No.229
Paper-Airplane Flight
Japanese name: 紙飛行機飛ばし
You can scroll an enlarged diagram from side to side. Press again to return to its original size.
Diagram key
- A
- Center crease
- B
- Fold the corners to the center line.
- C
- Fold the sloping edges to the center line too.
- D
- Fold in half.
- E
- Open the wings.
Materials
- One sheet of approximately A4-size paper per person
- Markers for a throwing line and landing zone
How to play
- Fold the paper in half lengthways and reopen it. Fold both top corners to the centre line, then fold the new sloping edges to that line. Fold the whole plane in half along the centre line.
- Fold each wing down along a line from the nose to a point 1–2 cm from the central fold at the tail. Make both wings equally wide and level. Name each plane and mark separate throwing and waiting areas.
- On the leader's signal, take turns gently launching into the same clear direction. Never aim at faces or add weights or hard parts to the nose.
- Retrieve planes only after everyone has finished throwing. Give each person three flights. Observe straight flight and slow descent as well as distance.
- Bend the wing edges very slightly to adjust the flight and try once more each. Finish by sharing something that worked well about your own plane.
Ways to adapt
Preschool children: help with folding. Younger primary school children: use the same design. Older primary school children: adjust the wings.