"Creative Flight: Kids Craft and Color Flying Machines Inspired by Da Vinci"

Nathan Schulz
18 hours ago
5 min read

My wife and I had the wonderful opportunity to lead an engaging, hands-on workshop at North Lakes Library, celebrating the exhibition Da Vinci Machines: Inventions Brought to Life.

This exciting event is part of a broader series showcased at various venues, including Bribie Island Seaside Museum, Pine Rivers Heritage Museum, Redcliffe Museum, and a dedicated site at North Lakes Library, running from August 9 to November 2.

Discovering the Genius of Leonardo da Vinci

The Da Vinci Machines exhibition presents a unique opportunity to explore the brilliance of the legendary polymath, Leonardo da Vinci. His inventions and discoveries continue to resonate even after 500 years. By merging his studies in anatomy, nature, engineering, geology, and the arts, Leonardo achieved a profound, holistic understanding of the universe and our place within it.

On loan from the Museum of Leonardo da Vinci in Florence, Italy, the exhibition features 60 of da Vinci's most iconic inventions, meticulously reconstructed from his original sketches. This immersive display sparks curiosity and imagination in visitors of all ages, offering a rare, hands-on experience of da Vinci's genius. Attendees can also admire a replica flying machine designed by Leonardo da Vinci at North Lakes Library, forging a tangible connection to his visionary ideas. You can click here for more info

Engaging with History

Following my involvement in the "Monster Siege" event, hosted by Moreton Bay Cultural Services, I embraced the role of an adventurous archaeologist. My aim was to highlight captivating “artifacts” from the past, which could be discovered in museums throughout the Moreton Bay area. I also incorporated personal items into the exhibition, such as my vintage gramophone and various toys—like a spinning top and a teddy bear—that held special memories for me. The gramophone and spinning top attracted many visitors, prompting grandparents to share heartwarming childhood stories with their grandchildren.

After this successful event, I was approached again by Moreton Bay Cultural Museum and Exhibition Services to develop another exciting project focused on creating a paper flying machines, where participants could add personal messages about a re-imagined future at the North Lakes Library where one of the Da Vinci Machines is housed.

The Activities

I reasearched and crafted four engaging activities centered around paper airplanes, blending creativity, science, and fun—much like what Da Vinci may have envisioned. These activities include:

Activity 1: Paddle Pop Aircrafts

Participants will color three types of flying machines: Da Vinci's helicopter, a classic rocket, or another helicopter. They will then attach a paddle pop stick to the back and launch their creations against a cloud backdrop while adding sound effects.

Activity 2: Straw Rockets

In this activity, participants will color their retro rockets and secure them to a pipette using tape. Then, they will insert the pipette into a straw, blowing into it to send their rockets soaring into the sky.

Activity 3: Straw Glider

Here, participants will take a straw, affix two circles at either end, and throw it like a paper airplane to see how far it glides.

Each activity is straightforward yet effective, catering to beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. With my wife's invaluable help (I often wonder how I would manage without her), we sourced the necessary supplies from Temu, made numerous photocopies at my local Officeworks, and tackled a considerable amount of cutting—there was alot of cutting.

Creative Play time!

During the workshop at North Lakes, my wife, a museum assistant, and I guided children and adults in building and launching their own straw gliders, straw blow rockets, and paddle pop stick air vehicles.

Witnessing their intense concentration and the sheer joy lighting up their faces as their creations took flight was truly inspiring, showcasing how creativity can nurture problem-solving skills.

The straw glider activity was particularly popular, with many children enhancing their designs by adding an extra ring to their straws or taping two straws together to increase length, eager to discover if it would fly farther.

Participants eagerly tested their designs, making tweaks to achieve the perfect flight. This hands-on experimentation fostered resilience and celebrated innovation. Families joined in, sharing childhood stories, which added a heartwarming, educational aspect.

A test flight of straw glider

The library buzzed with quiet excitement and occasional cheers for successful launches. The workshop echoed Da Vinci’s quest for knowledge, connecting participants to history in a meaningful & creative way.

The Fourth Activity:

As I mentioned, there was a fourth activity. In this creative workshop, participants were originally meant to add personal messages about a re-imagined future to their flying machines. However, I opted for a slightly different approach.

Everyone deserves a reminder of their uniqueness and the power they hold to shape their future through creativity and choices. As children and teenagers, we all have grand dreams and aspirations, often unaware of the challenges that may obstruct our goals.

To address this, I crafted a personal letter template for participants to send to themselves or to discover one day among the keepsakes their parents save.

This letter serves as a reminder from our past that we are their own cheerleading squad.

The letter encouraged participants to reflect on their dreams, believe in themselves, and visualize the future they wish to create.

Additionally, I included a message from myself, in the guise their child like voice, urging them to remember that they can achieve their goals, with the hope of inspiring confidence and nurturing a mindset of possibility—emphasizing that their future is shaped by their ideas and actions.

Many parents there appricated this letter, even some mentioning they were going to take the template for themselves as a reminder of tomorrow. For after all the future is tomorow, and its what we do in the present that helps us to create it.

Once this workshop is over this letter will be available on my website for download.

This experience has reinforced my belief in the power of creativity, curiosity, and self-belief. Events like these spark young minds, inspire creative thinking, and help everyone see the amazing possibilities when we dare to imagine the future, just like Leonardo da Vinci!

So mark your calendars for Saturday, September 20th, and 27th, from 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM as my wife and I will be back at North Lakes Library, at Level 1/10 The Corso, North Lakes QLD 4509 creating flying machines with young inventive minds.

And be sure to make a day of it and visit other Da Vinci machine showcased at Bribie Island Seaside Museum, Pine Rivers Heritage Museum and Redcliffe Museum!