DIY ROCKET PARACHUTE
Have fun making your own working parachute and watch as it safely lands!
HOW IT WORKS!
When air gets trapped underneath the parachute, it slows down the fall of the rocket. The trapped air creates a force that goes against gravity and it makes it much safer to land at a slower speed!
IMPORTANT: Before we get started, find a grown-up to help. Scissors are needed for this experiment and you may need someone to help assist you.
Things you will need: - some string
- a carrier bag, or a bathroom bin liner
- sticky tape
- scissors (get an adult to help you use these!)
- a rocket cut out from the template
- decorations to make your rocket look cool
- a paper or plastic cup
- a sheet of paper
- colouring in pens/pencils
Download and print this template so you can cut out and decorate your own rocket.
LET'S GET STARTED
Step 1: Take your plastic/paper cup and ask an adult to help you make 3 evenly spaced holes at the sides. You can use scissors or a pencil to make these holes.
I used a gardening fibre flower pot instead of a cup, which works just the same! Use whatever you have
handy.
Step 2: Cut off 3 pieces of string, making sure that they are
all the same length. We don't want a lopsided
parachute!!
About 40cm in length works great.
Step 3: Thread a piece of string through each hole in the cup,
and tie a knot in the inside so that the thread
doesn't come out.
Step 4: Take your bin liner, and tie the other ends of the
string to it.
Step 5: Print off the template included above and cut one of
the rockets out. You could try drawing your own too
if you don't have a printer!
Colour it in and decorate how you like.
You could use coloured paper if you don't feel like
colouring in.
Step 6: Use sticky tape to attach your decorated rocket onto
the cup.
You're now ready to drop your parachute from a
high spot!
Step 7: Find a safe, high spot to release your parachute from. On top of a chair or releasing it outside of a window
both work well, but remember to have an adult
supervise you!
Now watch as it descends slowly to the ground...
Try experimenting with different sized parachutes and see what happens!
Remember, the larger the surface area is, the more air gets trapped underneath.