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How to Make Paper Airplanes

Need some easy ideas on how to make paper airplanes? We have you covered!

How to Make Paper Airplanes with Ease

Get your little ones prepared for take-off because we’re about to fly some paper airplanes!  Handcrafted with few folds here and a few folds there, this super simple paper airplane activity will have your kids flying high.  With two types of classic paper airplane tutorials, get ready for hours of soaring fun!

How to Make Paper Airplanes

Making Paper Airplanes

Let’s get started!  All you will need to make a paper airplane is a standard size piece of paper. 

THE DART

The first paper airplane is the dart.  It’s the most basic option for a paper airplane and perfect for the beginner paper airplane maker.  Follow these folding steps to create the dart paper airplane:

  1. Fold the paper in half vertically.
  2. Unfold.
  3. Fold the top right corner down to the center crease you just made.
  4. Fold the top left corner down to the center crease.  The paper will kind of look like a house now. 
  5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 by folding the tops down again into the center crease.  The paper should look like a big triangle now. 
  6. Fold in half along the crease you made in the first step.  The folds will face inward and the sides will come together.  It’s beginning to look like a plane!  
  7. Fold the top of the side down to the bottom edge of the plane to create a wing.
  8. Flip over and repeat on the other side to make the second wing.
  9. You should now have your very own dart paper plane!
How to Make Paper Airplanes

THE BULLET

This paper airplane starts out folding just like the dart, but then adds a few more folds to make it slightly different.  This paper airplane is a step up from the dart, and is great for a kid who has already mastered the beginner paper plane.  Follow these folding steps to create the bullet paper airplane:

  1. Complete steps 1-5 from the dart paper airplane instructions.
  2. Fold each side again towards the middle crease.  This time there will be a small triangle hanging over the bottom edge.  This is what you want. 
  3. Fold in half along the crease you made in the first step.  The folds will face inward and the sides will come together.  It’s beginning to look like a plane!  
  4. Fold the top of the side down to the bottom edge of the plane to create a wing.
  5. Flip over and repeat on the other side to make the second wing.
  6. Done!  You now have a bullet paper airplane!

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How to Make Paper Airplanes

Learning How to Make Paper Airplanes

It really is that easy to take a boring plain piece of paper and turn it into a super fast soaring jet.  You could even add more fun to the activity and have the kids color or decorate their planes. 

Then, why not have a friendly flying competition?  What plane flies the fastest?  Goes the furthest?  Soars the highest?  Can the paper planes do tricks like loops or spins through the air? 

Making paper airplanes is an awesome activity for all ages – from young to old.  Preschool children will get a kick out of watching the plane be created and then trying to make them fly.  

Older kids will most likely be able to fold the paper plane themselves by following the instructions.  They made need a little guidance at first, but then they’ll be making their own planes in no time.  Before you know it, you’ll have the next Top Gun pilot on your hands!  Now go!  Make some paper airplanes and fly away!

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