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Parachute Egg Drop Experiment – Gravity and Air Resistance
July 19, 2019 By Emma Vanstone 9 Comments
This fun parachute egg drop experiment is a great demonstration of the forces acting on parachutes. If you drop something, it falls to the ground. This is because it is pulled by the gravity of the Earth. You’ll notice that some things drop faster than others. This is because of air resistance . Try dropping a piece of paper and a lego brick. Which drops the fastest?
We are going to try dropping an egg on its own, dropping an egg attached to a parachute and an egg in a basket under a balloon.
Egg Drop Experiment
How to make an egg parachute
What you need to make a parachute.
- Bin bag/ plastic sheet/paper or other flat material.
- 4 pieces of string
- sellotape or masking tape
- 3 eggs ( we boiled ours )
Parachute Instructions
- Lay the bin bag out flat and cut out a big square.
- Make a hole in each corner, thread a piece of string through it and tie a knot.
- Tie all 4 pieces of string together and sellotape the egg to the bottom
Make Your Own Air Balloon
Air balloon materials.
- Cardboard made into a basket shape or a small plastic container
- Balloon blown up
- 4 pieces of String
Air Balloon Instructions
- Sellotape some string to your balloon and attach the basket.
- Place the egg in the basket
Drop an egg on its own, the egg in the basket and the egg in the parachute from somewhere high up. Make sure an adult is around to help with this part.
Gravity and Air Resistance Explained
If you tried dropping paper and a lego brick or similar, the paper should have dropped to the floor more slowly than the brick. This is because the paper has a larger surface area, so has to push against more air as it drops, which means the air resistance is greater, and it drops more slowly.
An egg dropped without anything to slow it down will fall fast and break; the parachute and balloon add air resistance, slowing the fall and stopping the egg from breaking.
We also found that the parachute fell much more slowly than the balloon. This is because the parachute has a larger surface area than the balloon, and so slows the descent of the egg more.
If we dropped a hammer and a feather, we would expect the hammer to fall fastest; however, if we did this on the moon where there is no air resistance, they would hit the ground at the same time!
How do Parachutes Work?
As we explained above, two forces act on an object as it falls. Gravity pulls the object down, and air resistance slows the fall.
Parachutes are used to slow the fall of an object by increasing air resistance which reduces the effect of gravity!
More parachute investigation Ideas
Record the time taken for all three to drop and see how much slower the parachute is.
Try our experiments you can make fly .
Experiment with different sizes of parachutes and see which drops more slowly.
Don’t forget to try our collection of easy ideas for learning about forces too.
In This IS Rocket Science we made parachutes with coffee filters which was great fun and you can experiment with different sizes and shapes.
If you liked this science experiment you’ll LOVE my book This IS Rocket Science, which has 70 space themed science experiments for kids!
This post was originally published in 2011 and updated July 2019
Last Updated on March 14, 2023 by Emma Vanstone
Safety Notice
Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources.
These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.
Reader Interactions
September 11, 2011 at 8:49 am
Fab. Really well explained!
September 14, 2011 at 10:11 pm
Thank you. xx
October 28, 2013 at 12:44 am
cool video but it didn’t answer my question
September 11, 2011 at 3:03 pm
You always make science fun!
September 14, 2011 at 10:10 pm
Thank you, we do try!
September 11, 2011 at 7:59 pm
That is cool. Did the egg break when you did that? Nevermind I saw the answer when I reread it.
THanks for linking up this week!
Thank you for hosting such a great link up. x
September 14, 2011 at 2:16 pm
Love how you make science fun and bring it into the home… Did you know I did Physics A-Levels? Well, this will come in handy with my kids! 🙂
Thanks for sharing on Kids Get Crafty!
June 10, 2016 at 9:08 am
This website is very good in my school all the year 5 used it to make a paacute for there topic ‘Wacky races’ thank you for making it
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Amazing & Graceful Egg Drop Contraption
Introduction: Amazing & Graceful Egg Drop Contraption
Step 1: Materials
Step 2: Assemble the Body
Step 3: Assemble the Rotors
Step 4: Cut Out and Attach the Blades
Step 5: Putting It All Together
Step 6: Finishing Touches
Step 7: Drop Time!
Egg Drop Project
This is the classic egg drop experiment. Students try to build a structure that will prevent a raw egg from breaking when dropped from a significant height. They should think about creating a design that would reduce the amount of energy transferred from potential to kinetic energy on the egg shell. Some ways to do this would be to decrease the final speed of the egg using air resistance, increasing the time of the collision using some sort of cushion, transferring the energy into something else, or whatever else they can think of!
Each group of students gets the following:
- 2 small paper cups
- 1 sq ft of cellophane
- 4 rubberbands
- 4 popsickle sticks
- 2 ft of tape
- 1 egg (not provided)
Subjects Covered
- Energy Conservation
Provided by requester
- One egg for each student group
- Floor covering (Ex: Newspaper, Tarp)
Provided by us
- Small paper cups
- Rubberbands
- Popsickle sticks
Physics Behind the Demo
The Egg hitting the ground is a collision between the Earth and the Egg. When collisions occur, two properties of the colliding bodies are changed and/or transferred: their Energy and Momentum . This change and transfer is mediated by one or many forces . If the force is too strong, it can cause the shell of the egg to crack and break.
