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per. And we passed notes folded up in that special way, tucked into their own little pocket, so opening one felt like unsealing a secret. In junior high, I loved opening my locker to find that a friend had shoved a folded paper note in it for me to discover.

I still remember how to do all of it. Every fold. My hands know the creases the way they know how to shake hands or flash a peace sign (or Mr. Spock’s Vulcan hand sign—live long and prosper). I could fold you a paper airplane right now without thinking twice. But if you are someone who can’t remember how to fold one, no worries. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of videos on YouTube showing you how to make different designs.

So watching those Italian students cheer as their giant creation glided through the air took me back to the days of watching our airplanes fly again. It did my heart good to see young people still believe a piece of paper can become real engineering magic.

Do kids today even know how to fold a simple paper airplane? If there’s a young person in your house, hand them a sheet of notebook paper this week. Show them the folds and techniques. Let’s keep the art of paper-airplanemaking alive.