4 Easy Ways to Make a Paper Airplane (Step-by-Step)

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Kids absolutely love making paper airplanes, but it can be confusing at first! Learn how to make a paper airplane the easy way with these simple paper airplane designs. Each one has step-by-step instructions to make it so easy!

If you need something to keep the kids busy during break, we’ve got just the thing for you! We’ve really enjoyed the movie Paper Planes, and now we’re sharing four awesome paper airplane tutorials for you to fold your own!

You can easily plan a whole day around this one. First, you can watch the movie, and then you can have the whole family make paper aeroplanes and fold these planes and finish it off with all kinds of races. Whose will fly the highest? Whose the furthest?

How to Make a Paper Airplane – Easy

Below, you’ll find 4 simple designs to make great paper airplanes. Each one has a step-by-step tutorial with pictures to make it so simple! This is a great way to practice those fine motor skills and be creative.

For these paper crafts, you just need a regular sheet of paper. I like to use regular printer paper. 

You can always upgrade to thicker paper, like cardstock, once you master these steps!

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Just be sure to follow the easy instructions and make sharp creases. That’s it!

The Classic Dart

The design is inspired by the classic paper plane with a simple difference that will make it look even fancier. It’s inspired by real airplanes and is the easiest of the DIY paper airplanes in this post.

Folding directions

1. Fold the paper in half long ways. Fold the top corners to meet at the center crease.
2. Fold the outer edges to the center.
3. Fold in half horizontally.
4. Fold down the sides to form the wing. 

The Raptor

This is another one with a fierce name and a pretty sleek look.

Folding directions

1. Fold a crease along the middle of the page (lengthwise) and create a straight line. 
2. Fold the top left corner down to make a right triangle. Follow the same set for the right side. This process is similar to how you would fold a piece of paper to make a square.
3. Find the center point where the folds meet. Fold the in half widthwise along that center point.
4. Press your finger into the intersecting point to pop out the form of the airplane.
5. Fold the section at the top of the paper down. Then fold the sides to the middle crease.
6. ​Fold the airplane in half.
7. Fold the wings of the airplane down to line up with the center.

The Defier

I just love the name of this one. The Defier just sounds so fierce, doesn’t it? With its unusual shape, it looks that way too. Fun to fold and even more fun to fly!

Folding directions

1. Fold the top right corner and bottom left corner of a regular piece of paper to form a diagonal crease down the center of the page.
2. Create three small creases along this center line to form a spine.
3. Roll the paper along a round surface to turn this spine into a round shape.
4. ​Form the airplane into a circle.
5. Place the end of one of the sides into the opening on the other side to enclose the circle.

The Manta Ray

Don’t you just love this one? Look how unique it looks, and just wait until you try to fly this one! This is the hardest one in this post, so it might be best to try some of the easier ones first!

Folding directions

1. Fold a piece of paper in half to make a diagonal line (match the top right corner with the bottom left corner).
2. Crease and then fold down the edge from the previous step in three tiny folds to create a spine.
3. Roll the paper along the edge of a desk or other round surface to create a manta ray-type curve.

There we have it: a whole lot of fancy aeroplanes to fold. Be sure to pin these so you can fold them anytime and check out our KiddyCharts Free Printables Pinterest board for more fun printable activities.

Follow Helen Neale – KiddyCharts’s board FREE Printables with kids on Pinterest.

Which paper aeroplane do you like the most? I think that my son’s favourite is the Raptor, but that is probably because he is just a little bit dinosaur mad….

Enjoy, and do share with us below in the comments how you get on as well.