I have recently become aware that there are huge amounts of incredibly detailed, and completely free, paper crafts available at different websites. It seems to be common to offer models as PDFs free to download. Especially the Japanese seem love to make all kinds of cool stuff out of paper, and they are pretty good at it too!

Finding crafts that will interest and challenge older kids can be difficult, especially when it comes to boys, but I bet it’s possible to find something interesting and quite challenging for most older boys and girls, amongst all the free models available out there. I’m talking spaceships, trains, planes, cars and robots with amazing details and shapes, some even have movable parts.

Yamaha has an amazing collection of paper models free to download, in different colors or white. They not only have lots of different motorcycles, motors, and other parts for bikes and garage, but they also have a great selection of animals, insects and seasonal paper models.

One of the ultimate paper craft models to make is probably the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars, which can be found at SF PaperCrafts. It has exceptional details, and looks amazing when done. SF PaperCrafts also offers other models, like the U.S.S. Enterprise from Star Trek and the Star Wars AT-AT Snow Walker with movable parts! They’re all available for download at SF PaperCraftGallery, ready to cut, glue and assemble.

For the Battlestar Gallactica fans out there you should take a look at the paper models of the Battlestar Gallactica Viper at Papertoy Box. They also offer other planes, a train, cars and a robot, and everything is available for download, ready to cut out, fold, glue and assemble. At the site you’ll find image instructions of how to do the assembling.

A couple of “simpler” paper craft models of the X-fighter and the Millennium Falcon, can be found at CFSL. These are made from Parisian Metro Tickets, or heavy paper in the same dimensions, which can be found in the descriptions. Even though simpler, they are still pretty amazing!

Now there is no lack of characters either. At the Japanese website, Piro model, there are lots of detailed characters from e.g. Star Wars. Some of the characters are formed as Lego figures with movable arms and legs.

If you got as excited about this models as I did, and have the time and urge to make models of your own, there is even a program, Pepakura, available as shareware, (Some features, Saving and Exporting are restricted to the bought version.) that allows you to turn 3D models into paper crafts! Nice! There is really tons of free and educational fun here! Also, remember to check out the Pepakura gallery where people share pictures and links to their own models.

Via Toysrevil