Spring! The weather is getting a little warmer. The birds are singing. Plants are starting to emerge from their winter slumber. If you have school-aged kids in your life, it also means two magical words: spring break. Yes, those children are going to be home from school FOR A WHOLE WEEK, maybe more, depending on your school calendar!
If you don’t have travel plans, you might be looking for things they can do while they’re at home. Model aviation to the rescue! We can’t help with the fact that they’re probably going to ask for snacks every hour, but we can give you some ideas to keep them busy.
Quick Projects
Our Quick Projects are free hands-on model aviation activities. Each features full downloadable instructions with a how-to video and uses supplies you probably have at home. Options include the coffee filter paratrooper, rocket mouse, paper helicopter, kites and much more! Click to check out an example, the Jet Cup:
AMA Junior Camp
If you have a later spring break, you might be interested in AMA’s virtual Junior Camp, which will take place daily from April 25-29 with activities geared toward children age 5-13. Morning sessions will be from 11am-12pm EST, each covering a different aerodynamic concept with step-by-step instructions from the AMA Education team for building and testing a working model! You can choose to provide your own supplies or purchase a Junior Camp Flight Pack shipped to you two weeks prior to camp with everything you’ll need.
Special guests join us daily during the afternoon session (3-4pm EST) to talk about how model aviation has changed their lives, and how it can help to change the world!
We also welcome participation from teachers and students who are in the classroom that week! Teachers: contact us at education@modelaircraft.org to discuss how your whole class can participate!
Learn more, register for free, and find the link to purchase a Flight Pack here: AMA Junior Camp | AMA Flight School
Materials included: purchase a flight pack from last year’s Junior Camp
If the timing isn’t right to participate live in this year’s Junior Camp, you can find our archive of Junior Camp activities and videos from previous years, free for all to enjoy, at amaflightschool.org. You can still purchase a Flight Pack from our 2021 day camp, which includes materials and printed instructions in fun packaging for five model aviation projects, plus a bonus rubber-powered balsa aircraft: the AMA Beta. The Flight Pack is a convenient way to have some activities ready to go. Kids can follow along with the video for each project at their own pace.
Find project details and videos for 2021 Junior Camp here: AMA Junior Camp 2021 | AMA Flight School
Visit an event or club flying site
If you’d like to see some model aircraft in action, there may be an AMA sanctioned event or club near you! You can use our event calendar and club finder tools to check out the options in your area.
