How to Make a Paper Airplane and Play a Game

I was looking for a game N and I could play on Saturday. I came up with one that would include a little crafting, a little science, and a lot of fun.

We would learn how to make paper airplanes and fly them for points in a competition.

The Airplane Flying Game

For starters, I tied a length of yarn from a standing lamp to a coat rack I set opposite the lamp. The goal of the game: launch your plane over the yarn to score points.

The player earned 1 point if the plane made it over the yarn. N wanted to add greater complexity, so we gave an additional 1 point for the plane that flew the highest and 1 point for the plane that flew the farthest. So, the most points one could earn per flight was 3.

While it was easy to determine which plane flew the farthest, we found that which flew highest was subjective, since we flew the planes one at a time; I was inclined to let N win if the height score was contested.

Actually, in retrospect, we should have flown our planes simultaneously so we could gauge height better.

We played 15 points for the win; for a tie, one player had to score 2 more points than the opponent.

The Science of Flying

Instead of just learning to make paper airplanes, I wanted N to understand the science of flight. I wasn’t a proper teacher so I found a Wired video that we could watch together.

John Collins, world record holder for the farthest flying airplane, walked us through the science behind five paper airplane designs. This is a video meant for adults, but N, at eight, was able to handle the content.

For a simpler video to explain the science of flight for younger kids, try one from KidVision Full STEAM Ahead.

Fishing is another great learning game to play with the grandkids.

Make an Airplane

N has folded airplanes before, but we found this video showing how to make the world record paper airplane for distance and we were intrigued to try it. The demo is well done with simple and clear steps; we could follow the instructions without a need for stops and starts to catch up between steps.

For a much simpler airplane, make the basic dart. It’s probably the kind you made as a child but, if you don’t remember how, follow my step-by-step photos below.

Try to ensure that the folds line up as perfectly as possible, and crease each fold with your fingers or a bone folder as you go.

How to Make a Dart Airplane

You’ll need a sheet of 8 1/2- X 11-inch printer paper. I’ve used two-color cardstock in the photos below so you can see the folds better, but this paper is much too thick for actual flight.

1. Fold paper lengthwise in half and open the paper up so the fold is down and the crease is up.

2. Fold the top two corners down so the points of the corners meet at the center crease.

3. Now fold one side into the crease one more time so the diagonal folded line you made in the previous step meets at the center crease.

4. Next, fold the other side in to meet the center crease.

5. Flip the paper over and fold the paper back against the center crease to look like the illustration above and lay the plane on its side.

6. Fold one side down again so your previous fold lines up with the center crease.

7. Fold the second side down in the same way; the plane is now complete. Hold your plane from the underside grasping all the folds in the crease with thumb and forefinger, about a third of the distance from the front of the plane, and let it fly!

By using recycled paper, this was a free game that we enjoyed for a few hours, allowing time for making planes, watching videos, and flying our planes against each other.

All we needed was some scrap paper. We also learned about flight, which was timely, since N would soon be on an airplane traveling overseas for spring break.

What Kids Learn from this Airplane Game

From this activity, a child will:

• Learn to follow instructions to make a paper airplane successfully
• Use small motor skills for precision folding
• Understand the basics of the science of flight
• Practice math skills to tally points for the flying game
• Practice reading in order to follow text instructions

You can find many different types of paper airplanes to make by doing a google search. In addition to videos, make some planes with written instructions, such as this one that N and I also constructed, which enabled him to practice reading and apply the information.

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