National Aeronautics and Space Administration

WINTER BREAK ACTIVITIES

Join Orville and the NASA Aeronautics team for some 

hands-on fun. Create an X-59 snowflake, build a plane, 

color and draw. Are you going on a trip? Make a travel 

book and take Orville with you!

Earn an endorsement stamp to your Flight Log for completing any of the Winter Break Activities. Simply enter 

DECWTR to your endorsement page once you complete 

an activity. Don’t have your Flight Log yet? Sign up here.

www.nasa.gov

1. Cut around the outside of the square (line 1).

2. Fold the square in half diagonally, along line 2. Make sure you fold it so the side with the number is on the outside.

3. Fold the triangle in half along line 3. Make sure you fold it, so the outline of the plane is visible after folding.

4. Fold along line 4, making sure that the outline of the plane is visible after folding.

5. Fold along line 5, making sure that the outline of the plane is visible after folding. Cut the bottom of the tail.

6. Cut along the dashed lines. Be sure to leave the space on the wingtips.

7. Carefully unfold.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

WINTER BREAK ACTIVITY:

X-59 Snowflake Patterns Paper snowflake template and die/laser cutting and engraving files available on page 2.

INSTRUCTIONS: (See page 2 for images)

X-59 Snowflake

New 3D files available

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

www.nasa.gov

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Connect the dots and then color the picture!! Connect the dots and color Orville’s picture!!!

Connect the dots & color 

Orville’s picture

Jr. Pilot Book

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

www.nasa.gov

Paint by Number

WINTER BREAK ACTIVITY:

Although it may look like an abstract piece of aeronautical artwork that could hang as a painting over an enthusiastic 

pilot’s fireplace, this image actually is the product of a complex computer simulation involving supersonic shockwaves. 

In this example the aircraft is the X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology airplane now under construction for NASA by 

Lockheed Martin in Palmdale, California. The X-59 is designed to generate sonic booms that are so quiet people on 

the ground will hear them as sonic thumps – if they hear anything at all. Eventually, the X-59 will be flown over select 

communities to measure public perception of the sound. Results will be given to regulators to use in determining new 

rules that could allow commercial faster-than-sound air travel over land. The airplane’s shape is the key to low booms. As 

NASA’s aeronautical innovators worked to finalize the airplane’s design, they ran their ideas through a high-resolution 3D 

simulation using the Pleiades, Electra, and Endeavour supercomputers at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California. 

The result was this computational schlieren image that visualized the X-59’s supersonic shockwaves. Schlieren photography is a long-known technique that is based on the fact light rays are bent when they encounter changes in a fluid’s 

density. But with no X-59 to photograph in flight – yet – the computer simulation was the next best thing. The dark and 

bright regions represent shockwaves and expansions, respectively. Significantly weaker shocks propagate from the lower 

surface of the aircraft, helping to confirm that quieter sonic thumps would be heard on the ground.

Image Credit: NASA/Marian Nemec and Michael Aftosmis

Text Credit: Jim Banke, Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate

Color by Number

WINTER BREAK ACTIVITY:

Craft Stick Aircraft

MATERIALS:

• Wooden clothespins 

(1 per plane)

• Wooden craft sticks

• Utility or hobby knife

• Cutting surface

• Glue 

(Hot glue is recommended but 

wood or school glue also works)

• Paint or markers

• Optional: crepe paper streamers

INSTRUCTIONS: 

1. Use the wooden clothespin as the body of the aircraft

2. Create wings with craft sticks—glue them to the body of the aircraft

3. If making a rotorcraft, create an X-shape with two sticks for the rotors

4. Cut smaller sections of craft sticks for the tail sections 

Be careful when cutting craft sticks since they can be difficult to cut. If 

younger children are making aircraft, have an adult help with this step.

5. Decorate your aircraft using markers or paint if desired

6. (Optional) Add thin strips of crepe paper streamers if desired

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

www.nasa.gov

Popsicle Planes Flat Orville Template X-59 3D Model Files

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

www.nasa.gov

Travel Logbook

INSTRUCTIONS: 

1. Cut two chip board pieces to 8” wide by 6” tall. Also cut 2 chip board 

pieces to 1” wide by 6” tall. (Use a craft knife, scissors, or a paper trimmer. 

If using a paper trimmer, you may need to do repetitive cuts before it cuts 

through). If using cereal boxes instead of chip board, use scissors.

2. Cut the 8.5”x11” card stock to 10.25” wide and 7” tall. 

3. Add double-sided tape (or glue) to the chip board pieces. (Double-sided 

tape provides less warping to the paper and chipboard.) 

4. Place one of the small chipboard pieces (1”x6” wide) onto one of the 

10.25”x 7” card stock pages, leaving approximately 1⁄4” spacing all around. 

5. Add the larger chipboard piece (8”x6”) onto the same card stock. It’s 

important to leave approximately 1/8” spacing between the two chip 

boards. That should leave you with approximately 1⁄4” spacing all around 

once both chipboard pieces have been attached to the card stock. 

6. Crease the edges of the paper to provide score line markings. 

7. Miter all four corners of the paper, leave a 1/8” gap from chipboard to paper.

8. Glue the edges of the paper and fold onto the chipboard. If you have a 

bone folder, use it to spread the glue for better adhesion. 

9. Use your bone folder to score between the chipboard pieces (on both 

front and back) to make folding the book cover easier. Be gentle to avoid 

cracking your paper. 

10. Cut your decorative card stock to 8.75” wide x 5.75” tall for the inside liner 

pages of the front and back covers. 

11. Place double-sided tape (or glue) to the back of the decorative card 

stock. You can also use glue along the edges of the pages to promote 

better adhesion. 

WINTER BREAK ACTIVITY:

DIFFICULTY LEVEL:

Medium

MATERIALS:

• Chip board or other thinner 

carboard for cover material (can 

use old cereal boxes, glue at 

least 3 together to make sturdier): enough to make two pieces 

that are 8”x6” and two pieces 

that are 1”x6” 

• Two 8.5”x11” pieces of decorative card stock or one 12”x12” 

decorative piece of 65 lb. card 

stock (your choice of design) for 

inside book covers 

• Two 8.5x11” 65 lb. pieces of 

card stock for exterior of the 

book covers (your choice of 

color). FYI: linen textured card 

stock can give the illusion of 

fabric 

• Bone folder 

• Scissors 

• Ruler 

• Pencil 

• Glue 

• Strong hole punch or awl or 

paper piercer 

• Small clamps or binder clips 

• Screw Posts

• Acetate Sheet (optional)

• One Mirrored card stock 

(your choice) (optional) 

• Screw driver (optional) 

• Score board (optional) 

• Craft knife (optional) 

• Paper trimmer (optional) 

• Double sided tape (optional)

Photo instructions begin on page 3.

Safety Note: This project requires the use of craft knives and an awl or 

paper piercer. If completing this activity with younger children, please 

provide adult assistance or supervision.

My Travel Log Book

www.nasa.gov Incluye versión en español