Momentum Transfer and Impulse (no Calculus)
Starting with the definition of Force a and knowing that acceleration is just the change in velocity over the change in time
$$ \textbf{F}=ma=m\cdot{\frac{\Delta v}{\Delta t}} $$
If we move the $\Large \Delta t $ to the left side of the equation we can see how Force is related to momentum
$$ \textbf{F} \cdot{\Delta t}=m \cdot{\Delta v}$$
This means that the Force multiplied by the change in time, or duration of a collision, is equal to the mass multiplied by the change in velocity. Momentum (p) is defined as the mass multiplied by the velocity so the right side is the change in momentum. This change in momentum is the Impulse ( J )
$$ \textbf{J}= \textbf{F} \cdot{\Delta t}=\Delta \textbf{p}$$
a: In this case we are actually talking about the average force, but to keep things simple we will just call it the force.
Momemtum Transfer and Impulse (Calculus)
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Egg Drop Challenge
Get your payload safely to the surface! Design and build a lander that protects a raw egg that’s dropped from up high.
- Raw egg, or other payload that needs protecting
- Container, like a cardboard tube, cup, box, etc.
- External protection materials, like balloons, rubber bands, craft sticks, straws, etc.
- Internal padding, like fabric, packing materials, paper, etc.
- Pen or pencil
Design a landing craft that protects your egg passenger when it's dropped from up high. Use the engineering design cycle for this experiment: design your landing craft, test it to see if it works, change your design to make it better, and re-test to get new results.
- Collect your materials. You’ll need a container, some internal padding and external protection to safely land your craft. There's no "right" set of materials, so be creative and try lots of things to see what works best!
- Draw your design ideas on paper. What does your lander look like? What materials will you use? Try using just one container, one type of internal padding and one type of external padding at first.
- Build your landing device and put your egg inside. Test it out by dropping your device from up high. If the egg doesn’t crack, your design is a success! If the egg cracks, make changes to your design and re-test it.
What's happening?
Gravity is a force of attraction — it pulls on a mass, which is how much “stuff” something is made of. Earth’s gravity pulls on you and keeps you on the ground; it also holds the atmosphere and the moon in place. When you drop your landing craft, gravity pulls it to the ground.
The internal padding that surrounds your egg cushions the payload inside the container, like airbags in a car that protect passengers in an accident. The external protection on the outside of the container protects the egg by absorbing the impact felt when the landing craft hits the ground.
For a little less mess, use a hard-boiled egg (you’ll still see the cracks). You can also cover the landing surface with a garbage bag, or put the raw egg in a sealed plastic bag before putting it in the landing craft.
Once you’re successful, try dropping the egg from a higher height or increasing your payload to two eggs. Try landing your craft on different types of surfaces like grass, pavement or water. How does the surface affect your landing? How might this change your vehicle design?
Have a friendly competition: who can get their egg to the surface the fastest? The slowest? From the farthest distance? With the fewest bounces?
Recommended reading
Aerospace Engineering and the Principles of Flight by Anne Rooney
Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty
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Activity Length
45 mins. (20 min. for drop), forces and motion, activity type, exploration.
In this exploration, students design, evaluate, test, and suggest improvements for a container that will protect their precious payload: an egg.
The Classic "Egg-Drop" experiment has been a standard in science instruction for many years. Essentially, students are asked to construct some type of container that will keep a raw egg from cracking when dropped from ever-increasing elevations.
There are three basic ways to increase the likelihood of safely dropping an egg:
- Slow down the descent speed . Parachutes are an obvious method for slowing the decent speed, as long as the design includes a way to keep the parachute open.
- Cushion the egg so that something other than the egg itself absorbs the impact of landing. The largest end of the egg has an area of air trapped between the egg's two membranes. This air space forms when the contents of the egg cool and contract after the egg is laid. It accounts for the crater you often see at the end of a hard-cooked egg. Upon impact the heavier spherical yolk continues moving towards the ground. The compression of the airspace acts like an air bag for the eggs' valuable contents. Building an artificial cushioning device will also help absorb the impact of landing. The largest end of the egg has an area of air trapped between the egg's two membranes. This air space forms when the contents of the egg cool and contract after the egg is laid. It accounts for the crater you often see at the end of a hard-cooked egg. Upon impact the heavier spherical yolk continues moving towards the ground. The compression of the airspace acts like an air bag for the eggs' valuable contents. Building an artificial cushioning device will also help absorb the impact of landing.
- Orient the egg so that it lands on the strongest part of the shell. The arch structure at either end of the egg is stronger than its sides. Pressure is distributed down (or up) the arches so that less pressure acts on any one point. Orienting the arch downwards will increase the egg's survival.
The Challenge: On August 22, 1994, David Donoghue threw an egg out of a helicopter onto a golf course in the UK, from a height of 213 meters (700 feet). He now has the record for the longest egg drop without breaking in the world (all without an outside structure for added protection!).
Teacher Tip: You can relate the activity to the challenge NASA scientists had in building a lander for the Mars Exploration Rover. Physically, it had to withstand both the heat of entry into the Martian atmosphere and the impact of landing. Strategically, they also had to figure out a way that the rover could right itself no matter how it landed. Students love to see how the structure they've built often resembles the one conceived by NASA scientists.
Demonstrate curiosity and show inventiveness.
Brainstorm in a team to generate ideas.
Use problem-solving strategies in building simple structures.
Per Class: large plastic sheet/tarp/vinyl tablecloth ladder (optional)
Per Group of 2–3 students: 1 extra-large egg 1 bag of materials (may include cardboard cup, string, tape, balloons, straws, etc.) 2 sheets of scrap paper and 2 pencils
Key Questions
- What was successful/unsuccessful in your design?
- What makes an egg a good ‘subject’ for the drop experiments?
Preparation:
- Scout out accessible locations around the school for the egg drop at different heights.
- Make enough bags of materials for student groups.
Exploration:
- Challenge the students (in teams of 2–3) to build a structure in 40 minutes that will prevent an egg from breaking when dropped from a high place. Brainstorm ways to increase the likelihood of safely landing their eggs.
