DIY Face-to-Face Glider

Making the Glider

• 1

  Make a "paper" airplane of your choosing out of the thick paper or cardboard. You can use a folded paper airplane, or you can cut out the body and wings, then tape the wings to the body. Allow your child to decorate the glider with crayons or markers, if desired.

• 2

  Attach the metal washer to the nose area of the glider with the tape. This washer can be taped inside the nose of a folded plane or on one side on the outside of your glider. The small metal washer is used to give weight so the glider will move.

• 3

  Cut a piece of string the desired length so that two people can stand about 4 to 5 feet away from each other while having enough string to hang onto comfortably. If the string is not very smooth, rub beeswax over it to give it a smoother texture so that the glider can slide easily back and forth across it.

• 4

  Punch a hole in the glider between the nose and the middle of the airplane with the hole punch. You don't want to make the hole too far back, as the nose is weighted down with the metal washer. You will make the hole closer to the nose area of the glider.

• 5

  Slip the paper clip through the punched hole and wind around so that the large end is up and can be slid over the string. Slide the paper clip over the string.

Using Your Glider

• 6

  Start the glider at one end of the string. Have the child on that end raise the string while the other child lowers the string. Watch the glider slide to the second child. Then, the second child can raise the string while the first child lowers it to return the glider to the starting position. Let the kids take turns facing the front and back of the glider.

• 7

  Use a small piece of wire or even a Christmas ornament hook instead of a paper clip, if desired. If the glider doesn't slide well despite a smooth string, you may want to use a larger metal washer for more weight on the front of the plane.

• 8

  Use yarn, string, thin rope or laundry line for the string to let the glider slide back and forth.