Materials

• Several items from this list: plastic wrap, tissues, paper towels, plastic bags, tissue paper, coffee filters, handkerchiefs
• 1 toy minifigure (Lego, for example)
• string or thread
• scissors
• tape
• paper and pencil
• optional: stopwatch

Directions

1. Your challenge is to make a parachute for a toy minifigure that descends the slowest using only the materials provided. (You can work as a group to make at least two different parachutes, or help each child make their own.) Take 10 minutes to brainstorm designs before beginning.
2. Design a test to see which parachute falls the slowest (has the most drag). Remember to make a prediction before testing. Here are some ideas: Stand on a chair and use a stopwatch to time each parachute’s descent. Then, compare. Hold both parachutes from the same height and drop them at the same time.
3. Look at your results. Was your prediction correct? Why did one parachute fall slower than another?