Aviation Activities for Kids

Host an Up, Up, and Away Rally and invite your friends over. Make paper planes or fancy flyers; the only rule is they must really fly! How many fancy planes or flying machines can you invent?

How to Plan an Up, Up, and Away Rally

What You'll Need:

Step One: Make a few fancy flying machines for your rally.

Step Two: Try making a Baby UFO. Cut 2 strips of construction paper, one 3/4 x 6 1/2 inches and the other 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches. Make both into a loop. When you make the loops, overlap the ends 3/4 of an inch.

Step Three: Tape the ends of the strip on the inside and on the outside. Insert the ends of a drinking straw into the space between the overlapping ends. Fasten the straw to the loops with tape. Hold the UFO horizontally, with the small loop in front, and toss.

Step Four: Make a Mama UFO. Cut along 1 side of the trash bag, and open it up. Lay the hula hoop on it. Trace around the outside of the hoop with a marker.

Step Five: Cut out the circle. Tape it to the hula hoop with duct tape. Fly it like a giant flying disk!

A Stable Airplane Mobile has planes that fly, but it's planted firmly on the ground. On the next page, find out how to make a Stable Airplane Mobile.

Looking for more fun activities? Try:

When you make a Stable Airplane Mobile with your kids, you'll create a monument to flight that's rooted on the ground. A stable mobile doesn't need to hang from the ceiling. These planes are in the air, but they won't fly away.

How to Make a Stable Airplane Mobile

What You'll Need:

Step One: Prepare the plaster of Paris. Fill a can with the plaster, and, while it is still wet, stick 2 curved pieces of wire coat hanger in it to set.

Step Two: While the plaster is drying, fold 8 small airplanes from the origami paper.

Step Three: Paint the outside of the can after the plaster has hardened.

Step Four: Tie 2 chenille stems together with thread to form a cross, and repeat for another cross. Tie the crosses to the coat hangers. Glue thread to the airplanes, and tie them to the chenille stem ends.

Step Five: Place your mobile near an open window or on an outside table, and watch your airplanes fly!

Tell your kids to invite their friends over for String Rocket Races. Learn how to make string rockets on the next page.

Looking for more fun activities? Try:

When you plan String Rocket Races, tell your kids to invite some friends over for the rocket race show.

How to Make String Racing Rockets

What You'll Need:

Step One: Cut the bottom (the square end) off a small milk carton and discard. Spread glue on the outside of the remaining milk carton, and cover it with aluminum foil. Smooth the foil with your fingers to make sure it's all stuck down.

Step Two: Use markers to draw windows on your rocket, with an astronaut looking out. Cut a 1-inch piece of soda straw. Tape it on top of the milk carton.

Step Three: Thread the string through the straw. Tie one end of the string to a tree limb 10 to 20 feet away. Tie the other end of the string to a chair or limb.

Step Four: Put a balloon in the rocket, with the nozzle facing back. Blow up the balloon as big as you can. Release, and watch your rocket go!

Step Five: For rocket races, set up 2 string rockets. (Balloons are choking hazards -- keep them away from small children.)

Looking for more fun activities? Try:

ABOUT THE CRAFT DESIGNERS

Up, Up, and Away Rally by Lisa Lerner and Kersten Hamilton

Stable Airplane Mobile by Lisa Lerner and Kersten Hamilton

String Rocket Races by Lisa Lerner and Kersten Hamilton