- Each group gets a bag of materials, 2 pencils, and 2 sheets of scrap paper.
- The students cannot assemble anything for the first 10 minutes. This time is to be used to brainstorm and to draw a mockup of their structure on the scrap paper provided.
- When the 10 minutes is up, circulate around the class to ensure that the students have thoughtfully mocked up their landers.
- Place the eggs in individual egg holders and hand out to the teams. Remind students that they cannot use the egg holder as part of their design.
- Drop the eggs from a launch point into the drop zone, which is protected by a plastic sheet, ensuring that each lander is dropped from the same distance.
- Once dropped, the students check out the egg to see if it has broken or if there are any cracks.
- The team whose egg survives the highest drop wins.
Teacher tips
- The teacher should be the one to launch the eggs to ensure fairness and to reduce the risk of injury (if dropping from a high distance).
- Many of the supplies in this activity can be collected and reused!
- How would you modify your design to make it better? Present your revised mock-up to the class.
- Assign prices to each craft item and give students a budget. Students come to the “store” with their designs and the teacher hands out the materials they’ve requested.
- Show the students the Mars Exploration Rover landing video .
About the sticker
Artist: Jeff Kulak
Jeff is a senior graphic designer at Science World. His illustration work has been published in the Walrus, The National Post, Reader’s Digest and Chickadee Magazine. He loves to make music, ride bikes, and spend time in the forest.
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Michelle is a designer with a focus on creating joyful digital experiences! She enjoys exploring the potential forms that an idea can express itself in and helping then take shape.
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Artist: Ty Dale
From Canada, Ty was born in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1993. From his chaotic workspace he draws in several different illustrative styles with thick outlines, bold colours and quirky-child like drawings. Ty distils the world around him into its basic geometry, prompting us to look at the mundane in a different way.
Western Dinosaur
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Egg Drop Experiment
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Would you dare place an egg on top of a tower and then make the tower collapse under the egg to make the egg fall!? Call us crazy, but that is exactly what we did in this Egg Drop Experiment and the result was pretty cool!
Find more Egg Experiments For Kids here!
The best thing about this nerve-racking egg dropping experiment is that it makes learning about gravity and inertia both fun and educational for kids!
Table of Contents
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Supplies Needed:
- 1 Egg (Raw or boiled depending on how brave you are)
- Clear Glass Cup
- Plastic Plate
- Cardboard Toilet Paper Roll or Paper Towel Roll
Egg Drop Challenge
- Fill a clear glass cup about three-quarters full of water.
- Place a plastic or paper plate on top of the glass.
- Stand an empty cardboard toilet paper roll on the plate.
- Place an egg on the top of the cardboard roll.
- Quickly but carefully knock the plate out from under the cardboard tube and egg.
- Watch and enjoy as the egg falls straight down into the water-filled cup!
- Repeat the steps again but this time make a bigger tower by replacing the toilet paper roll with a paper towel cardboard roll.
Step 1: Pour Some Water Into a Glass
To get started you need to grab a tall cup or glass and fill it about 3/4 of the way full of water. If you fill the glass with too much water then you will end up with a lot of water to clean up when the egg splashes into the glass.
If you do not add very much water, then you run the risk of the egg breaking open when it lands in the cup after the tower collapses.
It’s also a good idea to use a clear glass cup to make it easy to see the egg when in crashes into the cup. If you don’t have a clear glass though you can substitute for any other tall cup.
Step 2: Set a Plastic Plate on Top of The Glass
After filling the glass with some water, place a plastic plate on top of the water-filled cup. You can also use a metal pan for this, but it is very important not to use a glass plate or anything breakable for this part!
Make sure to center the middle of the plate directly over the glass of water. This plate will be the platform for the tower we are going to build next.
Step 3: Place a Cardboard Toilet Paper Roll on the Plate
Using a cardboard roll from an empty roll of toilet paper, stand it up on the plate that is over the cup of water.
Again, you want to make sure the carboard cylinder is directly in the middle of the plate and centered over the glass of water below.
Step 4: Set an Egg on Top of the Cardboard Roll
Now it’s time to grab an egg and carefully set it on the very top of your tower you created using the glass of water, plate, and cardboard tube.
The egg should be large enough to sit on the top of the carboard tube without falling through the inside of the tube, but be very careful not to tip the tube over while placing the egg on top.
This experiment will work with either a raw egg or a boiled egg. It is up to how brave you are feeling if you want to risk the experiment going wrong and having a raw egg breaking open on you or not!
Step 5: Knock the Plate Out From Under The Tube and Egg
This is honestly the scariest part, but it is also where the fun and excitement of this egg drop experiment begins!
Now that your tower is all put together with an egg sitting on the top, it’s time to knock the plate and carboard tube out from under the egg and see what happens to the egg.
Do you think the egg will fly off to the side in the direction of the plate and carboard tube it was sitting on, or will the end fall straight down and splash into the cup of water below!?
To find out the answer, gently but quickly knock the plate out from under the cardboard tube and the egg.
Whatever direction that you push the plate out of the way, make sure it’s not going to hit and break something else. This is why we use a plastic plate for this step!
Step 6: The Egg Will Fall Down into the Water Filled Cup
Watch and enjoy as the plate and cardboard tower fly off to the side, but the law of inertia and gravity work together to make the egg miraculously drop straight down and plop into the cup filled with water below!
You will probably notice a few splashes of water on the table from the impact of the egg dropping into the cup, but egg should remain unbroken in the cup of water!
Step 7: Do it Again, but Use a Paper Towel Roll To Make the Tower Taller
Since we had some success with our first try at this super cool egg drop experiment, its time to take to to the next level with a taller tower this time!
