Workshops

Holiday workshops: Paper Folding and Problem Solving (Year 5 and 6)

Discover the surprising mathematics hidden in a simple sheet of paper.

Image credit: Tim Mitchell

In this hands-on workshop, participants will explore how folding, cutting and transforming paper can reveal powerful mathematical ideas.

The session begins with the challenge of building a dodecahedron using nothing but paper and clever folding. Participants will then investigate clever ways of cutting shapes from paper and encounter a range of mathematical curiosities. Harnessing problem-solving skills and the magic of mathematics, they’ll learn to turn an everyday material into something extraordinary.

For children who have just completed Years 5 or 6 this term - please book based on your child’s current/most recent school year, not their new year group from September. This typically corresponds to children aged around 9–11 years old. We reserve the right to refund or deny entry to those who are not in the correct year group.

Refunds can only be issued for tickets cancelled at least two weeks (14 calendar days) in advance of the event date. Please note that this supersedes our normal event terms and conditions. Please also note that Eventbrite adds a small booking fee to the amount paid for each ticket option.

About speaker

Zoe Griffiths is a mathematician who travels the UK and internationally giving talks and workshops in schools (through Think Maths), at science festivals and comedy nights. Zoe has talked about maths in places ranging from the Cheltenham Science Festival to BBC Radio 4. Before entering the world of maths communication, Zoe worked as a classroom maths teacher and is still a teacher at heart.    

About our workshops

Holiday workshops at the Royal Institution give students a hands-on experience of STEM topics (science, technology, engineering, maths) beyond what they learn at school. Working in groups or pairs, students will get hands-on to complete activities, challenges or projects which help them look deeper at the subject they are exploring. These workshops don’t follow the school curriculum but instead show students the many real world uses of STEM topics, expanding their horizons beyond the classroom to see the amazing possibilities science can give you. Sessions are led by experts from across industry and academia who will share with the students their excitement and knowledge of their areas of expertise.

For any queries regarding this workshop please email events@ri.ac.uk.

Event terms and conditions