What is Crumpled paper?

Crumpled paper is when you squish flat paper into a messy, bumpy shape.

Imagine you have a piece of paper like the one you use to draw on. If you just let it be, it’s smooth and easy to fold. But if you squeeze it with your hands, maybe even scrunch it up or press it against something, it becomes all bunched up and wobbly. That's crumpled paper!

What Makes It Bumpy

When you squish flat paper, you're making little hills and valleys in it. Think of it like a smooth road turning into a bumpy path after a big truck drives over it.

Why We Crumple Paper

People crumple paper for fun, maybe to make a ball to throw, or to hide something inside. Sometimes they do it on purpose, like when you’re trying to fit lots of papers into a small bag. It’s like giving the paper a little workout so it can take up less space!

Crumpled paper is just flat paper that got a little squishy, and that's totally normal!

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Examples

  1. A child scrunches up a piece of paper to make a ball for a game.
  2. A teacher uses crumpled paper to show how things can be compressed.
  3. Someone folds a letter into a crumpled ball and sends it through the mail.

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