To do this, repeat the steps of building the tower on top of a glass-filled 3/4 of the way with water, but this time substitute the toilet paper cardboard tube for an empty paper towel tube.
This will make the tower about twice as tall as before and could make the egg drop challenge and bit more tricky!
Go ahead and place the egg on the tower, knock the plate out from underneath and see what happens to your egg as it falls from an even higher altitude than before!
If all goes well, then your egg should still fall straight down and land safely in the cup of water. The water will act as a cushion to the impact of the egg falling and should again keep your egg from cracking!
Egg Drop Experiment Explanation
This amazing egg drop experiment is only possible because of Newton’s law of inertia.
This law states that an object in a resting stage will stay in a resting stage or in uniform motion in a straight line unless acted upon by another force.
The egg on the top of our tower falls straight down into the cup of water because it was already sitting in a resting stage.
As my hand (another force) moved the plate and tower out from under the egg, the egg was pulled straight down into the cup thanks to gravity.
Even though the egg falls at an incredible speed, the water in the cup acts as a shock absorber and cushions the impact of the egg into the glass. This is what protects the egg and keeps it from cracking!
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More Fun Experiments For Kids:
- Cloud in a Bottle Experiment With Rubbing Alcohol
- How To Make An Ocean In A Jar
- Dancing Grapes Experiment
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Egg Drop LabStudents work in teams to design a container for an egg using provided materials. Students drop their containers, then analyze factors which can minimize force on the egg. Optionally, students can complete a second round of the experiment if time permits. Students work in teams to design a container for an egg using provided materials. Lesson Files
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Have you seen our latest free teacher workshop? Every product is independently selected by (obsessive) editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission. 26 Egg-cellent Egg Drop Challenge IdeasTeaching STEM one broken egg at a time.  The egg drop may be the most versatile activity there is. It can be done in kindergarten to teach about gravity, in middle school to teach engineering, and in high school physics. (We’ve even done the egg drop in professional development as a team-building activity). These 26 egg drop ideas take the challenge far beyond basic. 1. Disaster egg drop Have students imagine that they are trying to deliver eggs to people who have been in a disaster. They must use contents from care packages to pack and try to deliver their eggs. The focus of this egg drop is on the change from potential to kinetic energy and how energy moves when it impacts the ground. Try it: Care Package Egg Drop at Teach Engineering 2. Parachute egg drop Looking for tried-and-true ideas for the parachute egg drop method? Give students a variety of materials—straws, Popsicle sticks, paper, bags—and see who can make a parachute that helps the egg float instead of splat. Try it: Egg Parachutes at JDaniels4mom.com 3. Humpty Dumpty drop First, decorate an egg like Humpty Dumpty (smiley face, overalls). Then, fill baggies with different materials like water beads, sand, pasta, and cotton balls. Drop Humpty in and see which material protects him the best. Try it: Humpty Dumpty Drop at I Heart Crafty Things 4. Hot-air balloon egg drop Connect a “basket” to a balloon with yarn and see whether or not the balloon will float gently enough so the egg doesn’t break. You may try this in different types of weather to see what happens to the balloon and egg when it’s windy or not. Try it: Gravity Drop at Science Sparks 5. Crash cart egg raceIn this version of an egg drop, build a cart for an egg, then send each egg down a ramp or course to see if the cart will protect the egg. ADVERTISEMENT 6. Cereal egg drop Another lesson in how energy gets absorbed. Place an egg in a can, and surround the can with a soft cereal, like puffed rice. Try it: Cereal Egg Drop on Pinterest 7. Dodecahedron egg drop Create a dodecahedron out of straws, place an egg in the middle, and drop it. Will the straw structure protect the egg enough for it not to break? Bonus: Students learn about geometry and dodecahedrons. Try it: Straw Egg Drop at Sciencing 8. Styrofoam cup egg drop Use Styrofoam cups to create a stack around the egg. Place a heavy rock in the bottom of the first cup (the rock should be heavier than the egg). Then, put six more cups on top, put the egg into the seventh cup, and cover the stack with the eighth. Tape the stack together and drop. Try it: Styrofoam Egg Drop at Educational Insights 9. Rubber band suspension egg dropSuspend an egg using rubber bands and pantyhose for protection. Will the egg bounce and wiggle or crack on impact? 10. Paper straws egg drop Sometimes having limited materials brings out students’ creativity. Give students nothing but an egg, paper, and scissors, and see what they can come up with. Try it: Paper Egg Drop at iGameMom 11. Pringles can egg dropA Pringles can is the perfect size and shape to protect an egg. Use cushioning and pencils to hold the egg in place. 12. Sponge egg drop Cut a hole in the middle of a sponge and fit the egg into the hole. Then, use straws and tape to secure the egg and see if the sponge will soften the blow. Try it: Sponge Egg Drop at Green Kid Crafts 13. Paper bag parachute Looking for more ideas that incorporate parachutes in your egg drop challenge? Place the egg in a red Solo cup with some cushioning (shredded paper, cotton). Then, attach a plastic bag to the cup and launch it in a place where the wind can catch the bag. Try it: Plastic Bag Parachute Egg Drop at There’s Just One Mommy 14. Toilet paper and duct tape egg dropTuck an egg into a roll of toilet paper, pack with cotton balls, and cover with duct tape. You could use this strategy to drop the egg, or roll it down an obstacle course. 15. Oobleck-wrapped egg challengeFor a mult-step approach, make oobleck and cover the egg in oobleck. Then, put the egg in a cup that includes a soft packing material (mini-marshmallows, cotton balls). Cover the top with plastic wrap or tape and get ready to drop. 16. Ship egg drop Give students a collection of materials and challenge them to make ships to protect their eggs. Some materials:
