Hobbies And Interests
Differing Designs
Have kids make paper airplanes of different designs, making sure to change the size and shape of the wings. The size of the paper used also should be noted. Look for different design descriptions on dedicated websites as well as encourage kids to create their own designs.
Experiment
Take the kids to a large, open area where there is no wind, such as a sports hall. Have the kids throw each type of plane five times and measure the distance each plane can fly. They should note the distances, then calculate an average distance for each design. The plane that goes the furthest will be an example of good aerodynamics and how a plane must be shaped to stay in the air.
Other Adaptations
Make adaptations to the paper plane designs, such as using scissors to cut flaps on the back of the wings and a rudder for the tail, or adding a paper clip or two to the nose. Then try new experiments. Have the kids position the flaps up and down, and note what happens to the plane's flight trajectory when the flaps are in different positions. Do the same for the tail. Then see how the added weight of the clips affects the flight distance. Have the kids record the results.
Materials
The best material to use for the experiments is copier paper, which can be relatively cheap to obtain. Use the same type of paper for every plane design to obtain fair results.