Homemade parachutes

Make a homemade parachute to transport an egg safely to the ground, and explore what it means to do a fair test.

two eggs with faces drawn on them
Parachute passengers getting for crash tests, Image credit: The Royal Institution

Aims

Make parachutes out of household materials.

ExpeRiment to see what things affect how quickly a parachute falls.

Learn why larger parachutes generally fall more slowly than smaller ones.

About this activity

Jackie Potter and her son Alex do some science at home while they make a toy parachute. They investigate what makes a good parachute, and try to get an uncooked egg to the ground safely. They experiment with making their parachute out of different materials, shapes and sizes to see which makes the best one. They learn what it means to do a fair test, and think about how to compare the strengths – and failings – of one parachute compared to another. 

The Royal Institution is closed 19 March

The Ri is closed this week on Tuesday 19 March.