Hoop Gliders--a twist on the paper airplane

Photo credit: Seth Chrisman
A drinking straw and paper combine to make
an easy version of the paper airplane

Here's What You Need:

a straight drinking straw

construction paper

scissors

tape

Here's What You Do:

*Cut two strips of paper,  (we used colored construction paper)  One strip is 1" wide and 10" long--one is 1" wide and 5" long.

*Make a hoop with the long strip and tape it to one end of the straw.  Make a hoop with the shorter strip and tape it to the other end of the straw.

To Launch:

Hold the glider in the middle of the straw with the smaller hoop pointing forward.  Gently throw the glider with a slight angle up.  Keep trying!  Sometimes it glides very well and sometimes it crashes too soon.  If you tried to throw the straw alone, it would simply fall to the ground--but the hoops act as wings and when the air moves beneath them, your glider floats in the air!