Aviation Resources for kids. Parents and Teachers
When we are young, airplanes are one of the first toys we play with. Children instinctively know what they represent. They immediately feel the excitement. “How do planes fly?” is always the first question.
Learning about aviation from an early age is important to understand our challenges as we evolve. Whether manned or unmanned or using fuel or Hydrogen or electricity. Right now, Aviation needs bright young minds to help us on the journey ahead.
Aviation has come a long way and it continues to provide a way for humans to explore the world and to meet friends and family. It is also a wonderful place to work and learn.
In this section we have curated many resources from around the web. Each section contains interesting videos, activities, or other places on the web to visit.
It’s important for everyone, but mostly children, to learn how we use energy to produce and operate airplanes. To learn where that energy comes from and how to make that sustainable.
What’s most exciting however, is our future. And we need young minds to help us realize it…
"How Airplanes fly" Videos
Student Activities
There are some fantastic educational and resources for creativity provided by the Aviation Industry.
OEM’s, Airlines and Regulators all provide ways for kids and students to get involved in aviation at an early age. Innovation is a key focus, especially around #NetZero2050
Boeing has a dedicated Education page focused on both K12 and University students. If you click educational resources by theme, you can find great STEM tools and activities
Airbus also has a cool page. But theirs is a biennial competition for students around the world. Covering a variety of areas critical to future aviation success like electrification and data use.
NASA has a superb STEM and Aeronautics site that caters for students of all ages. It also categorizes the material for educators.
The Museum of flight has an aviation themed photography competition. It looks like it might be on hiatus right now but worth checking back on.
REDBIRD Learning has an excellent online and interactive STEM Lab, where students can login and take online courses on aerodynamics, weather and Navigation.
Easyjet is one of Europe’s biggest low-cost carriers, has a cool competition for students to design the “Aircraft of the Future”
National Air and Space Museum has a great site with the theme of “How things fly” complete with online activities.
Boeing again, with a page dedicated to the issue of INNOVATION. Only for US citizens, around concepts such as “simplifying commercial aircraft”
RED BULL, of energy drink fame, have a paper plane competition. A serious one too. Themed similarly to their other ventures such as the box car and air races.
The Singapore Science Centre have an amazing flying machine competition that is supported by all the aerospace companies in that region.
Do you want to design a whole airport? You do? Great. Just pop over to this FAA site and get involved. Kids can fix these baggage issues we keep having.
Aerospace Bristol in the UK have a hidden gem of a site for aerospace education for kids. A must for budding engineers or kids who are big on building things.
"Flying Safe" for Kids
Aviation YouTube Channels
Aviation Libraries
- Royal Aeronautical Society: home of the national aerospace library and other tremendous resources and content for aerospace engineering and maintenance
- Eurocontrol: not just Air Traffic control, here you will find books, the excellent Skyway magazine and think papers on all this aviation.
- Skybrary: probably the best source of airplane technical and aerodynamic designs and theory on the internet. Should be your first port of call if you seek the aviation fundamentals.
- Federal Aviation Administration: The Fed Library has it all. If you are US based and need a single place to bookmark this is it. The FAA are the best at supporting their sector and this is another example.
- FAA Safety: the FAASafety group are another section of the US Federal Aviation Administration. Another great resource for all fields of aviation.
