Flying Foam Airplanes

crayola supplies

Paint Brushes
Washable Kid's Paint
Washable Sidewalk Paint
No-Run School Glue
Blunt-Tip Scissors

household supplies

recycled newspaper
paper towels
recycled foam produce trays
container(s) of water
recycled gift wrap or paper towel roll

Why

How do airplanes stay in the sky? Kids' creativity flies high when they experiment with basic aerodynamics.

Steps

1. Discover the hundreds of different kinds of airplanes there are. Find out about how airplanes fly. Use these ideas to invent your own planes! This is just one idea.
2. With Crayola® Scissors, cut slits at both ends of a cardboard tube. Cut pieces of foam to form the nose and tail of the plane, and slide them through the slits. Cut a small slit in front of the tail and add a foam stabilizer. Cut foam into two wings. Cut a slit into each side of the cardboard roll. Insert wings into slits.
3. Use Crayola School Glue to secure loose airplane parts.
4. Cover your work area with newspaper. Using Crayola Washable Kid's Paint and Crayola Paint Brushes, color and decorate your airplane with windows and a name or logo. Dry.
5. With an adult, choose an outdoor paved area that is clean, safe, and free from traffic. With Crayola Sidewalk Paint and a brush, design a hangar and landing strip for your plane. See how well it can fly!

When & Where

"Kids experimented with several designs and worked in teams. They measured distances to see which planes could fly the farthest."
- Beth N., camp counselor.

"My son's birthday party really took off with Flying Foam! The kids quickly ate cake while the paint dried!"
- Jean-Pierre R., dad of 8-year-old.

Interesting Info

On November 2, 1947, the Spruce Goose flew for one mile at an altitude of 70 feet. It was the largest aircraft ever built! The Spruce Goose was a huge 8-engine seaplane with a wingspan longer than a football field! Multimillionaire Howard Hughes had it built as a troop transport. When the Pentagon didn't want it, he put the plane into storage and it was never flown again!

Safety Guidelines

Adult Assistance is required for this arts & crafts project.

Crayola Washable Paints—Not for use as body/face paint.

Recycled Cardboard Tubes—Use paper towel tubes, gift-wrap tubes, or long cardboard tubes that can be cut to any length. Health professionals caution against using recycled toilet paper tubes for arts & crafts projects because of the potential fecal contamination.

Recycled Foam Produce Trays—Wash in hot, soapy water. No meat or poultry trays should be used.

Scissors—ATTENTION: The cutting edges of scissors are sharp and care should be taken whenever cutting or handling. Blunt-tip scissors should be used only by children 4 years and older. Pointed-tip scissors should be used only by children 6 years and older.