Try it: Ship Egg Drop at Cool Science Dad 17. Pool noodle egg drop What can’t you do with pool noodles? Cut pool noodles into parts and use duct tape, rubber bands, and other materials to create soft, spongy pods for eggs. Try it: Pool Noodle Egg Drop at Steam Powered Family 18. Toilet paper roll egg drop Use toilet paper rolls as pillars to support and protect an egg, then use a sponge and rubber bands to hold it together. The big question with this egg drop is whether it will float down or crash. Try it: Toilet Paper Egg Drop at Science Struck 19. Water bag egg drop What happens if you put eggs in a bag full of water? Have students hypothesize whether the eggs will break based on how much water is in the bag. Try it: Water Bag Egg Drop at Oregon State University 20. Reinforcement egg drop Talk about what it means to reinforce an object, then provide students with different ways to reinforce an egg in boxes or jars (or jars and boxes). Try it: Reinforcement Egg Drop at Living Digitally 21. Floam-covered egg Cover an egg in floam and see if it provides enough cushioning to break the fall. If you don’t have floam, you can also try kinetic sand, play dough, or anything that will cover the egg and absorb the impact. Try it: Floam Egg Drop at Momtastic 22. Peanut butter jar egg drop Tuck an egg in a peanut butter jar, pack it with tissues, and secure in a box. Try it: Peanut Butter Jar Egg Drop at Momtastic 23. Balloon bomb egg dropSurround the egg in balloons filled with beads to provide a softer landing. 24. Another balloon bomb Hollow out a floral foam disc and tuck the egg inside. Then, add balloons to soften the landing. Try it: Balloon Bomb Egg Drop at The Caffeinated Homeschoolista 25. Bungee egg drop This activity isn’t an egg drop, per say. Students use rubber bands to create a bungee jump for an egg and predict how many rubbers bands they will need for the egg to drop a certain length (maybe six feet). For students who are well versed in the egg drop, this is a fun spin on the idea. Try it: Bungee Egg Drop at Museum of Science and Industry 26. Backyard egg drop Looking for ideas to make the egg drop project more challenging? Ask students to find materials in nature—sticks, leaves, an abandoned bird’s nest—to create their egg drop structures. Try it: Nature Egg Drop at Dream Big at Home If you like these egg drop challenge ideas and want more articles like this, be sure to subscribe to our newsletters.Plus, check out 50 stem activities to help kids think outside the box ..  You Might Also Like 50 STEM Activities for Kids of All Ages and InterestsInspire the innovators of tomorrow. Continue Reading Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. 5335 Gate Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32256 Buggy and Buddy Meaningful Activities for Learning & Creating April 7, 2014 By Chelsey Egg Drop Challenge with Free Planning PrintableWe had so much fun with last year’s egg drop challenge that we had to do it again this year! The egg drop project is such a fun way incorporate critical thinking and problem solving into a fun science activity for kids , and it’s great for a wide variety of ages. Both my kindergartener and my husband’s 4th grade class had a blast with the egg drop challenge this year! Follow our Science for Kids Pinterest board! Have you heard of the Egg Drop Challenge ? The challenge is to create a container that will protect an egg from breaking from a high fall. You can make this challenge as simple or complex as you want depending on the amount of time you have and the ages of kids taking part. It’s always one of the most memorable experiences for students each year! Be sure to check out our previous egg drop challenges for tips and ideas:
See more science activities in the video below!
Egg Drop Challenge for KidsMaterials for the egg drop challenge. You can pretty much use any materials you want! Some Materials You Could Use:
For last year’s egg drop challenge , my husband’s 4th graders brought in materials from home and constructed their containers in the classroom. This year his students had to use materials only available in the classroom. Here’s some of the egg containers they created!  Lucy and I went through our create box and found some materials to use for our container. We taped our egg in between 4 toilet paper rolls, and tied a sponge to the bottom using some string. We also added a parachute made from a large plastic bag.  Procedure for the Egg Drop Challenge
We decided to drop our egg off our backyard play structure.  Lucy ran to check the egg!  Our egg survived the drop so Lucy decided to try again, this time throwing it up into the air. After it survived this (and a few other tosses), Lucy decided to head to the cement to ensure it would break!  My husband’s 4th graders dropped their eggs from different heights using a ladder out on the blacktop of the school. There were lots of high fives after each drop! Once they were finished they headed back inside to discuss the results.  Questions to Spark More Curiosity & Critical ThinkingDescribe your design. Why do you think it will protect the egg? Did it work? Why or why not? How could you improve your design? Want to go even further?Even more activities to inspire creativity and critical thinking for various ages.
Be sure to check out STEAM Kids book and ebook for even more creative STEM and STEAM ideas!
 Science Struck Simple and Easy Egg Drop Project Ideas You Should Try NextEgg drop projects challenge students and individuals to devise working contraptions to safely land an egg without causing it to crack. ScienceStruck brings to you some easy ideas that you can implement for your egg drop project. Like it? Share it!  To Put It BluntlyThe egg dropping device should be such that it creates air resistance which slows the descent, thus minimizing the impact on contact with the ground. Egg drop competitions are held in schools and colleges where students compete with one another to create unique devices to safely land an egg when dropped from a decided height. The goal is to keep the raw egg intact, and minimize the impact on the egg encased in the contraption. While the designs for the device can range from simple to complex depending on the creativity of an individual, he/she has to make do with limited material. The egg drop project is definitely a means for students to learn the basics of science―from velocity and force to rate of speed. It compels them to think of innovative ways to protect the egg on impact. Egg Drop Project IdeasUsing toilet paper rolls. Materials Required
 Getting ready Cut a toilet roll horizontally to get two exact halves. Slit the other toilet roll lengthwise. You now have three pieces of toilet roll to work with. Wrap the egg in a Ziploc bag to reduce the impact on landing.
