Airplanes Theme Day

Airplanes

This Is a fun Theme Day to do if your family is preparing for a holiday that involves an airplane trip, or if you have a child who is crazy about airplanes try this Theme Day to learn more about things that fly.

Print out the Family Theme Day Planner and decide which activities you’d like to do and in what order.

SONGS:

Look for a version of the song “Leaving on a Jet Plane” on your favourite music provider.

SCRAPBOOK ACTIVITIES:

COLORING PAGES:

You can find many free colouring pages online by using your favourite search engine and typing in “airplane coloring pages” or print out my Airplanes Colouring Page.

JOURNALING QUESTION PROMPT:

Write out one or more of the following questions in your Family Theme Day Scrapbook or on a piece of paper to glue in your scrapbook: Have you ever flown on an airplane before? Would you like to fly on an airplane? What do you remember about your first airplane ride? What do you like about airplanes? If you could go on a plane anywhere in the world where would you fly to?

Choose the level of your child:

¨ Toddler – discuss the answer(s) out loud first and have your child draw a picture of the answer

¨ Preschooler/Kindergartener – discuss the answer(s) out loud first and write the answer down for him/her leaving one word for him/her to write out himself/herself with your help. You could also encourage him/her to draw a picture as well.

¨ Early Grade School – have your child either write out the answer himself/herself (encourage phonetic spelling) without your help, or offer to help with spelling each word out loud one word at a time.

¨ Grade School – have your child write a sentence or two on his/her own and then read over and discuss the response. (You decide whether to correct the spelling or not)

¨ Older Child – have your child write a longer response (paragraph).

¨ As A Challenge – instead of a question ask your older child to write a story or a poem about airplanes.

PUZZLES:

Print out an Airplane Word Search:

Easy Airplane Word Search or Difficult Airplane Word Search.

Check here for the answer keys:

Easy Airplane Word Search Key or Difficult Word Search Key.

BOOKS:

Raid your child’s bookshelves to find any books about airplanes.

Go to the library with your child to find some books about airplanes or air travel.

Go to the library on your own to find books about airplanes from both fiction and nonfiction to have already on hand for your theme day. Many libraries allow you to go online and search for titles based on subject. Reserve them if you can to save time.

Try to find some of these nonfiction/learning titles about airplanes and air travel:

· How do Airplanes Fly?, by Isaac Asimov and Elizabeth Kaplan, Gareth Stevens Publishing, 1993—even though it’s a bit older this book explains how airplanes fly using easy text.

· If You Were a...Pilot, by Virginia Schomp, Benchmark Books, 2000—This one is easy to read and has lots of information and photographs.

· My First Book About airplanes, by Kama Einhorn and illustrated by Christopher Moroney, Random House, 2007 – Part of the Sesame Subjects series, this book will appeal to Preschoolers because it features the Sesame Street characters Grover and Elmo as they learn about flying.

· The Paper Airplane Book, by Seymour Simon and illustrated by Byron Barton, Puffin Books, 1972—Older kids might like this more scientific book that goes into details of how a paper plane works.

· Pilots Fly Planes, by Fay Robinson, The Child’s World, 1996— Very simple text and a photograph on each page, makes this one a good book for beginner readers or young children.

· Taking Off: Planes Then and Now, by Steve Otfinoski, Benchmark Books, 1997—Even though it has larger text this one still has a lot of information plus some good photographs.

Try to find some of these picture books:

· A is for Airplane: An Aviation Alphabet, written by Ann McCabe Riehle and illustrated by David Craig, Sleeping Bear Press, 2009—Along with alphabetical rhyming verse on each painted illustrated page, this one has more elaborate text (history and facts) on the side as well.

· I Love Planes!, by Philemon Sturges and illustrated by Shari Halpern, Harper Collins Publishers, 2003—The simple text and pictures in this book show different types of airplanes with rhyming text.

· The Noisy Airplane Ride, by Mike Downs and illustrated by David Gordon, Tricycle Press, 2003—This is a great book for kids who are going on an airplane for the first time as it highlights (in rhyming verse) the different sounds and things that happen when you go on a plane.

CRAFTS:

AIRPLANE STICKER COLLAGE:

Materials: Coloured paper, stickers with various airplanes on them, markers and crayons.

Step 1: Give your child the stickers and paper and have him/her either make a scene or a collage with them.

Step 2 (Optional): See if your child wants to embellish the picture with markers or crayons by drawing a setting for the airplanes like an airport or clouds in the sky.

PAPER AIRPLANES:

Make your own paper airplanes and decorate them with markers and crayons. The classic dart airplane is the easiest to make but there are many other types.

There are many books you can buy with pull out pages of cool paper airplanes plus instructions like this one:

· Kids’ Paper Airplane Book, by Ken Blackburn & Jeff Lammers, Workman Publishing, 1996—This one was written by Blackburn who holds the Guinness World Record for time aloft for a paper airplane. It has many colourful pull-out pages that match the instructions (and have numbered lines) to make some fun airplanes and includes a certificate to state your child is a paper airplane pilot and a chart to record attempts.

