Reach the Clouds with Homemade Toy Foam Gliders

Few activities are more rewarding than making your own game or toy from scratch. Not only do you get to save money, half the fun is in its creation. One toy we’re all familiar with, the airplane glider, is an example of this. We’ve all played with the pre-made gliders found at dollar stores and in party favor baskets. But to get beyond the training wheel stage in the foam glider experience, people create their own foam aircraft for daring flights and personalized customization.

Foam gliders are a fantastic hobby, since they only require cheap materials, a cutting tool, creativity, and some open space to play in. Made of expanded polystyrene (EPS), gliders can be carved out of extra packing foam, purchased in kits, or made from raw sheets of the material for the most customization. People have created gliders from foam with wingspans greater than 10 feet, while others create tiny gliders that are mere inches across. EPS for aircraft foam makes sense because it is rigid, able to keep its shape, and has enough weight to give it control mid-air without being so heavy it falls from the sky.

Making gliders is great for individual hobbyists who tweak and create new designs and planes, always trying to make the next flight better than the one before it. They’re also fantastic for simple family fun and arts and crafts.