DIY Aeroplane Craft Tutorial (that flies!)

In this lesson we are going to create craft aeroplanes and go on a flying adventure to wonderful destinations! 

You can use different types of recycled materials you have at home or in your studio for this activity. Be creative!

Recommended for ages 4 to 12.

This craft is loaded with fun and important Superskills:

• Fine Motor Skills
• Bilateral Integration
• Free- Play

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

• 2 Toilet Paper rolls, kitchen paper towel roll or thick paper rolled up in a tube
• Scissors
• Scraps of cardboard, old box or a paper plate
• Stickers or paper
• Crayons, Sharpies or Coloring Pencils
• If painting: Watercolor paint/ Tempera watercolor cakes, Paintbrush, Water in a bowl
• Duct tape or any other tape
• Rope or wool/ yarn
  
  

Click this image to download the lesson plan or follow the step-by-step instructions below: 

Step 1: Connect two toilet paper rolls together with tape. You can also use a paper towel roll or long box (similar to a toothpaste box shape). 

Step 2: Cut a total of 4 slots. Two at the bottom (directly opposite each other) and two at the top (also directly opposite each other).

Step 3: Draw and cut x2 wings out of cardboard (a paper plate, old box or any cardboard scraps). You can cut rectangular wings or wings with round edges for better aerodynamics.

Step 4: Slide the wings into the slots at the top and bottom of the toilet rolls. Create deeper slots if needed and also adjust the wing sizes if needed.

Step 5: You can cut a slot at the top at the back as well for a tail (adults to assist with this step).

Step 6: Cut a tail out of cardboard and push it into the newly created slot.

Step 7: Cut stickers or pieces of paper into any shape to create windows and stick the windows onto the aeroplane. Add other decorations. Perhaps there are people inside? Draw them in! Be creative!

Step 8: Decorate your aeroplane with crayons, colorful tape, Sharpies or coloring pencils.

Step 9: Decorate further using paint. You can also add a pilot in front, cut a small hole and use a cork or cardboard cutout as a pilot (view the cover photo for inspiration).

Step 10: Put one end of a long piece of rope through the toilet roll. Tie that end of the rope to the bottom of a table's leg or something heavy (e.g. a bag of potatoes or a door stop).

Step 11: Ask the kids where they are going to fly to before they fly off! 

Walk to the other side of the room, taking your aeroplane and the other end of the rope with you, hold the rope up above your head, or stand on a jungle gym, or on a bed and let your aeroplane fly across the room!!!

We'd love to see how your project turned out, please comment below!

Want more? Click the image below to DOWNLOAD another free lesson plan.

We have loads of detailed lesson plans within the Creative Crafting Club — an online membership designed to help you start and grow a sustainable, meaningful kids crafting club in your community. 

If this sounds like something you might be interested in, get on the waitlist now. Enrollment only happens twice a year!