Paper Airplane Lab
Three designs, one hallway, and a proper experiment.
- Ages
- 5–12 yrs
- Play
- 15–35 min
- Prep
- 3 min
- Mess
- barely any
- Energy
- lively
- Where
- anywhere
You’ll need
Things you probably have at home.
- paperGet it on Amazon
Optional
- tape to mark the throwing lineGet it on Amazon
- a tape measureGet it on Amazon
- paper clips to add weightGet it on Amazon
- pens to decorateGet it on Amazon
How to play
Before you start: Tape a throwing line on the floor at one end of a hallway.
Fold a classic dart together, slowly, so they can follow each fold.
Fold a second, wider plane with blunt wings.
Throw each from the line three times and measure how far it goes.
Write the numbers down — this is the part that makes it feel real.
Add a paper clip to the nose of the losing plane and test whether it helps.
What it helps with
Make it different next time
- Test for distance, then test for longest time in the air — different planes win.
- Set up a hoop to fly through.
Cleanup: Recycle the wrecks, keep the champion.
