Intellectual Activity

Paper Airplane Design Lab

Paper Airplane Design Lab teaches children to test, measure, adjust, and improve a design through playful flight experiments.

Time30 to 45 minutes
Best ForAny group size
SpaceLong room, gym, hallway, or outdoor area
SuppliesPaper, tape, paper clips, measuring tape, pencils

How To Run It

  1. Teach one basic airplane fold and let everyone make a first design.
  2. Mark a starting line and test flights one at a time.
  3. Measure distance, straightness, or target accuracy.
  4. Invite children to change one thing, such as wing shape, weight, or folds.
  5. Test again and compare results.
  6. Talk about what changed and why careful testing matters.

Design Variables

  • Wing length
  • Nose weight with a paper clip
  • Fold sharpness
  • Wing angle
  • Paper size or thickness