Easy teen activity: Paper cup making & testing!

Every month I visit our local Juvenile Detention Center and do a short activity with the teens, just to give them a "taste" of what we do in library programs and make sure they are aware of library resources in general. Today's activity was a suggestion from my director that worked very well, so I thought I'd share!

First, I asked the teens to imagine that they were in the desert/jungle, dying of thirst, [insert dramatic scenario here] and they needed some way to carry water.

Here to save the day is the humble Origami Cup!

I gave them each a few square sheets of paper (5" by 5" works well) and told them that they would be able to test their cup after they made it with some... dun-dun-da-dun: SPRITE!  (The more dramatic the reveal of the two liter, the better! I had it hidden in a large bag.)

I printed and handed out directions, but then I also walked them through it step by step. Kids did what worked best for them and I walked around giving pointers. Then, as they finished, I filled their little cups with sprite and they got to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

I then challenged them to see if they could make a new paper cup without looking at the directions.

This activity only takes about 15-20 minutes. If I wanted to stretch it out, I would also have them make an origami tray/bowl/plate that they could then "test" with a snack. It could be a fun part of a survivalist-type program for teens.