How to make a paper airplane
The classic dart is the paper airplane most of us learned first: seven folds, no scissors, and it flies fast and straight. Watch each fold in 3D, then make your own and test how far it goes.
- Easy
- Age 5+
- About 5 minutes
- 7 steps
- No scissors
- Moves: Watch it glide
Lesson at a glance
- You need
- A sheet of A4 or US Letter paper. No scissors or glue.
- Time
- About 5 minutes
- Level
- Easy · age 5+
- How to teach it
- Show the 3D folder on the board and pause after each step, or print the step sheet for each table. Both show the same folds.
Finished!
Step 1 of 7Start with the paper upright and the colored side facing up. Fold it in half from left to right, then open it out again. This crease is the center line.
Keys: left and right arrows go back and forward, Space plays or pauses, R plays the step again, B shows the back. On the 3D picture, the arrow keys turn it and + and − zoom.
How to fold a paper airplane: step by step
You need: one sheet of A4 or US Letter printer paper. Thin paper flies best. Use colored paper, or decorate the wings afterwards.
Start with the paper upright and the colored side facing up. Fold it in half from left to right, then open it out again. This crease is the center line.
Fold the two top corners down so their edges meet on the center line. You have made a pointed roof.
Fold the new slanted edges in to the center line again, so the point gets sharper.
Fold the airplane in half along the center line, left side over to the right, with the folded flaps inside.
Fold the top wing down: bring its long outer edge to the bottom edge of the body and crease firmly.
Turn the airplane over and fold the other wing the same way, so both wings match.
Open the wings out so they are flat and level, and hold the airplane underneath the body. Ready to fly!
Finished!
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What kids learn
- Symmetry: the center crease is a line of symmetry – every fold on the left is matched on the right.
- Angles: the first corner folds make 45° angles; folding again halves them. The nose gets sharper each time.
- Forces: talk about lift, drag, thrust and gravity, and why level wings fly further.
- Fair testing: change one thing (wing size, nose weight, throwing strength) and measure how far it flies.
Classroom tips for teachers
- Math: measure flights with a tape measure or meter stick, record them in a table and find the mean, median and range. Compare designs on a bar chart.
- Science: run a fair test – add a paper clip to the nose, or fold the wing tips up – and predict before you fly.
- Fine motor skills: sharp creases matter. Show students how to run a thumbnail along each fold.
- Group activity: an airplane challenge – teams make three designs, fly each three times and present the winner.
- SEND tips: pre-crease the center line, use slightly larger paper, and let students watch each fold on the board with the 3D app before they try it.
Standards links
- Science (NGSS 3-PS2-1): investigate balanced and unbalanced forces on a moving object.
- Engineering (NGSS 3-5-ETS1-3): run fair tests to find what makes it fly further.
- Math (4.G.A.3, 4.MD.C.5): find lines of symmetry; recognize angles.
- Math (6.SP.B.5): summarize flight distances with the mean, median and range.
Links to the Common Core State Standards, NGSS and the National Core Arts Standards. Check against your own state’s standards.
Safety
No scissors needed. Never throw airplanes at people’s faces or eyes – fly them across an open space, away from others, and take turns. Collect them before anyone walks across the flight area.
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Frequently asked questions
Why does my paper airplane nosedive?
Usually the wings are bent down or uneven. Open them so they are flat and level, and check both sides match. Bending the back edge of each wing up very slightly lifts the nose.
What paper is best for paper airplanes?
Ordinary A4 or US Letter printer paper (80 gsm) is ideal. Thicker paper is heavier and harder to fold sharply; very thin paper can be floppy.
How do I make it fly further?
Make every crease sharp, keep the wings level and throw gently and straight, slightly upwards, rather than hard.