When the sun is shining there’s one absolute classic science experiment that’s guaranteed to get the children egg-cited (sorry!)...The Egg Drop Challenge.

What do I need?

• A plastic bag
• Some paper (scrap paper is perfect)
• Sellotape
• String
• Scissors

How do I do it?

STEP1 – Roll a piece of paper into a tube about the thickness of a pencil and sellotape it in place. Ultimate Summer Science Experiments

STEP2 – Repeat that process so you’ve got around 7 paper tubes.

STEP3 – Let’s build our egg protection contraption! Tape your paper tubes around your egg so that it sits protected in the center of a paper tube snowflake.

STEP4 – Connect the parachute! Thread your string through one of your best attached paper tubes and tie the ends of your string to the handles of your plastic bag.

STEP5 – Test it out! From how high can you drop your contraption without breaking your egg.

What’s going on?

This is a brilliant way to get children thinking all about forces. When we drop our egg from a great height we’ve got the force of gravity pulling it down to the ground. Our parachute is our egg’s first line of defense. As our egg starts to fall the parachute fills up with air and this air resistance causes it to fall more slowly.

Finally, we’ve got our paper-protectors. It’s the sudden impact into the ground that might cause our egg to break. The flexible paper tubes slow the egg more gently (hopefully!) stopping it from breaking.

More Fun Please! - Experiment like a real scientist!

• What difference does not using a parachute make? (You may need a spare egg or two!) 
• How high can you drop your egg from and it still survive?
• Use your creativity. What designs do you have for the Ultimate Egg Drop Challenge?