Parachute Drop Challenge

Grade Level: K-6
Time: 30-45 minutes
Group Size: 2-3 students per team

Materials Needed (per team):

• 1 plastic sandwich bag or small trash bag (all teams get the same size)
• 60 cm of string or yarn (cut into 4 equal pieces)
• 1 small payload: a plastic figurine, a film canister with pennies inside, or a binder clip
• Scissors
• Tape
• Ruler (optional)
• Stopwatch or phone timer (1 per class is fine)

The Challenge:

Build a parachute that keeps your payload in the air as long as possible when dropped from the same height. The team with the longest hang time wins.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Setup (5 minutes):

1. Find a consistent drop point: a balcony, stairwell, top of a step stool, or standing on a chair. Aim for at least 6 feet of drop height.
2. Designate one person as the timer and one as the dropper.
3. Drop a bare payload (no parachute) and time how long it takes to land. Write this on the board as the “no parachute” baseline.
4. Ask: “How could we make it take longer?”

Planning Phase (5 minutes):

Before cutting anything, teams should sketch their design:

• How will they attach the strings to the bag?
• How many attachment points?
• Will they make any holes in the canopy?

Key teaching point: “A parachute works by pushing against the air as it falls. More surface area means more air pushing back, which slows the fall. But if the canopy doesn’t catch air evenly, it spins, collapses, and drops fast anyway.”

Building Phase (15-20 minutes):

Step 1: Make the canopy

• Open the plastic bag fully. This is the parachute canopy.
• Optional: cut a small hole (about the size of a penny) in the center of the bag. This helps the parachute stay stable and not tip or spin. Let teams choose whether to add it.

Step 2: Attach the strings

• Tape one string to each corner of the bag (or evenly spaced around the bottom edge)
• Strings should all be the same length so the parachute hangs level
• Tie the loose ends together in a knot

Step 3: Attach the payload

• Tie or tape the payload to the knotted end of the strings
• The payload should hang below the parachute canopy, not sit inside it

Step 4: Test fold

• Fold the parachute loosely and hold it by the payload
• When released, the canopy should unfold and catch air

Teacher Tips:

• Uneven string length is the most common problem — the canopy tips and collapses
• Demonstrate a good release: let go of the payload so the canopy has time to unfold before it falls
• If a parachute collapses, ask students why before suggesting solutions
• Students who add the center hole often beat students who do not — use this as a teaching moment about stability

Testing Phase (10 minutes):

1. Each team takes 3 drops from the same height
2. Time each drop from release to landing
3. Record best time for each team
4. Compare to the baseline “no parachute” time

Scoring options:

• Longest hang time: Best single drop wins
• Most consistent: Smallest range across 3 drops wins
• Most improvement over baseline: Good for K-2 focus on effort over competition

Quick Redesign Round (optional):

Give teams 5 minutes to adjust one thing based on what they observed, then each team gets one more drop.

Learning Objectives:

• Air resistance: How drag force slows falling objects
• Surface area: More canopy area pushes against more air
• Stability: Why a tilted or spinning parachute falls faster
• Iteration: Testing, noticing, adjusting

Differentiation:

• Easier (K-2): Pre-cut the canopy and strings; focus on attaching the payload and observing what happens
• Harder (4-6): Same bag but students must cut the canopy to a specific shape of their choice before attaching strings; compare results by shape
• Extension: Test the same parachute design with heavier and lighter payloads. Does weight change hang time?

Discussion Questions:

• What was different about the parachute that stayed up the longest?
• Why does a small hole in the center sometimes help instead of hurt?
• What happened when the strings were uneven?
• Where do real parachutes use these same principles?

Common Problems and Solutions:

Real-World Connections:

• Skydivers use the same principle: large canopy, stable design, centered weight
• Mars rovers used parachutes during descent to slow down before landing
• Seeds like dandelions and maple keys are natural parachutes
• The hole in the top of a real parachute (the apex vent) prevents the dangerous tipping that collapses the canopy