Materials
1 Egg – hard boiled is best and less messy, or a 1 small toy if you don’t have an egg.
Plastic Grocery Bag – for parachute body. If you can’t find a bag, you can use tissue paper, a coffee filter or a paper towel.
String or Yarn, Pipe Cleaners, Shoe Laces, etc. – to attach parachute body and basket together.
Small Plastic Cup or Paper or Foil to create a basket to hold your egg or small object.
Tape
Hole Punch or Scissors
challenge
dropped from soaring heights. They are made of cloth or other lightweight materials and create air resistance. This helps objects fl oat slowly and safely to the ground. Parachutes are most commonly used as emergency escape devices, or for adventurous sports like skydiving! Can you build a parachute out of household materials that will gently land an egg safely to the ground?
Big Idea
Did you know that gravity is what keeps us grounded and not fl oating away into space? Earth’s gravity also determines that when an object goes into the air, it will eventually come back down to the ground. Before you start creating, try comparing the difference in time it takes for a light object, and a heavy object to hit the ground. For example, drop a piece of paper and a metal fork at the same time. Which one falls to the ground faster? One will fall faster than the other!
Instructions
- Collect materials from around your house to create your parachute.
- Cut a circle out of the grocery bag.
- Cut your string into four even pieces, each one about 12 inches long.
- Make a small hole on four corners of the circle and tie a piece of string to each hole.
- Make a “basket” to hold your egg with paper, foil or use a plastic cup.
- Use scissors or a hole punch to puncture holes in the basket you created.
- Tie the other ends of the strings to your basket. Be sure the strings aren’t tangled!
- Drop your parachute from mid-air and watch it carry your egg safely to the ground!
