Ready for takeoff!!  This is a super fun STEM activity. Creating a helicopter using paper and a drinking straw is a fun way to teach kids about weight, drag, and force.  Make a bunch and send them all into flight. You can drop these helicopters from high up or launch them using a straw.   So easy to make they are a fun homeschool art project or group activity.   Try out our other Kidfunideas Space theme projects too!

What you'll need:

• 1 regular size straw

• 1 smaller diameter straw than the fits inside the first straw. The ones that bend at the top work best.

• Helicopter wing and body template

• Crayons or colored pencils to decorate your helicopter

• Scissors

• Tape

• Glue stick

 

How to make it:

1. Cut out two of the helicopter mirror images.  If you are using the black and white version, color to decorate your helicopter. 

2. Take a 1-1/2” section of the larger diameter straw and tape one end closed.

3. Cut out the helicopter rotor piece and cut where indicated on the pattern.

4. Tape the straw (with the sealed side up) to one side of the base of the helicopter wing base and roll towards the center of the base.  When you get to the halfway point, wrap the other side of the base section around the straw and secure it with tape. 

5. Tape the rotor piece to one side of one of the helicopter images at the top on the non-printed side where the rotor would be.

6. Use a glue stick and coat the opposite helicopter image on the nonprinted side. 

7. Sandwich the straw between the helicopter images pressing down along the edges. 

To use your helicopter, insert the smaller diameter straw into the bottom of the straw inside the helicopter images and blow or, you can drop your helicopter from high up.