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National Paper Airplane Day

Grab a piece of paper, fold it up, and let fly. Challenge your friends and family to a contest, and see who can make the fastest or farthest-flying plane.

Hobbies & Activities Items & Things Toys & Games35

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Activate DIY and STEM engagement through paper airplane challenges and origami tutorials, targeting families and hobbyists with low-cost, accessible content.

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DIY Paper Airplane Challenge: Share folding tutorials and contest rules to drive user-generated content and engagement
Origami & STEM Learning: Position paper airplane making as a creative, screen-free activity for kids and families
Guinness World Record Attempts: Highlight record-breaking paper airplane feats to inspire viral challenge participation
Nostalgia Marketing: Tap into childhood memories of paper airplane play to build emotional connection with millennial and gen-x parents

History

We weren’t kidding when we said that Wilbur and Orville Wright’s achievements weren’t THAT impressive, at least when it comes to creating a craft that can fly.

Ok, so it definitely wasn’t the same thing as their amazing machine and the impressive changes it made to the world, but the fundamental concepts may have been developed in the humble medium that is the paper plane.

So just how old IS the art of the paper plane? Well, certainly you’re familiar with an art form out of Asia known as origami? It followed on the heels of the creation of paper in 500 BCE.

While we’re uncertain precisely where the first paper airplane was formed, what we do know is that for the next thousand years paper airplanes were the form of man-made aircraft that got the most attention.

Even Da Vinci was inspired by this, as many of his models and sketches proposed for manned aircraft were suggested to be made out of parchment. The Wright Brothers were known to study paper aircraft extensively in their development of that first amazing flight.

Furthermore, during World War II paper airplanes became even more interesting of a concept to many. Due to rationing, it wasn’t feasible to make toys from plastic or metal. However, paper was a widely available resource in which children’s toys could be made.

Also, Wallis Rigby designed some of the most sought after paper airplanes during this time. He was an Englishman who moved to the United States during the 1930s.

Wallis took his liking to paper airplanes seriously and published his models as books or box sets. He was even kind enough to print some in the Sunday newspaper in the comic section for all to experience.

There was a shortage of ink at the time, which led to some strange color schemes. Even today, his designs that had “tab and slot” construction are a prized collector’s item.

So while we may have thought of them as little more than simple toys and ways to annoy our teachers, they’ve actually played a vital role in one of the most important inventions in the transportation industry, the plane.

They’re around for a good reason and continue to play a part in people’s lives today, both in the paper form and as a machine with the ability to transport someone from one location to the next. One could even say that ultimately, paper planes put us on the moon.

How to celebrate

Make a Paper Airplane

Just pick up a piece of paper and fold it into one of many favorite airplane shapes and give it a toss! Challenge friends and family to see who can make the most remarkable paper airplane that can stay in the air the longest. Attempting to fold the perfect paper airplane can be tricky and will take time and patience.

Try a Fancier Version

Looking for something a bit more challenging? The typical wedge-shaped paper airplane is just the simplest form. There are books, clubs, and hobbyists who all engage in the past-time of creating complex paper airplanes that can reach amazing distances with surprising stability. Use this as a chance to read up on the subject matter and see what new creations emerge from putting some thought into the process.

Enter a Contest

There are contests to enter and people one can take on to see who can fold the best paper airplane. In fact, Star Wars fans from all around have taken paper airplane making to a new level by making paper models of the spacecraft from the film franchise through well-practiced origami skills. There’s even a Guinness World Record one can try to beat in their free time.

Research and Learn

It may also be fun and enjoyable to perform research and practice folding and making the perfect paper airplane. There are websites, books, blogs, and resources out there worth checking out and taking the time to read. There are a lot of tips and tricks to learn about that will help anyone to increase their ability to build a paper airplane that will look remarkable and fly great distances.

Get the Gang Together

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to gather friends together and see who can be the most creative when it comes to folding paper into unique shapes that mimic the airplane. National Paper Airplane Day is a chance to show up one’s younger self by creating the best paper airplane ever!

FAQ

How do paper airplanes actually stay in the air?

A paper airplane flies because four main forces act on it: lift, weight, thrust, and drag. Lift is created as air flows over and under the wings, weight is the pull of gravity, thrust comes from the throw, and drag is air resistance that slows it down. The balance between these forces, along with a good wing shape and a straight, stable design, allows a paper airplane to glide for surprisingly long distances.

Why do some paper airplane designs fly farther than others?

Designs that fly far usually have narrow, streamlined bodies, long wings with sharp leading edges, and enough weight in the nose to help them cut through the air without tumbling. Small adjustments to wing angle, wingtip folds, and the center of gravity can reduce drag and improve stability, which often matters more than throwing harder. Record‑setting planes are typically carefully tuned gliders rather than complicated-looking models.

What can children learn from making and flying paper airplanes?

Building and testing paper airplanes gives children a hands-on way to explore basic physics and engineering ideas, such as forces, motion, gravity, and design testing. It also supports skills like measuring, predicting, recording results, and improving a prototype. Many educators use paper airplanes in STEM lessons to introduce scientific inquiry, data collection, and the engineering design process in a low-cost, accessible way.

Did paper airplanes really play a role in the development of real aircraft?

Simple paper and parchment models were part of early thinking about human flight. Historical records show that Leonardo da Vinci experimented with folded and lightweight gliding concepts, and later aviation pioneers used small paper or cardboard models to explore wing shapes and stability before building full-size machines. These models allowed inventors to test ideas about lift and control cheaply and safely long before wind tunnels were common.

Are there official world records for paper airplane flights?

Yes. Guinness World Records tracks categories such as greatest distance flown and longest time aloft for paper airplanes. These records are usually set in large indoor spaces to avoid wind and rely on highly refined designs and trained throwers. The rules typically require the plane to be made from a single sheet of uncut, unglued paper, which pushes designers to get maximum performance from folding techniques alone.

Is using paper for airplanes and other crafts environmentally harmful?

The environmental impact depends on the type and amount of paper used and how it is disposed of. Paper from sustainably managed forests or recycled sources has a lower footprint than paper from poorly managed or illegally logged forests. When paper airplanes are recycled after use instead of thrown away, more of the material is recovered and less waste goes to landfills, which helps reduce overall impact.

What safety precautions are recommended when flying paper airplanes around others?

Safety experts advise keeping paper airplanes away from faces, especially eyes, and choosing open spaces free of fragile objects. Dull-nosed or rounded designs are safer than sharply pointed ones, particularly for young children. It is also wise to set clear throwing directions in classrooms or group settings and to avoid flights in crowded indoor areas where people may not see a plane coming.