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Paper Airplanes.
Jul. 1st, 2013 10:47 amLess than a year ago, if C wanted a paper airplane to play with, he would entreat various members of the family (usually me first, but sometimes his Father or elder sister would do) to make one for him. Then would usually follow repeated requests for more airplanes as he lost one after another. Even though we tried to show him how to make his own, he insisted it was too hard and wanted someone else to do it for him.
It got old, fast.
Then a couple of months ago, something changed. C started making his own paper airplanes. I'm not talking about the typical symmetrical designs the rest of the family tended to make. His own designs. Oddly folded, uneven wings, varying styles. He had turned into a paper airplane experimental engineer. His planes weren't sleek and balanced. They looked a little haphazard, really.
The thing is, they flew. Flew better than any of the carefully folded, symmetrical airplanes I'd ever made.
C told me, "I learned how to make them by trying random things." He continues to make differently folded airplanes. He has a system for testing them. He throws them very soft, soft, medium, and hard. He explained to me that some of his airplanes fly better with different power behind the throws. He also varies where he holds the airplanes to affect the flight.
I am incredibly impressed with C's innovation and willingness to experiment to achieve his goals. I am still amazed by the transformation from the "I can't do it" of a year ago to the eager "Let me show you how I made that design" of today.
ETA: During the first few days of airplane experimentation C probably went through over 100 pieces of paper. My living room became carpeted with planes. Now his play has changed from mass production to creative play. He still tests for flight capabilities, but yesterday we each made a plane and imagined they had passengers as we played airplane races. Very few of our passengers survived crashes into mountain sides (bookcases) and nosedives into the ground. A few were saved by the required harness style seatbelts when the planes landed gently upside down, but some were lost in the dark caves (the spaces behind the guitar cases stacked along one wall). H joined in a bit by drawing windows on a plane for me so the passengers would have a view.
It got old, fast.
Then a couple of months ago, something changed. C started making his own paper airplanes. I'm not talking about the typical symmetrical designs the rest of the family tended to make. His own designs. Oddly folded, uneven wings, varying styles. He had turned into a paper airplane experimental engineer. His planes weren't sleek and balanced. They looked a little haphazard, really.
The thing is, they flew. Flew better than any of the carefully folded, symmetrical airplanes I'd ever made.
C told me, "I learned how to make them by trying random things." He continues to make differently folded airplanes. He has a system for testing them. He throws them very soft, soft, medium, and hard. He explained to me that some of his airplanes fly better with different power behind the throws. He also varies where he holds the airplanes to affect the flight.
I am incredibly impressed with C's innovation and willingness to experiment to achieve his goals. I am still amazed by the transformation from the "I can't do it" of a year ago to the eager "Let me show you how I made that design" of today.
ETA: During the first few days of airplane experimentation C probably went through over 100 pieces of paper. My living room became carpeted with planes. Now his play has changed from mass production to creative play. He still tests for flight capabilities, but yesterday we each made a plane and imagined they had passengers as we played airplane races. Very few of our passengers survived crashes into mountain sides (bookcases) and nosedives into the ground. A few were saved by the required harness style seatbelts when the planes landed gently upside down, but some were lost in the dark caves (the spaces behind the guitar cases stacked along one wall). H joined in a bit by drawing windows on a plane for me so the passengers would have a view.
