This fun engineering activity challenges students to create a plane that can fly far. Students can build and test their planes until they create a design that flies the farthest.

Materials:

  • Pool noodles
  • Cardboard
  • Foam tray
  • Plastic Easter eggs
  • Pennies

Instructions:

  • Create the fuselage, or body, using pool noodles (students can test various lengths). Students may decide to leave the fuselage with straight areas in the front and back or have a slanted front and a straight back.
  • Cut slots in both sides of the fuselage.
  • Cut triangular shaped wings from the cardboard. Some students may decide to use the foam trays to create the wings.
  • Insert the wings into the slots.
  • Cut a small slit in the back end of the fuselage to insert small cardboard tails.
  • Insert an Easter egg into the front of the fuselage to create a nose cone for the plane. Place pennies inside the eggs to add more weight to the front of the plane.
  • Fly the planes!
  • Keep building and testing to determine which combination of fuselage, wings and additional items will allow the plane to fly the farthest.

Source: http://jdaniel4smom.com/2015/06/engineering-for-kids-pool-noodle-airplanes.html