Make a flying paper helicopter with this easy STEM activity for kids. Explore air resistance and gravity with a free printable template and science challenges.
What kid doesn’t like paper airplanes?
They’re simple, fun, and somehow always end up flying straight into a wall or a sibling.
Well… today we’re taking paper airplanes up a notch and making a paper helicopter instead! This easy paper helicopter STEM activity is perfect for preschoolers and young kids because the helicopters are quick to make, fun to test, and absolutely mesmerizing to watch as they spin through the air.
You might be wondering how a paper helicopter flies. With paper airplanes, you throw them forward, and they glide. A paper helicopter works a little differently. Instead of flying forward, it falls straight down while spinning, just like a real helicopter descending from the sky. Those spinning blades aren’t just for show – they help slow the fall and introduce kids to big science ideas like air resistance and gravity.
To make things extra easy, there’s a free paper helicopter template you can print out and use to create a working helicopter in just a few minutes. Grab some paper, scissors, and a paper clip, and you’re ready to start experimenting.
Let’s fly a paper helicopter!
How to Make a Paper Helicopter That Flies
Supplies:
- Paper (printer paper or cardstock)
- Paper clip (used as weight)
- Scissors
- Free paper helicopter printable template
Instructions:
1. Print out the paper helicopter template.
2. Cut along the outside border of the helicopter.
3. (Optional) Have your kid create his/her own design on the helicopter.
4. Cut along the solid black lines (be careful to leave the dotted lines alone).
5. Fold panel B along the dotted line toward the center.
6. Fold panel A along the dotted line toward the center on top of B.
7. Fold panel C along the dotted line downward.
8. Push the paper clip onto panel C and push it all the way in.
9. Fold the two rotor panels (D and E) along the dotted line so that one bends forward and the other backward. These are the blades of the helicopter.
10. Turn the helicopter so that the blades are on top. Drop the helicopter from above your head and watch it spin!
My kids loved playing with the paper helicopters so much that we made 5 of them!
Since our second floor overlooks the first floor, we were able to drop the helicopters off the second-floor landing. You can really see how much the blades spin when the helicopters descend from that height.
Why Does the Paper Helicopter Spin? (Science Explained)
This simple project introduces big science ideas in a very kid-friendly way:
Gravity – why objects fall and how fast they do
Air resistance – how air pushes against moving objects
As the paper helicopter drops, air pushes upward against the blades. This upward push causes the blades to slant slightly instead of staying flat.
Because the helicopter has two blades folded in opposite directions, the air pushes on each blade differently. As more air pushes upward on the slanted blades, some of that push changes from straight up and down (vertical) to sideways (horizontal). That sideways push is what makes the blades spin faster and faster as the helicopter falls.
The paper clip plays an important role, too. It adds weight to the bottom of the helicopter, which helps pull it straight down and encourages the blades to tilt into the correct slanted position. This makes the spinning motion more stable and easier to see.
Together, gravity pulls the helicopter down, air resistance pushes back, and the slanted blades turn that push into spinning — just like a real helicopter descending from the sky.
Paper Helicopter Science Extensions
Once your kids get the hang of making and flying their paper helicopter, it’s time to turn this activity into a real STEM experiment! Encourage kids to make predictions, test their ideas, and talk about what they notice.
Try these fun paper helicopter challenges:
- Add an extra paper clip
What happens when the helicopter is heavier? Does it fall faster? Does it spin more or less? - Remove the paper clip entirely
Try dropping the helicopter with no paper clip. Does it flutter? Spin slower? Drift off course? - Use different paper
Print the paper helicopter template on cardstock instead of regular printer paper or vice versa. How does the stiffness and weight of the paper change the way it falls? - Throw it upward instead of dropping it
Gently toss the helicopter up into the air and watch what happens on the way down. Does it spin longer? Does it land in the same place? - Drop it from different heights
Try dropping the helicopter from a chair, a step stool, or the top of the stairs (with supervision). Does starting higher change how long it spins? - Target challenge
Draw a circle target on the floor and try to land the helicopter inside it. Can kids adjust the design to improve accuracy?
Ask kids questions like:
- What change made the biggest difference?
- Which helicopter stayed in the air the longest?
- What would you change if you built a new one?
These simple tweaks turn a fun craft into an engineering challenge, helping kids build confidence as they test ideas, make mistakes, and try again, just like real scientists and engineers.
Final Thoughts on the Paper Helicopter Experiment
The paper helicopter is an easy and fun activity that you can do with minimal supplies. It’s a fun way to spend a rainy day inside, but you can also take it outdoors to see how the paper helicopter flies in the wind!
I will warn you, my kids loved flying the paper helicopters so much that we must have done it over 20 times. That’s a lot of stairs to climb! So you’re welcome for your cardio workout for the day.
For more fun STEM experiments, check out:
- How to Make Flying Paper Helicopter with 3 Blades
- How to Make a DIY Plastic Bag Parachute
- How to Make a Straw Airplane
- Build a Balloon Rocket that Blasts Off!
- Straw Rockets Activity (with Free Rocket Printable)
- Balloon Rocket Experiment: STEM Activity for Preschoolers
We loved this activity. My 7-year-old has been making paper airplanes and wanted a helicopter. He was thrilled when it actually worked.