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Paper Airplane Science for Kids

Making paper airplanes is one of the most fun activities in our homeschool. And, it is an activity where there is a TON of learning taking place, so the fun is an extra bonus!

It ranks right up there with the day we made magnetic slime!

I'm not exactly sure what it is about folding a piece of paper and letting it fly across the room that is so enticing (especially to the boys!), but I do know that capitalizing on this is something that must be done!

(My son has been making airplanes for years, and we just finished paper airplane science in my class of Abecedarians at Classical Conversations, so I've had some practice in this area.)

It's a great chance to learn about the science and history of flight, and to also feed into our children's creative side. 

Paper Airplane Science for Kids

Before you start making your paper airplanes, some books about flight must be read to catch your child's interest.  (I must say that my favorite is probably Leonardo and the Flying Boy - it's been loved in my house for years!)

Books about Flight

How Paper Airplanes Work

Your kids might be very interested in the specifics of how flight works.  Other kids might just want to start building planes and experiment on their own.

This video is one of the best and most concise I've found (and I love that it mentions Newton's Third Law of Motion!)

Paper Airplanes to Make

Now that your children understand the science behind paper airplanes, here are some great ideas for planes to make:

Straw Paper Airplanes: Not all planes are created equal, but this one sure does take a magnificent flight! All you need is some construction paper, drinking straw, tape, and scissors to get this unique paper airplane to take flight. 

Simple Paper Airplane Pattern: This simple, yet effective, paper airplane design was created by the World Record holder for the longest paper airplane in flight! You can also take a look at the Paper Airplane Patterns Submitted by Viewers where there are a lot of different ideas to explore. 

Bernoulli's Paper Airplane Experiment: By using surrounding air to help propel a paper airplane, this experiment is perfect for testing out a not so standard airplane pattern. 

NASA Paper Airplanes: There are several paper airplanes pattern that NASA has on their website. Here are a few for you to try:

Amazing Paper Airplanes: This site gives directions on how to make more elaborate paper airplanes such as the Triplet Paper Airplanes. Perfect for the advanced paper airplane maker. 

Fold N'Fly: There are a ton of ideas for paper airplanes on this site. You'll find a little bit of everything from the more elaborate to the simpler designs. 

10 Paper Airplanes: This site is great for visual learners. There are several different paper airplane patterns to choose from and each one has several photographs and some video to show exactly how to create paper airplanes. 

Fun Paper Airplanes: Use this site to print patterns directly from your computer. There are several levels to choose from, as well as some new ideas I'm sure your young pilots and engineers have yet to discover. 

Paper Airplane Supplies

Below, I have listed some supplies that will help your kids make the perfect paper airplane as well as some of our favorite books. 

Do you have a paper airplane obsessed kid?  I hope these resources have been helpful to you!

Paper Airplane Science for Kids

LEGO Animal Cell

LEGO learning can make any subject more fun and interesting. 

Using LEGO bricks also usually LOCKS that learning into a LEGO lover's brain! 

So, this week, when it came time to learn about the parts of an animal cell, my son immersed himself in LEGOS for a few hours and developed a great model of an animal cell. 

LEGO Animal Cell

As part of our Classical Conversations science memory work, my son needed to memorize the parts of an animal cell. Since I am a firm believer that the memory work is enough, we generally don't expand too much.

I printed a simple diagram of an animal cell and pulled out our Acts & Facts Biology Science Cards.  I love the Acts & Facts cards because they provide just ENOUGH information... but not too much to overwhelm the elementary age child.  

 Right now the focus is on MEMORIZING the parts of the cell, not knowing the functions of each of those parts. That will come LATER. 

LEGO Animal Cell

I gave Grant the task of creating an animal cell with LEGO bricks.  

He used a different piece for each of these parts of the cell:

  • Nucleus

  • Cytoplasm

  • Vacuole

  • Mitochondria

  • Cell Membrane/Wall

  • Golgi Bodies

He also opted to make his cell rectangular, because then he could use a base plate to hold everything. We realize this isn't the shape, but hey -- I wasn't going to get picky with him because I was so thrilled with his creativity.

Build a LEGO Animal Cell

He used flags to label each part of the cell, and attached them with tape. 

I love all of the little animals he put on the cell wall (from our LEGO® Education StoryStarter set). 

How to Make a LEGO Animal Cell

I love the finished product! 

How to Make a LEGO Animal Cell

We looked up some fun facts about animal cells, and Grant wrote a simple presentation for CC community day next week.   

PERFECT. SIMPLE. MEMORABLE.

 

Here's a video to show you the cell up close and personal.  

Please visit my LEGO Learning page to learn more ways to use LEGO bricks in your child's education. 

The possibilities really are endless! 


Do you use LEGOS to teach your kids?  Tell me about it in the comments below.  

And, isn't this the cutest LEGO Themed Latin Daily Calendar?  It's perfect for the LEGO lover in your house -- and sneaks in that Latin vocabulary, too!