How to Fold and Fly Paper Planes with KiwiCo Fliers

Quick answer

The KiwiCo Fold & Play Fliers kit includes materials and instructions for three paper aircraft: a helicopter, a hoop glider, and a stunt plane. Follow the steps below to fold, decorate, and test each one.

Step-by-step folding and flying guide

1. Make the Helicopter: Fold the paper along the pre-printed lines to form the rotor blades and body. Attach a paper clip to the bottom for weight. Drop it from a height and watch it spin as it falls. Common mistake: folding too tightly. Leave the rotor blades slightly loose so they catch air and spin.
2. Build the Hoop Glider: Tape the paper strip into a hoop and attach it to the straw with tape. Add the second smaller hoop at the other end. Gently toss it forward — it should glide in a wide, slow arc. Checkpoint: make sure both hoops are round and the straw is straight. A bent straw will make the glider veer off course.
3. Assemble the Stunt Plane: Fold the paper along the dashed lines to create the wings and body. Insert the straw as the fuselage and secure with tape. Throw it with a bit of force to see it loop or dive. Common mistake: throwing too hard. Start with a gentle toss and increase power gradually to find the sweet spot for tricks.
4. Decorate with Color-Changing Markers: Color the white areas of each flier with the included markers. The color will appear as a different shade when you hold the flier in sunlight or near a warm lamp. The color change works best on the white paper sections. Avoid coloring over the fold lines or tape areas.
5. Test and Tweak the Flight: Fly each flier a few times and observe its path. Adjust the paper clips, tape, or wing folds slightly to change how it flies. For example, bending the stunt plane's wings up makes it climb; bending them down makes it dive. Small adjustments make a big difference. Encourage kids to change one thing at a time so they see what works.

What comes in the kit

• Fold & Play Fliers: The kit includes pre-printed paper sheets, color-changing markers, paper clips, straws, tape, and step-by-step instructions for three fliers. You don't need to buy extra supplies. The color-changing markers add a fun decoration step, and the included materials ensure each flier works as designed.