Team Building: Paper Airplanes
Type of modality
Active Game
Type of play
Shared Cooperative
Interaction pattern
Intra-group & Inter-group
# of participants required
2+
Equipment/supplies




Facilities required/environment
Paper
Paper clips
Tape
(Other items can be provided at discretion of
group facilitator)
A spacious room
Precautions
N/A
Sequence/Directions (Details of how a to move through the activity from start to finish) This can
be less than ten steps of more than ten steps…
1. Instructor will put/have everyone get into groups
2. Each group will be given a couple pieces of paper, some tape, & a couple paper clips
3. Instructor will tell everyone to start to make an airplane to fly the furthest
4. The groups will then start to make their paper airplane working as a team to create the best
airplane (facilitator can choose to have teams compete against each other)
5. First, fold the paper in half
6. Next, fold both top corners down to the middle of the fold.
7. Fold it back in half again
8. Then, fold both sides back
9. The paper plane is finished.
10. Students can then add tape or paper clips to it or any extras
1
11. (Following the basic instructions above, each team will create their own “unique” paper airplane,
and each group member will participate in some way)
12. Instructor will have the teams name their planes
13. Each team will then take a turn throwing their plane from the same starting position. (The group
facilitator will determine the starting point by sticking a piece of long tape where participants can
stand behind, so that everyone starts in the same place)
14. Groups select one person from the team to fly their group’s plane. This person throws the paper
plane, and the group facilitator “marks” the spot with a number 1, 2, 3, or 4.. depending on the
number of groups participating. This step is repeated for all groups
15. The furthest plane wins
Activity Analysis (What is required of this activity without any adjustments, accommodations,
alterations)
Category
Primary body position
Skills
Dynamic sitting & Dynamic standing
Part of the body required
Upper body
Movement
Communication/language
Bilateral integration, fine muscle coordination, gross muscle
coordination, motor control, AROM: Upper extremities, visualmotor integration
3- Jaw chuck grasp, pincer grasp, manipulating, picking up,
standing, throwing, turning or twisting hands, walking short
distances
Sharing attention, sustaining attention, cognitive flexibility,
concept formation, concentration, simple decision making,
initiation, insight, judgement, organization and planning, simple
problem solving, shape/form recognition, sequencing, strategy,
concrete thinking
Conversation, handling criticism, heterogeneity, homogeneity,
interpersonal interactions, maintaining social space, regulating
behavior, forming relationships, terminating relationships, social
conduct, social cues, showing respect & warmth
Visual (to see what team is making). Tactile (feeling the paper,
paper clips and sticky tape). Auditory – to hear your name/or team
name being called.
Reception to spoken language & expression of spoken language
Self-care
N/A
Physical
Cognitive
Social
Perception
2
Psychological/emotional (possible) Joy (for creating something, a successful “flight”), anger (if your
team members don’t listen to your suggestions), frustration (if the
plane doesn’t go very far), emotional pain (if your ideas weren’t
selected, or if other teams make fun of your plane or the distance it
travels).
SIMPLIFYING AND COMPLICATING THIS ACTIVITY:
Cognitively
Ways to SIMPLIFY demands
Give the groups step by step
directions on how to make a
paper airplane
Ways to make more COMPLEX
have each person do it alone
without directions or looking up
how to make a paper airplane
have bigger pieces of paper
everyone has to stand while
completing the activity
Each student works by
themselves
Don’t let the teams talk while
completing the task. Only before
the time starts for them to make
the planes
Physically
Socially
Other Comments: Activity could be difficult for those who have Rheumatoid Arthritis or who have
difficulties with fine motor skills.
3