Craft: Make your own cardboard airplane

1. Body and propeller Remove the top and bottom flaps of a rectangular box that’s big enough to fit around your child. For the nose, cut a piece of cardboard the same height and 10 cm wider than the front of the box. Fold inward 7 cm from each of the short ends, to make a nose. Then fold in 3 cm from each of the short ends to create tabs and hot glue the tabs to the side edges of the box’s front face. For the propeller, cut two 45 x 10-cm strips of cardboard, rounding the corners. Hot glue them together in an X shape and attach to the nose with a dowel or hot glue.

2. Tail To make the tail end, cut a 60-cm-long piece of cardboard that’s the same height as your box. Fold this piece in half lengthwise then fold 3 cm tabs inward on each end. Hot glue tabs to the back of the box, creating a V shape. For tail wings, cut two 25 x 15-cm strips of cardboard, rounding one end of each. Make a tab by folding in from the unrounded end and use hot glue to attach one to each side of the tail.

3. Wings Cut two 70 x 20-cm strips of cardboard, rounding off the corners and narrowing one end of each. Fold each piece inward, 35 cm from the wide end and 20 cm from the narrow end. Hot glue to the side of the plane as pictured. Hot glue a dowel in between the wings. You can also add a triangle of foam core under the wing for further stability.

4. Straps Layer two sets of 1-m stretches of duct tape together, sticky sides in, to create straps. Repeat to make a second strap. Tape each strap to the inside back of the plane. With your child inside the plane (holding it at a comfortable level), bring the straps over their shoulders and tape to the inside front of the plane, trimming excess.

5. Decorate Personalize your aircraft using paper, paint and coloured tape.

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