The propeller
The assembly
Using Balloons
 Getting ready Do away with the handle and side trimmings of the basket. Cut the cloth to the desired length. Wrap the egg with paper balls or cotton.
Using Plastic Cups
 Getting ready Tape the cotton onto the egg, and keep aside. You can even use bubble wrap to provide extra cushioning for the egg.
Using Popsicle Sticks
 Getting ready Secure the egg with cotton or bubble wrap. Place in a Ziploc pouch filled with cotton. You can even place it in a burlap pouch.
Using Drinking Straw
 Getting ready You can choose to secure the egg in bubble wrap, or keep it as it is.
Using Bagels
 Getting ready Wrap the egg in bubble wrap, and keep aside.
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20 Incredibly Creative Egg Drop Activity IdeasMarch 30, 2023 // by Rachel Cruz Get ready for an egg-citing adventure with the ultimate egg drop challenge! Engage your students and boost their creativity with 20 fun and innovative egg-drop activities. These egg drop designs will challenge your students’ problem-solving and critical thinking skills; from designing a simple structure using only paper and tape to constructing a cardboard box or any other type of container. So, gather your supplies, get cracking, and see who can build the most egg-celent contraption! 1. Rubber Band Egg DropThe egg bungee activity is a physics experiment where participants predict and test how many rubber bands are needed to safely drop an egg without it cracking upon touching the ground. Learn More: Museum of Science and Industry Chicago 2. Bombs AwayBombs away are the ultimate STEM activity for students of all ages. Students can access various materials, including tape, cardboard, foam, paper, cotton balls, rubber bands, and more. With limited resources, students must use creativity to engineer their egg-protecting contraptions. Learn More: Teach Engineering 3. Crash CarCrash Cars is a fun and educational project where students get to design their own protection devices for real eggs to prevent them from touching the ground during a simulated accident. Learn More: STEM-Inventions 4. Coffee Filter ParachutesThe coffee filter parachute is a fun activity where students design and build egg parachutes using inexpensive materials. The goal is to make each parachute float back to the ground, with the parachute catching air, rather than crashing to the ground. Learn More: JDaniel 4’s Mom 5. Humpty DumptyThe Humpty Dumpty Science activity is a popular STEM activity for kids that predict whether a hard-boiled egg, represented by a drawn face resembling Humpty Dumpty, will crack when dropped from a table onto a variety of materials such as feathers, cotton balls, and bubble wrap. Learn More: I Heart Crafty Things The Egg Drop activity with helmets is a demonstration that shows kids the importance of wearing a bicycle helmet. Students use three eggs to simulate the effects of falling from different heights with and without a helmet. The activity helps students understand how helmets protect the brain from injury. Learn More: Raising Arizona Kids 7. Balloon EggsBalloon egg drops are a fun and educational activity for kids that involves creating a protective device for an egg using only a few materials, like balloons and tape. Once completed, kids can drop their egg from a height and see if their contraption protects it from breaking. Learn More: Science Sparks This project is a fun way to learn about physics and engineering while getting creative with different designs made from straws. All you need are straws, tape, and an egg, and your students can build a contraption that protects their egg from cracking when dropped from a height. Learn More: Sciencing 9. Paper ProtectionThe paper-only egg drop challenge prompts learners to design and build a container to protect a raw egg from breaking when dropped from a certain height. The catch is that the main element in their design must be made of paper. Learn More: iGame Mom 10. Cardboard EnclosuresDesign and build a protective enclosure for an egg using the provided materials in this awesome kit! Students will explore with an industry-standard drop test to explore physics concepts. The kit includes a cardboard box, foam, bubble wrap, a corrugated pad, plastic bags, and an instruction pamphlet. Learn More: Ada Fruit 11. Fun PhysicsThis fun physics activity is a cool experiment for kids of all ages. Students will balance an egg or fruit on a tube placed on a plate and then whack the plate out of the way so that the egg drops straight into a glass of water. Learn More: Just A Mum’s Kitchen 12. SpongesDiscover the science behind falling objects with a sponge egg drop experiment! Can you keep an egg from cracking when it falls from a high place? Who will have the most successful design? Let the egg-drop challenge begin! Learn More: Green Kid Crafts 13. Plastic Bag ParachutesThe plastic bag egg drop is a fun and educational activity that can be used in the classroom to teach students about physics and engineering. After reading books like “Horton Hatches an Egg”, students can be challenged to create an egg drop that floats as it does in the story. Learn More: There’s Just One Mommy 14. MarshmallowsThe marshmallow egg drop challenge is a fun and engaging activity for teachers to use in the classroom to teach students about engineering and problem-solving. In this specific version of the challenge, students can use various materials, such as mini marshmallows, playdough, and oobleck to protect their eggs. Learn More: 123 Homeschool 4 Me 15. Egg ShipsThis egg drop experiment challenges high school students to design a ship using limited materials to protect an egg from breaking when dropped from different heights. It’s a fun and engaging way to teach students about trial and error and engineering design. Learn More: Cool Science Dad 16. Cotton BallsCotton ball egg drops make for an astonishing experiment! Wrapping an egg tightly in cotton balls protects it from breaking when it’s dropped or shaken. With some creativity, you can explore how different amounts of cotton wool and different container sizes affect the egg’s survival rate. 17. Bubble WrapProtect your eggs with bubble wrap! Find out which type of bubble wrap provides the best protection by dropping eggs wrapped in different kinds of bubble wrap from a high place. Will oversized bubbles or square bubbles work better than standard-sized bubbles? Time to find out! Learn More: Education 18. Toilet Paper RollsThis is a fun challenge for students to create a device using inexpensive materials to protect an egg from cracking upon impact with the ground. The project teaches the basics of science and encourages innovative thinking. Learn More: Science Struck 19. Water BagsGet ready for an egg-citing adventure with water bag egg drops! In this engineering activity, students will create a device that protects an egg from cracking upon impact with the ground. Here’s the twist- the egg must be packaged in a water-filled bag! Learn More: Oregon State 20. Extreme Turkeys Egg DropIn turkey egg drops, students will decorate an egg to look like a turkey and then create a protective home using the materials available. The turkey eggs are then dropped from the top of a ladder and the students see which ones survive the fall without cracking. Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
