There's a special kind of joy in a fold so simple it's done before you've finished your coffee — and this little origami fish is exactly that. Six easy steps, one square of paper, and suddenly you've got a tidy fish with a perky tail, ready to swim onto a card, a mobile, or a kid's fingertip.

It's the perfect gateway fold: nothing fiddly, nothing to unlearn, just clean valley folds that build a shape anyone can recognize in a glance. Once you've made one you'll want a whole school, in every color you can find. Grab a square and let's get this shoal moving.

STEP 1.

STEP 2.

STEP 3.

STEP 4.

STEP 5.

STEP 6.