Flat paper. Real cube.
You will turn six joined squares into a cube. Not every six-square arrangement folds correctly, and two faces may collide instead of covering the final open side.
- Maths
- Expert
- About 25 minutes
Grown-up needed: yes for setup, checking and any preparation of paper or small items
What you need
- Squared paper
- A pencil
- A ruler
- Sticky tape
- A grown-up for careful hand-tearing
The rule
One piece. No extra bits.
How to do it
- Draw four equal squares in a straight vertical strip.
- Draw one matching square on each side of the second square.
- Ask a grown-up to crease and hand-tear the outer outline as one piece.
- Fold gently along each shared square edge.
- Bring the six faces together to form the cube.
- Use small tape pieces along meeting edges without adding paper faces.
Why it works
A cube has six square faces. A net opens those faces into one connected flat arrangement, with shared edges becoming folds. The four-square strip can wrap around the cube, while the two side squares close its remaining faces. Equal square sizes help the edges meet. Some connected six-square arrangements overlap when folded, so having six squares is necessary but not enough. You can check a candidate by imagining where each face will land before trying the paper.
Make it harder
- Predict which face becomes the base.
- Draw a different six-square arrangement.
- Explain whether the new arrangement overlaps before folding it.
Ask Taz
- Why must the faces be equal squares?
- Why do some six-square nets fail?
- Why is tape allowed without adding another paper face?
For grown-ups
A grown-up helps crease and hand-tear the outline without cutting tools. The source film uses scissors, but this household version keeps the same one-piece net rule. Tape joins edges without supplying missing faces. Ask at dinner: “Which flat square became the opposite face when you folded your cube?”
Taz is an AI and can be wrong, so stay close by. Read how safety works on Taz.
Show us yours
Film your hands and what you made, not your face or name. Ask a grown-up before posting anywhere else.
Questions parents ask
How much preparation does this need?
Use the household items above and begin with one small example. A grown-up can prepare the space or checking sheet while the child chooses the prediction. The time is an estimate and includes a little room to repeat.
What if we get different answers?
Compare the rule, the method and what each person recorded. A difference can reveal a changed assumption or an ordinary variation, so check before deciding someone must be wrong.
Does the child have to share online?
No. Discuss the work at home first. Public sharing is optional and needs the grown-up permission and privacy wording above.
More to try
See all Taz Challenges, or look through the science labs. One place for every why. Ask for early access at aitaz.com