Successful Egg Drop Project Design with Straw and Paper Materials Allowed for the Egg Drop ProjectRegular print paper, straws, tape, egg. No other material is allowed. First Egg Drop Project with Paper Design – Short Paper-only FunnelFor the first one, we just want to get a feel how it works. We only used half of the 8×11 paper to make the funnel, and we used paper only without straw. We taped a strip of paper on the open of the funnel to make sure the egg won’t jump out. We tried twice, and both times it failed. After the first failures, we discussed the design. We feel the design should work, as long as the tip of funnel is the part that hits the ground. That way the force goes along the direction of the side of the funnel, which should not have impact on the egg. However, after the funnel touched the ground, it will fall on the side. To prevent the side of funnel from hitting the ground, we decided to add two straws on top of the egg crossing through the funnel (as shown in the picture). This way the straw will hold the funnel to prevent the side from hitting the ground.  To add additional protection, we decided to make the funnel narrower, so the distance between the funnel tip and the egg becomes larger. We also added some scrambled paper on top of the egg as a cushion to mediate the potential force between the egg and the straws. Second Egg Drop Project with Straw and Paper Design – Paper Funnel with StrawsThe 2nd design, we used the whole sheet of print paper. We made sure to make funnel tight with narrow open so the egg was about 3 inches away from the funnel tip. After putting in a little scrambled paper at the top of the egg inside the funnel, we marked the position where we can stick the straws through the funnel above the egg. Poking little holes on the paper for the straws to go through while maintaining the funnel shape was hard at first. I found the trick of folding the funnel paper a tiny little bit for the scissors to cut a tiny cut on the paper, then instead of poking a hole, just cut a cross, like “+”. Make sure the cut is slightly longer than the straws’ diameter. After cutting the holes on the funnel, we thrust the straws through the holes to make a cross on top of the egg. You can see it from the picture above. Of course, we wanted to have the straws stick out of the funnel on 4 different directions. We tried the new design. The result? We tried twice, and twice the eggs cracked. However, the cracks were not big, so it was encouraging. One observation we had was the funnel hit the ground with an angle ending up falling on the ground on the side. Although the straws helped a little bit, we still want the funnel tip be the part hitting the ground first.  An easy fix is to tape a piece of paper to cover the opening. Another solution, if you don’t have limit on the pieces of paper can be used for the design, is to make another funnel to nest inside the first funnel, with one funnel covering the other’s open. Third Egg Drop Project with Straw and Paper Design – Paper Funnel with Straws No Open on Side We did it again. Again, Success! Learning from the Egg Drop Design with Straw and Paper ProjectThe most important learning we had was that failure is not the end. It is the new start. To be successful after failures, we have to make changes on design and execution, which requires observation and analysis on the failures. We also learned the benefit of shared wisdom. Every one sees things from different angles and may have different ideas. It is a good skill to navigate the team dynamic and come up united solutions. We are grateful for the cumulative knowledge we have based on the previous egg drop project using straw only . The learning from that challenge helped us quickly narrow down on the design choices for this egg drop project with straw and paper. Paying attention to details helped too. It is the observations that the funnel landed on side and the funnel had a side open helped us decide on the final design that led to success. Lastly, a test run in a small scale is a good way to get a feel about the project overall. In our case, we started with a funnel using half the regular size paper, which reinforced our believe that our design should work. Design Factors Contributed to the Successful Egg Drop Design with Straw and PaperThe above learnings are about design process. Here are some design specific factors we believe contributed to the success of the egg drop challenge. 1.The overall funnel design that leading the force along the funnel side, thus away from the egg. 2.The distance between egg and the funnel tip is around 3 inches. If the distance is too short, the egg may still be impacted by the force when the funnel touches the ground. 3.The 360-degree symmetric funnel that ensured same air pressure and force on all sides of the funnel, which enabled the funnel to fall straight down, thus the tip being the part touched the ground. 4.The straws above the eggs sticking through the funnel sides that prevented the funnel side from touching the ground. 5.The scrambled paper on top of the egg acting as a cushion between the egg and the straws. Extension Ideas for Egg Drop Project with Straw and PaperWe did not limit the paper or the straw that each design can use. To make it a harder challenge, you can limit the number of straws and pieces of paper that are allowed in the design. After we successfully executed this egg drop design challenge, we come up the ideas of limiting the design with paper only. Stay tuned for our next Egg Drop Project Design with Paper only!  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How to Design an Egg Drop Experiment Using Straws Successful Egg Drop IdeasAn egg drop challenge tests the skills of engineering and physics students. Students are allowed plastic straws, tape and other minor materials such as popsicle sticks, but the basic material used should be straws. The goal of the experiment is to construct a container that will protect an egg when it is dropped from a certain height. Assign the project of designing and building an egg drop experiment using straws for students who want to learn about engineering and physics. Research websites such as NASA's Mars Rover Mission and Science Ideas to get design ideas for your egg drop experiment. You want a design that will cushion the fall of the egg so it will not break. The basic materials you will be using are straws so you need to find a method that will use the material to its advantage. Draw ideas on a scrap piece of paper with a pencil. Consider a design that holds the egg into position and has a strong cushion effect. Then test your design by building it. Cut Boba straws to the width of your clear packaging tape. Boba straws are thicker and can be purchased at Asian grocery stores. The thickness should help better cushion your egg compared to regular drinking straws. Unroll about 10 inches of tape and place sticky side up on your table. Place the straws on the sticky part of the tape side by side in a line. Place another piece of 10 inch tape on top of your straws. Wrap the straws inside the tape to form a loop. Secure with tape. This will be the container for your egg. Unroll eight inches of tape and place the cut straws along the sticky part of the tape like before. Place more tape on top to secure. Cut another piece of eight-inch tape and place more straws down on the sticky side. Add more tape on top. These two pieces will become the base of your egg drop design. Tape the two eight-inch pieces of tape with straws together for the bottom cushion of your design. Place the round looped straw container over the cushion so the hole is facing up. Put the egg inside and secure with tape by placing tape over the opening of the container and down along both sides and underneath the cushion. Test your egg container design by dropping it, cushion down, from table height. If your egg is intact, try higher. If your egg container fails, make adjusts to your design, such as container size and cushion thickness. Things You'll Need
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Successful Egg Drop Project Design with Paper Only - Paper Funnel After we did the Egg Drop Challenge using Straws and Paper, we came up an idea for an Egg Drop Project design using paper only. The design principles is very similar, but it is a fun idea to add a more stricter limit on the design to make it a hard STEM challenge.
