Dolphins are pure motion — all curves and leaps — which makes them a fun challenge to capture in a single square of paper. This short version skips the fussy bases and just gets you to a clean, recognizable dolphin fast: eight photo steps, most of them simply "fold where the picture shows," so you can follow along by eye. It is the kind of fold you can knock out in a few minutes, which makes it perfect for a coffee-break craft or for a table of kids who want results. Pick a two-tone sheet if you have one — blue-and-white reads instantly as ocean — and by the end you will have a little dolphin ready to nose along your bookshelf.

STEP 1. Fold it in half.

STEP 2. Fold it at the position shown in the photo.

STEP 3. Fold it in half.

STEP 4. Fold it down at the position shown in the photo.

STEP 5. Fold it up at the position shown in the photo.

STEP 6. Fold it at the position shown in the photo.

STEP 7. Fold it at the position shown in the photo.

STEP 8. Fold it at the position shown in the photo.

The dolphin is complete!