Straw Airplanes
This straw airplane wasn’t as easy to make as it was made to look in the photos provided. It was fun nonetheless. I will say that it flies very well despite the less-than-perfect geometric shape.
Let’s face it, finding ways to be creative can get exceedingly hard as the summer days roll on. Trying to keep our littles occupied and free from boredom is a full-time job. The cost of summer programs can be overwhelming. The local rec department offers day programs, but I’ve seen some things that raise red flags for overall safety (especially these days) for my child. I should probably clarify that last statement. I have been at the local rec field with my child while summer programs were in progress. The camp
“counselors”, if you will, seemed to be barely old enough to be out of camp themselves. Anyway, while my child played, more than one child strayed from their group to play with her, and the chaperones never seemed to notice the missing child. I may have gone off on a tangent there, but the fact remains that you can never be too safe these days.
All that to say you need to find safer, less expensive, and more creative ways to occupy your little pride and joys. One way we have discovered to do this is through our local library. There is a summer reading program that rewards their milestones in reading with small gifts. They earn raffle tickets for just showing up at the library, for attending activities offered at the library, and for getting out and doing regular summer things (like swimming, hiking, learning something new, etc.). This has encouraged my child to read way more than she normally cares to. It’s a win-win in my opinion. So what does this program actually consist of? Well, there are almost daily offerings.
Contents
Typical Weekly Schedule for the Library
- Mondays are “Take & Make” crafts (many of which we recreate here for you). No need to feel bummed if you miss the project time slot either. They bag them up and put them out for the remainder of the week to be taken home. Here’s one you may have missed.
- Tuesdays are for story hour. They make it an adventure when they can by taking the story on the road to local farms or hiking areas.
- Wednesdays can be many things; Ukelele lessons, Sand exploration, Food Exploration, magicians, hikes, and even Yoga classes for the young ones.
- Thursdays are a day off.
- Fridays are for exploration and random activities.
- Saturdays they even have occasional activities to do with the whole family such as S’mores on the green or mini golf on the green.
Instructions for Straw Airplane
Materials:
- Scissors
- Tape
- Construction paper
- 4 straws
On the long edge cut 2 strips (about 1″ wide). Take one of the strips and fold it in half lengthwise and cut it. You now have 2 strips. Tape each strip into a ring. Next, cut off the bendable end of the straws (if you have this kind) so that you have 4 straight pieces. Now space the straws evenly and tape to the INSIDE of the larger ring. Lastly, position the ring at the tip of the straws and tape the straws to the OUTSIDE of the small ring.
Now go give your straw airplane a fly!
Print out these instructions at the link below.
The orignial activity found at: krokotak | Straw Airplane
