National Paper Airplane Day - National Paper Airplane Day on May 26. Let your inner child fly! We have the best gifts, celebration ideas, fun facts and more.

National Paper Airplane Day 2024 – May 26, 2024

Let your inner child fly. National Paper Airplane Day is celebrated every year on May 26 to commemorate the fanciful aeronautical toy. Paper airplanes have fascinated children and adults alike around the globe for generations. The day is usually celebrated with contests in two basic flight categories: distance and time in air. The practice of constructing paper planes is sometimes referred to as aerogami, after origami, the Japanese art of paper folding. Crafting paper planes is said to have originated out of ancient China, but the art is said to have been perfected out of Japan.

National Paper Airplane Day timeline

1700s
Paper Balloons

In France, the Montgolfier brothers make hot-air balloons using paper.

1783
Paper Innovations

The Montgolfier brothers make the first paper cloth-lined hot-air balloon, which can carry humans.

1930s
Aerodynamics

Jack Northrop tests the aerodynamics of larger airplanes using paper models.

1998
World Record!

The world record for the longest flight of a paper airplane is held by Ken Blackburn, with a 27.6-second flight.

National Paper Airplane Day Activities

  1. Design your own paper airplane

    This is the easiest and most fun way to participate in National Paper Airplane Day. Channel your inner child and get crafty! You can use watercolors, markers, or glitter. What’s your favorite color? Your paper airplane represents you, fly high!

  2. Organize a paper airplane contest

    Grab some co-workers or friends and head outside. Utilize your social media to find interested contestants. Most contests offer two basic flight categories: distance and time in air, but you can add more categories to your contest. Don’t forget the prizes.

  3. Teach a kid to make a paper airplane

    You may not believe it, but paper airplane are truly becoming a lost pastime. Celebrate paper airplanes and National Paper Airplane Day by teaching America’s youth the art and joy of making a paper airplane. It might be hard at first to pull your kids or nieces and nephews away from their computers, but once they do, you’ll all have a blast making planes together and flying them in the sunshine.

Why We Love National Paper Airplane Day

  1. They let us get artistic

    There aren’t many excuses in this modern life to let your inner artist out, but making a paper airplane is one of them! Folding and decorating a paper airplane is the perfect opportunity to bring out your arts and craft kit. Get crafty! Personalize your paper plane with paint, markers, crayons, glitter — the sky is the limit.

  2. It doesn’t take technology to participate

    We could all use a few minutes away from our smart phones and computers. Building a paper airplane allows you to unplug from technology, relax, get outside, and get some fresh air. (But if you must bring your phone, it makes a great Snapchat story.)

  3. It’s a great way to relive your childhood

    Time flies. Remember those sunny Saturday afternoons you spent with your best friend in the park? Sometime life can be hectic, but building a paper airplane can take you back to those days you flew paper airplanes with your BFF and had ice cream afterward.

National Paper Airplane Day dates

Year Date Day
2023 May 26 Friday
2024 May 26 Sunday
2025 May 26 Monday
2026 May 26 Tuesday
2027 May 26 Wednesday