The egg-drop project is a classic and time-honored tradition in many science classes. The goal is usually to build a device that can protect an egg when dropped from a high location.
How To Make Egg Drop Project With Just Paper And Tape! Justin C 76 subscribers Subscribed 431 84K views 3 years ago
You only need two pieces of paper to make this design!
Set up a parachute egg drop experiment to investigate the forces acting on a parachute. Great experiment for demonstrating gravity and air resistance.
Amazing & Graceful Egg Drop Contraption: Recently my AP Physics class was assigned the egg drop project. After experimenting with a few designs I found one that works very well and looks good too. Although some of the restrictions for the classic egg drop project vary, some of the same p…
Egg Drop Project This is the classic egg drop experiment. Students try to build a structure that will prevent a raw egg from breaking when dropped from a significant height. They should think about creating a design that would reduce the amount of energy transferred from potential to kinetic energy on the egg shell. Some ways to do this would be to decrease the final speed of the egg using air ...
Directions. Design a landing craft that protects your egg passenger when it's dropped from up high. Use the engineering design cycle for this experiment: design your landing craft, test it to see if it works, change your design to make it better, and re-test to get new results. Collect your materials.
The Classic "Egg-Drop" experiment has been a standard in science instruction for many years. Essentially, students are asked to construct some type of container that will keep a raw egg from cracking when dropped from ever-increasing elevations. There are three basic ways to increase the likelihood of safely dropping an egg: Slow down the ...
This lesson is designed to guide your students through the engineering design process (Figure 1) using a classic hands-on activity: an egg drop. You can read about the engineering design process, or assign your students to read about it, in much more detail in this project guide. You can also read about the differences between the engineering ...
Our annual egg drop project is one of the most anticipated STEM and science activities of the year at school. Check out this year's egg drop designs created by fourth grade students to get some inspiration for your own egg drop ideas and be sure to print out the free printable planning and recording sheets.
The egg drop project is a classic student challenge: how to drop an egg from a height without it breaking. Solutions have included packing materials, parachutes, and soft landing zones. There are several tried-and-true methods for protecting your fragile content from the impact of a fall.
The best thing about this nerve-racking egg dropping experiment is that it makes learning about gravity and inertia both fun and educational for kids!
Egg Drop Project The egg drop is a classic science project that kids will love. Can you design a system that will protect an egg from a fall? Give it a try and find out.
Egg Drop Lab. Students work in teams to design a container for an egg using provided materials. Students drop their containers, then analyze factors which can minimize force on the egg. Optionally, students can complete a second round of the experiment if time permits.
The egg drop is a must-do experiment. Here are all the egg drop ideas you need to challenge students from hypothesis to the big drop.
Egg Drop Project. Kids were instructed to bring in materials from home for their egg contraptions. This year we changed the rules up a bit and eliminated a few materials the kids usually use in their egg contraptions- no boxes and no battery powered items. After collecting materials over a few days, students were able to work independently, in ...
Design and make a container to protect an egg from a high fall. (You can use this free printable planning sheet when making your egg drop container.) Build your container and place the egg inside. Drop the egg from somewhere high. (Be sure it's safe and an adult is with you.) After you drop it look and see if your egg cracked or remained intact.
Egg drop projects challenge students and individuals to devise working contraptions to safely land an egg without causing it to crack. ScienceStruck brings to you some easy ideas that you can implement for your egg drop project.
This egg drop experiment challenges high school students to design a ship using limited materials to protect an egg from breaking when dropped from different heights.
Successful Egg Drop Project Design with Straw and Paper Egg drop project is a fun STEM activity. The reason it is widely used in science class and science fair, it is because it is a project based learning, and there are many ways to incorporate engineering design process and physics in the project.
Egg drop projects teach students to use logic and teamwork to protect their eggs from a fall. There are a variety of ways to conduct an egg drop.
An egg drop challenge tests the skills of engineering and physics students. Students are allowed plastic straws, tape and other minor materials such as popsicle sticks, but the basic material used should be straws. The goal of the experiment is to construct a container that will protect an egg when it is dropped from ...