Giant Paper Airplanes

Use poster board to fold giant paper airplanes capable of flying across the yard. Add a stuffed animal pilot for even more fun!

Want tons of fun for about a dollar? This project is for you! These giant paper airplanes are made from a single sheet of poster board. They can be dressed up with markers, stickers, and tape and taken out to fly across the park or backyard. Fantastic for these last few days of summer!

What do I need to make giant paper airplanes?

Poster board: You want the standard 22″x28″ sized boards. I’ve also noticed that the boards that don’t have a shiny side work best for this, like the kind you can get from Dollar Tree. The shiny boards will work, but they don’t fold as well. In the end, you still get a giant airplane, it just has messier edges.

Tape: Packing tape works best for holding the airplane together. Duct or masking tape work well to reinforce the nose. I put a couple pieces on the bottom, then wrap a little around the nose.

Decorations: Markers, crayons, colored pencils, stickers, glue, glitter, and whatever else you can use on poster board!

Large Open Space: These airplanes are very sturdy. They will knock over and break things. I recommend using them at the park or in your backyard.

Stuffie Pilot: This is completely optional. It will slow your plane down and keep it from flying as far, but it’s my kids’ favorite part of this. I recommend a small, beanie baby type (like the husky in the photo). They stay in the best once the plane’s in the air!

How do I make giant paper airplanes?

The fun part of this project is that you can fold poster boards in just the same way you can fold paper! If you have a favorite airplane type, you can use it to create your airplane.

I like the ballista style of paper airplane for this project. It’s relatively easy to fold, even for my origami-challenged self, and it’s easy to tuck a stuffed animal into. That’s my kids’ favorite part, so it was a must for the design.

Below, you’ll find 2 tutorials on how to fold a ballista. One is still photographs, the other, a video. Happy folding!