Easy paper airplane guide for kids

So grab your paper, start folding and prepare to take flight!

The basic | The dart | The glider | The stable

The basic paper airplane

1. Lay a piece of A4 paper on a flat surface
2. Fold the paper in half lengthwise
3. Unfold the paper and lay it flat
4. Fold the left and right corners down to meet at the centre crease, firmly flatten the folded edges so there are sharp diagonal creases
5. Turn the paper over, then fold the same corners in again
6. Fold the nose of the plane down towards you
7. Fold the plane in half
8. Fold down the wings

Credit and video: CBBC

The dart paper airplane

1. Lay a piece of A4 paper on a flat surface
2. Fold the paper in half lengthwise
3. Unfold the paper and lay it flat
4. Fold the left and right corners down to meet at the centre crease, firmly flatten the folded edges so there are sharp diagonal creases
5. Fold the top diagonal edges down to meet in the centre so they align with the centre crease. Again, firmly press down on the fold to create a sharp crease
6. Fold the paper back against the centre valley crease and lay the folded paper on one side
7. To complete the first wing, fold the diagonal side down so that it aligns with the centre fold and press firmly to make a crisp crease
8. Flip the plane over and repeat to create the opposite wing (tip: make sure the wings are shaped symmetrically to ensure straight, level flight)
9. Test and fly your plane — you can add paper clips or tape to the wings of the plane to add extra weight and potentially improve its aerodynamics

Credit: The Spruce Crafts

The glider paper airplane

1. Lay a piece of A4 paper on a flat surface
2. Fold the paper in half lengthwise
3. Unfold the paper and lay it flat
4. Fold the left and right corners down so they meet at the centre to make a triangle shape, firmly flatten the folded edges so there are sharp diagonal creases
5. Fold the top point down so that the crease you make is 1 inch above the bottom edge of your triangle shape
6. Take the top right side corner of your paper and fold it towards the central crease
7. Repeat with the left side
8. Open up the creases you have just made, then fold each corner towards the diagonal crease that you have just made
9. Fold both corners towards the centre crease, there should be a small triangle shape in the middle of the creases
10. Fold the triangle up over the creases
11. Fold the plane in half along the crease so your folds are on the outside
12. Take one side of the plane, fold the edge so it lands on the bottom corner
13. Repeat on the other side

Credit: Foldable Flight

The stable paper airplane

1. Lay a piece of A4 paper on a flat surface
2. Fold the paper in half lengthwise
3. Unfold the paper and lay it flat
4. Fold the left and right corners down so they meet at the centre to make a triangle shape, firmly flatten the folded edges so there are sharp diagonal creases
5. Fold the top point down so you create a square (your paper should look like an envelope)
6. Fold the top two corners to the centre (about an inch above the downward-facing point) to form a triangle shape on the top and a diamond shape on the bottom
7. Fold the downward-facing point up to secure the flaps
8. Fold the plane in half away from you (so your flaps are on the outside) and flatten it out
9. Fold each
10. Fold the edges down towards the edge of the paper to create the wide wings
11. You're done!

Credit: Fold 'N Fly

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