Something as simple as folding a piece of paper can be an adventure. Making and flying paper airplanes can be a fun activity for children and adults. Ms. Marie Tourell Søderberg, a guest on my iTunes show, talked about the benefits of following a child’s lead during play. She gave an example of a child being interested in paper airplanes and spending the afternoon engaged in exploring paper airplanes.

Here are some steps to making a paper airplane if it has been a while since you made one. To make a basic dart paper airplane, start with a piece of paper. Fold the paper in half the long way (hot dog style). Unfold. Next, fold 2 corners into the crease to form a point. Then take the 2 new corners to create a wing by folding it into the same crease. Now fold your plane in half. The last step is to fold the wings.

This easy paper folding activity can be used for artistic expression. Children can design and decorate their paper airplane. It can be used before taking a trip in an actual airplane to talk about what to expect on their trip. Allow children the opportunity to experiment with their airplane. They can send their paper airplane through space. Distance, time, speed, and more can be observed. Flying the paper airplane and doing acrobats allows children to see math and science concepts come to life. Leonardo da Vinci said, “Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” Let their imagination take flight with this simple paper folding activity.