so excited to announce the fun and creative soap opera that is, The Young and the Dressless. The soap will air on Paper Punk social channels bi-weekly, twice a month, and run through until mid September.

We tell the story of The Young and the Dressless all while using the Color + Build Fashion Designer kits as well as some aspects of other kits. We use the paper toy as a fun and creative way to tell a story about a young girl going after her dreams.

Without giving too much away, here’s a sneak peak of what the story entails.

Meet the stars of the show, Alexandra Zang and Brad Fitt.



Alexandra Zang is a 20-something year old who moves from her small town to New York City. She studied fashion design in college and is currently designing her own clothing line to showcase at various fashion shows. Her dream is to attend New York Fashion Week in September as a new designer.

Brad Fitt is a famous Rockstar. He is the lead singer of the Rolling Bones, which is a popular rock band who plays at shows across North America. He and his band have a big summer tour coming up!


The Young and the Dressless is a story about persevering against all odds and going after your dreams, no matter how big they may seem. It’s about romance, friendship, and all of the hardships along the way. Stay with us throughout the summer to watch how all the drama unfolds!

If you haven’t had the chance to watch, catch up now by watching the first two episodes below! Stay tuned for Episode 3 airing May 26^th. #TheYoungAndTheDressless #MakeSomething

Episode 1: 

Alexandra packs her designs and sketches and prepares to leave her loving parents and small town behind. She says goodbye and takes off to the airport for her flight to the Big Apple.



Episode 2: 

Alexandra is now living in NYC, continuing her sketches and designs. Her good friend Emma, who lives in the city, comes over and offers to take Alex out to a local rock concert. While standing in line outside the concert, Emma notices the star of the popular rock band Brad Fitt from The Rolling Bones, in line with his buddy Fabio, another member of the group. Alexandra takes interest in him from afar. The rest is to be continued…

With just under two weeks left to the unofficial launch of summer (Memorial Day) and school being out in just over a month, you may be wondering how to make sure the kids make the most out of their summer and not get too rusty upstairs. We’ve got three tips to help you make STEM learning this summer fun!

 Take a Field Trip

via GIPHY

 

There are plenty of cool places around town that are perfect learning opportunities for children. A trip to the local zoo or botanical garden puts the “S” in STEM and is a great way for children to connect with plants, nature, and animals. Getting kids acquainted with concepts like sustainability and the importance of our ecosystem will never be easier. Cultivate their curiosity by exposing them to different environments and activities.

STEM Activities from Home

In addition to going out, there are plenty of activities you can do at home like gardening and cooking. 

Gardening is a great way to help teach children about plants, insects AND nutrition. You could also do something as simple as grabbing something from your pantry and direct all the components and processes that had to go into making that food product. You can easily do that with other objects all around the house. Inspire kids to uncover the context of the built world they live in by asking them questions.

Baking and cooking also provides a way to teach your children STEM related concepts on the sly. Calculating measurements to make that delicious summer treat is good for the brain and sure to provide some joy for everyone. Homemade popsicles anyone? 

Let’s Use Our Hands  

Toys and games can help develop an appreciation for science, the arts, strategic and mind-stimulating activities, and spending time with family and friends. Although school will be out, play doesn’t have to end!

Brands like K’Nex and our very own Paper Punk, provide toys/activities that both excite and educate kids without them even knowing. 

Remember, learning is as fun as you make it! We challenge you to come up with more ways to make STEM learning fun. Let us know how you do by tagging us @PaperPunk.

ICYMI: Our Color + Build kits have been featured in the Toy Insider Spring & Summer Gift Guide.

Check out the gift guide to find other cool STEM toys, like Paper Punk, that will keep the kids entertained for hours on end!

Ever wonder what the “A” in STEAM education stands for?

No, it is not a typo.  While many have all heard of STEM education before, STEAM education incorporates an additional new, very important letter, and a very important one to say the least.  — Give me an “A”! What’s that stand for?! ART & DESIGN.
                                  
STEAM education is defined as:

S: SCIENCES

T: TECHNOLOGY

E: ENGINEERING 

A: ART & DESIGN

M: MATHEMATICS

             

PAPER PUNK is an arts and crafts toy that encapsulates STEAM education into its play interface. The various kits in the collection, including the Classic, Urban Fold, and Color + Build kits, provide endless imaginative and creative play for humans of all ages. With a few simple folds, colorful 2D flat shapes transform into bold 3D geometric pieces to create spectacular looking paper toys and art forms. Aspects of dimensional thinking, rapid prototyping, engineering, art/design, and geometry are packed into our eye-catching kits.

  

Created by Stanford Design School professor--and mother—Grace Hawthorne, the activity kits are designed to be the antidote to our digitally dominated world.

Through Grace’s research and experience, she has discovered that YES creativity can be taught, and through creativity training you can actually rewire your brain. 

