Each child folds a paper plane from a single sheet. Competition: whose flies furthest? Whose stays in the air longest? After each round, every child makes one change to their design. Iterative design thinking with immediate physical payoff.
What you need
- paper (1 sheet per child per round)
How to do it
- 1"You're going to fold a plane from one sheet. Any design you know. Go. No help from me."
- 2Each child folds one plane from a single sheet. Any design. No help from you.
- 3Everyone throws from the same line. Mark where each plane lands.
- 4Each child makes exactly one change: wing angle, nose fold, tail bend — nothing more. Launch again and compare.
Variations
- Korb-Tür: If they can't fold, fold one yourself very slowly and let them copy step-by-step without explaining.
- Ausstieg: After round 5, announce the winner and hand them their plane: "This one's yours to keep. You designed it better than anyone."
💡 Parent tip
The one-change rule is important. It forces them to understand which variable caused an improvement. Any-change-you-want produces no learning from results.
What your child develops
- Aerodynamics — discovering how wing shape and weight distribution affect flight
- Iterative design — making one change at a time to understand what improves performance
- Physical throw mechanics — launch angle and force both affect outcome
Safety notes
- Designate a clear launch direction away from people's faces.
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