Making and designing paper airplanes is a highly engaging way to promote curiosity. From early on, every piece of paper almost begs to be given a few quick folds and voila, it’s ready to fly. How far does it go? Which direction does it fly? What can be done to make it fly farther? What kind of design and what colors can be added to spruce it up? All of these questions and more grab attention and wonder.
My own fond memories of paper airplanes as a child and my desire as a teacher to fashion engaging entry points into learning, helped drive the creation of these holiday and seasonal paper airplane activities. Coloring and designing paper airplanes helps add some artistic flare to holiday and seasonal celebrations. These experiences also invite students to explore and record flight measurements and investigate ways to modify and improve results. Paper airplane activities always gave purchase to the notion that learning to measure is a worthwhile skill, not to mention gateways into much broader questions around physics.
So go ahead and give it a try and activate your holiday and seasonal experiences this year with these highly engaging paper airplanes.
Below, find multiple holiday and season links to activities inviting students to make, create and design paper airplanes before testing, measuring and modifying. Fun full color, partial color and black and white versions are included, along with an activity inviting students to investigate and extend the experience.
Seasonal Paper Airplanes
Holiday Paper Airplanes