In a world overly bombarded by the use of technology, we here at Paper Punk believe it’s important to put down your devices and exercise your mind by making things with your hands! So, what are you waiting for? Go on, #MakeSomething

Paper Toys have long been a fascination to the world. Think back to when origami was a big fad. It’s not hard to see how popular paper toys have become, just check the internet. We’ve looked around the web and picked a few of our favorites. 

Old-School Polaroid Camera

How amazing is this old-school camera made out of paper!? This paper toy was created by Anna Trundle of ALTA Papercraft, who combines digital and handcrafted techniques into dimensional illustration.

Paper Fruit

Good enough to eat, am I right?! These juicy fruits make the perfect additions to your play kitchen or grocery stand. They will also make colorful decorations for kid’s rooms.

 

Architectural Paper Models

This masterpiece was created by an artist named Ingrid Siliakus. Making paper objects, she says, is a meditative process of cutting and folding the paper into different variations. And the result is extraordinary, a testament to what can be done with just one sheet of paper.

 

Graphic Paper Figures

One of our all time favorite paper toy artists is Shin Tanaka. He has famously taken street art and graffiti aesthetics to paper as his canvas. The geometry and graphic patterns and colors are a huge inspiration to Paper Punk. From first folding origami at the age of four to this collaborations with the likes of culture giants like Nike, Shin has helped fuel the paper toy mania to new heights.

Paper Blocks & Paper Dolls

Of course we can’t forget our very own creations. Our Paper Punk Color + Build Kits! These kits enable users to customize their very own 3D paper creations through folding and coloring. They also elevate the coloring craze with added dimensions, 3D construction, story-telling, and dream making. #MakeSomething


 

When you think of the idea of “play”, what comes to mind? Video games? Kids? Sports?

What mostly comes to mind when I think of play is children. Much like the picture above, I imagine kids running around with abandon chasing a ball outdoors or finding 100 new ways to engage with the empty box in the recycling bin. Rarely, does anyone ever envision an adult. Gone are the days when our biggest problem/concern was how fast we could eat our lunch in order to have more time to play. Even though play time and aging seem inversely related as we get older, the importance of it to our health and happiness remains the same.

Here is why having some play time is good for you:

It relieves stress.

You ever wonder why people recommend going to the gym to relieve stress? A little chemical called endorphins is released and actually causes you to feel good. Overriding pain and stress, endorphins are a happy chemical.

 

That same chemical reaction is released when you’re playing games. That feeling of euphoria when you score a goal, complete a hard level of a video game, or make someone pick up 20 cards in UNO is because of our new found friend – endorphins.

Improve brain function – Hello STEM toys!

Another reason why having some play time is important is because it helps improve your brain function. Activities like Paper Punk are meant for you to have fun and be as creative as you can, but what you may not know, is that you’re actually using your STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art Mathematic) skills to do so.

By following the numerical pattern and folding each sheet, you end up creating a 3D geometric piece you didn’t even know was there. (Say hello to dimensional thinking skills and good old fashioned geometry!)

Classics like chess and Monopoly help improve your skills as well, but they may also lose you some friends. Not speaking from experience, of course.

Keep you feeling young and energetic.                         

Lastly, setting aside some time for play helps keep you young. Put down the anti-aging cream and pick up some board games.

 

We're believers in not only taking time out of your day for play, but also continuing to incorporate it into your everyday lives as you grow older.

In all things, #MakeSomething.

Without a doubt, Spring is my favorite season. The weather, slowly but surely, gets warmer, birds start chirping, people start smiling, you actually don’t mind walking down the street to meet the new neighbors, etc. While there are various chores and essential things to do in the spring like gardening and pulling out the patio set, we’d recommend mixing it up with an outdoor scavenger hunt. Here are 3 tips to hosting an awesome Scavenger hunt.

Be the neighborhood hero.

You’re not the only one thinking about fun activities to do with your kids, so be the neighborhood hero and organize the hunt. Get other neighbors involved too— they’d be happy to help you, plus having more space to hide clues and more kids to join in the fun will make your scavenger hunt a blast.

Host Paper Punk kit building party.

It’s not a hunt if there’s no treasure, right? Make the pot of gold a pile of Paper Punk kits and the scavenger hunt with a group kit building party, including yummy snacks. Not only will it serve as a great way to get to know the neighborhood kids, it’s also a good way to interact with their parents (your neighbors). The good news is that this party isn’t age restrictive as the kits are meant for anyone 6+, so there is no excuse why everybody can’t join in the fun and #MakeSomething too.

Want to make your scavenger hunt even more fun?

Use a theme.

Most people love a good themed party! Think of a theme for your scavenger hunt and make up some clues to fit. Now that your Easter egg hunts are over, what theme will you come up with? Missing treasure, town exploring, animals? There are a lot of great lists online to get you started with some great idea. 

Bring your animal themed hunt to life using only our animal themed kits, Horn (Unicorn), Ape, Kitty, and Pup to liven up the party. Hide made animal Paper Punks as wild card finds or to create your own domestic safari!