Can you make a homemade paper airplane launcher? Be inspired by famous aviator Amelia Earhart and design your own paper plane launcher at home or in the classroom. All you need are a few simple supplies and your imagination to come up with a paper plane catapult. We love fun and easy STEM projects for kids!

HOW TO MAKE A PAPER AIRPLANE LAUNCHER

AMELIA EARHART

Amelia Mary Earhart was an American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She set many other records, wrote best-selling books about her flying experiences, and was instrumental in the formation of The Ninety-Nines, an organization for female pilots.

Before she became a pilot, she become a nurse’s aide taking care of wounded soldiers in World War I. Then she studied to become a mechanic, but soon was back in school studying for a career in medicine.

Also learn about scientist, Agnes Pockels and surface tension!

WHAT IS ENGINEERING FOR KIDS?

Let’s keep it simple for our junior engineers! Engineering, simply put, is the application of science and math to solve problems.

Engineering is all about designing and building machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles etc. Engineers take scientific principals and make things that are useful for people.

Like other areas of STEM, engineering is all about solving problems and figuring out why things do what they do. Keep in mind that a good engineering challenge will involve some science and math too!

How does this work? You might not always know the answer to that question! However, what you can do is provide learning opportunities to get your kids started with the engineering process of planning, designing, building and reflecting.

Engineering is good for kids! Whether it be in the successes or learning through failures, engineering projects push kids to expand their horizons, experiment, problem-solve, and embrace failure as a means to success.

Can engineering be do-able and fun for kids? Absolutely, and we will show you some AMAZING engineering projects and challenges for kids below that are easy to set up, budget-friendly, and of course playful! Hands-on is the way to go with our young scientists, explorers, and engineers.

Check out these other fun engineering resources…

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE PLANE LAUNCHER PROJECT!

BUILD A PAPER AIRPLANE LAUNCHER

DESIGN CHALLENGE:

Design and build a device that will launch a paper airplane.

Think about how the angle at which you launch the plane might affect its
flight distance. Try using different lengths and thicknesses of rubber bands.
Do some work better than others? Why do you think that is?

Time Constraint: 30 minutes (or more if time allows)

SUPPLIES:

  • Paper
  • rubber bands
  • pen or pencil
  • paper clips
  • tape or stapler
  • cardboard
  • building toys such as LEGO or wood

INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1. Draw a few sketches of your design ideas, and pick one to build.

STEP 2. Build a prototype of your design.

STEP 3. Test your airplane launcher.

MORE FUN BUILDING CHALLENGES

Click here for more easy STEM Activities and Science Experiments with paper

Marble Maze
Rubber Band Car
Build A Shuttle
DIY popsicle stick catapult Inexpensive STEM activity
Popsicle Stick Catapult
Build A Winch
Build A Hovercraft

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR PRINTABLE WOMEN IN STEM ACTIVITY PACK!

HOW TO BUILD A PAPER AIRPLANE CATAPULT

Click on the image below or on the link for more fun STEM activities for kids.

Stave off the dreaded "I'm bored" syndrome that hits part way into any vacation or down time with a few of the BEST simple STEM activities that cost almost next to nothing. We have a bunch of simple STEM challenges to get the juices flowing, keep the kids thinking, and best of all still learning. As always we have plenty of science and STEM to get through a whole year. Shhh don't tell them!