How to Make an Easy Paper Airplane for Kids
This is the simplest plane on the site: a centre crease, two corners folded in, the fold in half and the wings. With broad wings and a short nose it flies slowly and gently, forgives crooked folds and suits soft throws, which makes it ideal for young children and first-time folders. It takes about two minutes and one sheet of printer paper.
At a glance
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- About 2 min
- Steps
- 5 (4 folds)
- Paper
- A4 or US Letter
- Best for
- First flights and young children
How to fold the Easy kids plane
Only four folds and broad wings, so it forgives crooked folds and gentle throws. A good first plane for young children.
Difficulty: Easy · Best for: First flights · 5 steps
Printable fold-line template
Page 1 is the A4 sheet with every fold line printed in place and numbered; page 2 has the steps. Print at 100% (Actual size) on ordinary 80 g/m² (20 lb) copy paper.
Test flight: Easy kids plane
Toy model — not a predictionA simplified 2D flight model driven by the folded shape: its wing area, weight and balance point. Drag from the hand in the direction of the throw — a longer drag throws harder — or use the sliders.
Drag on the picture or press Throw.
- Weight:
- 5.0 g
- Wing area:
- 350 cm²
- Wingspan:
- 15.2 cm
- Balance point:
- 155 mm behind the nose
- Balance on the wing:
- 39% of average chord
- Steady glide:
- 1.5 m/s, 1.7 : 1
Weight assumes 80 g/m² paper. The model treats the plane as one flat, rigid wing: lift and drag of a thin plate, a centre of pressure that moves back as the nose rises, and bent-up elevators that add a nose-up moment. Real flights also depend on crease quality, wing symmetry, twist and air currents.
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Step-by-step instructions
The same 5 steps as the animation above, written out so you can fold away from the screen. Measurements are for an A4 sheet; switch the tool above to US Letter for Letter-size measurements and template.
Step 1
Lay the sheet portrait, printed side up. Fold it in half lengthwise, crease firmly and unfold again. The centre crease is your guide for every fold that follows.
Step 2
Fold both top corners in to the centre crease so the top becomes a point.
Step 3
Turn the plane over and fold it in half along the centre crease, so the folded flaps end up on the outside. Turn it so the nose points left.
Step 4
Fold the top wing down along a line parallel to the bottom edge, about 2.9 cm (1 1/8 in) above it. Turn over and fold the other wing to match.
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Step 5
Open the wings until they are level. Pinch the body closed under the wings so it does not spring open in flight.
How to throw the easy kids plane
- Hold it under the wings, close to the nose, and push it forward gently and level.
- Throw indoors or on a calm day: broad, light wings are blown about by wind.
Young children tend to throw too hard or too high. Show them a gentle forward push at shoulder height, like sliding the plane off a table, and let the wide wings do the work. A soft, level launch gives the longest, calmest flight.
Trimming and troubleshooting
Trimming means small bends to the back edges of the wings (the elevators) and the wing angle. Change one thing at a time and test-throw after each change.
- Dives: curl the back edges of both wings up slightly.
- Swoops up and falls back: the back edges are bent up too much, flatten them.
- Wings flapping open: hold them level with a small piece of tape across the body under the wings.
- It flips over straight away
- The wings are probably uneven. Fold them again so they match, and open them flat rather than drooping.
- It only flies a short way
- Check the creases are firm (run a fingernail along each one) and throw a little harder, keeping it level.
- Little hands keep squashing the nose
- Hold the plane under the body behind the nose rather than at the tip, and fold a spare plane for when the first one gets worn.
About the easy kids plane
Many paper airplanes ask for precise folds that are hard for small fingers. This one only needs folds that line up with an edge or the centre crease, so a child of five or six can usually fold it with a little help, and older children can fold it alone after watching the animation once.
The wide wings give it a lot of lift for its weight, so it flies slowly and is easy to follow with your eyes. That also makes it safer indoors than a fast dart. The downside is that it is easily blown about outdoors and it will not break any distance records, but for learning how planes fly, it is hard to beat.
When your child is comfortable with it, move on to the classic dart for speed or the loop stunt plane for tricks: both use the same first folds, so the new steps build on what they already know.
Easy Kids Plane paper airplane: questions
What age is this paper airplane suitable for?+
Most children can fold it with help from about five years old and on their own from about seven. Younger children enjoy flying one an adult has folded.
What is the easiest paper airplane to make?+
This design is about as easy as it gets: four folds, all lined up with an edge or the centre crease, with no precise measurements needed.
Can kids decorate the plane before folding?+
Yes. Drawing on the paper first is part of the fun. Keep it to pens or pencils, since thick paint or stickers add weight and can make it fly poorly.
Why does my child's plane keep diving?+
Curl the back edges of both wings up very slightly and encourage a gentle, level throw instead of throwing downward.
Fold another paper airplane
Classic Dart
The sharp-nosed plane most people learn first. Fast, straight and happiest with a hard throw.
Loop Stunt Plane
A square-nosed plane with broad wings and strongly bent-up elevators. Throw it hard upward and it loops.
Classic Glider
A blunt, folded-back nose and wide wings. It flies slowly and floats a long way from a gentle throw.