There are books at the library that can help you make paper airplanes, too, like this:

· Making Paper Airplanes That Really Fly, by Nick Robinson, Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 2004—This one offers fairly straightforward instructions along with step by step photographs to help create a huge array of paper airplanes.

You can also look online for instructions on how to make paper airplanes. Try these two:

http://www.paperairplanes.co.uk/planes.php

http://www.10paperairplanes.com/

LUGGAGE TAGS:

Materials: clean lid from a margarine or yogurt container, duct tape, clear packing tape, child-safe scissors, hole puncher, yarn, permanent marker, stickers (optional)

· Step 1: Cut the rim off the edge of the plastic lid for your child.

· Step 2: Cut strips of duct tape and have your child apply them to the top of the plastic lid (the part with the label on it), folding any edges over (they will be cut off later).

· Step 3: Once the entire label is covered ask your child what shape he/she wants the tag to be and cut the lid into that shape.

· Step 4: Remove any excess duct tape from the blank side of the lid by peeling it off.

· Step 5: Use the hole punch to cut a hole where you want the top of the tag to be (if the lid is very thick you may have to use scissors).

· Step 6: Using a permanent marker write your child’s name, address and phone number on the blank side.

· Step 7: Have your child apply stickers to the duct taped side of the tag is he/she wants to personalize the tag a bit more.

· Step 8: Cover the entire tag with clear packing tape. Do not fold it over to the other side (which is awkward on different shapes) but instead apply tape beyond the shape and then flip it over and apply tape in the same manner to sandwich the whole tag.

· Step 9: Trim the clear tape to the shape of the tag.

· Step 10: Use the hole punch to punch through the initial hole (again you may have to use scissors).

· Step 11: String yarn through the hole and tie tightly (knots) to your child’s suit case.

FOOD:

SNACK:

Snack Mix:

Ingredients: nuts (if there are no allergies in your family), dried cereal, dried fruit (like raisins, chopped dried apricots, dried blueberries, dried cherries).

Step 1: Mix together the nuts, cereal, and dried fruit and store in individual baggies to munch on.

DINNER:

French Bread Airplane Pizza:

Ingredients: A loaf of French bread, a small can of tomato sauce, dried Italian herbs, garlic powder, parmesan cheese, shredded mozzarella, other pizza toppings (like chopped red pepper, pineapple pieces, chopped ham, pepperoni, sliced mushrooms).

Step 1: Slice the loaf of bread in half lengthwise.

Step 2: Cut one half of the bread in half in the middle to make two airplane wings.

Step 3: Arrange bread on a baking sheet in the form of an airplane.

Step 4: Mix the tomato sauce with dried herbs, garlic powder and parmesan cheese (to taste).

Step 5: Spread the sauce on the sliced bread (cut side up).

Step 6: Add pizza toppings.

Step 7: Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella.

Step 8: Put under broiler for 3 minutes until cheese melts.

DESSERT:

Plane on Clouds:

Ingredients: 2 wafer cookies (per person), vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Step 1: Scoop ice cream in a bowl as the clouds.

Step 2: Cut one cookie in half.

Step 3: Set the cookies in the shape of an airplane with the cut ones as wings.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES:

WEBSITE:

Older kids might like learning about the phonetic alphabet used in aviation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO_phonetic_alphabet

For a kids site that examines how planes fly look here: http://www.sciencekidsathome.com/science_topics/flight.html

This site has lots of information about airplanes from early flight to types of airplanes and even includes helicopters, blimps and hot air balloons plus other things that fly: http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/00450/soaringskies.htm

Check here for some information on the Wright Brothers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_brothers

MATCHING CHART:

Print out my easy Airplane Matching Chart and check here for the Airplane Matching Answer Key.

FOR FUN:

JOKES:

Q: Why did the teacher take her class on an airplane?

A: Because she wanted to give them a higher education.

Q: What do pilots say to start a race?

A: “Ready, Jet, Go!”

Q: What’s red, flies in the sky and jiggly?

A: A jelly-copter

Q: Why did the boy throw the clock out the window.

A: He wanted to see time fly.

EXTENDED ACTIVITIES:

AUDIO VISUAL:

Search through your child’s DVD/ video collection (or visit your local library before hand or the Video Store) to find your child’s favourite shows about airplanes.

For young children try this title:

· Any episode of Jay Jay the Jet Plane

Older kids might enjoy this:

· Bill Nye the Science Guy: Flight

PACKING FOR AIRPLANE VACATION:

If you are going on a family vacation via airplane work together as a family to pack.

· For the main luggage have your child write a list of all the items he/she will need for the trip (you can add anything forgotten to the list).

· For carry on, provide your child with a backpack that he/she can look after and work together to fill it with activities to occupy the flight time. Go to a dollar store or craft store for extra surprises.

OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES:

Take your paper airplanes outside to see how far they can go.

Fly a kite.

FIELD TRIP:

Find an Aviation Museum near you and spend the day as family exploring.

Attend an air show and enjoy the amazing sights in the sky.

Go to the airport : You can plan this theme day to coincide with a family trip on an airplane or when you have to pick up someone from the airport.