paper airplanes

Cole has discovered paper airplanes. A few of the big kids at church have been making them and he was drawn to the craft.

In his search for the ideal shape he has gone through quite a few designs. He is also refining his folding skills and has a pile of discarded planes to show for it. I can see him making progress with each one and it is fun for me to watch. With his drawing skills, it takes months to see progression of his fine motor control and visual composition. Folding planes has been so interesting to me because I can see him learning with each attempt. He is also brilliant at copying my designs by watching me fold.

The other thing I like about it is that he gets instant feedback from his efforts. He is also nice enough to make an extra plane for his sister to toss around the living room.

His thirst for folding is causing our paper supplies to dwindle. I don't have the heart to tell him to stop making new planes, so I bring home waste paper from work, and we keep buying him more. While other parents are teaching their kids about recycling, I am encouraging mine to be a major contributor to deforestation. I keep telling myself it will balance out when he discovers a fuel saving scramjet design by the time he is nine.