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How to Make a Handkerchief Parachute for a Kid's Science Experiment

Look out below! The first parachutist was a dog in a basket. In 1785, French balloonist J. P. Blanchard dropped a dog by parachute from a balloon. Eight years later, Blanchard claimed to have himself jumped from a balloon with a parachute, breaking his leg in the process. A pocket handkerchief's not very useful for parachuting dogs or people, but it's a fun and easy science project. A few simple steps will quickly have your handkerchief parachute drifting easily down to a soft landing.

Things You'll Need

Pocket handkerchief
4 12-inch lengths of thread
Film canister or other small container with a screw- or snap-on lid

Instructions

- 1
  Twist each of the four corners of a pocket handkerchief. Wrap one end of a 12-inch piece of thread three times around the base of each twisted corner and knot the thread. Each corner of your handkerchief should have a separate thread attached to it.
- 2
  Hold the center of the handkerchief with one hand and run your other hand down the handkerchief to draw the four threads out to their full length.
- 3
  Tie the four loose thread ends -- the ends opposite the ends knotted to the handkerchief corners -- together with an overhand knot.
- 4
  Place the overhand knot in a film canister or other small container with a screw- or snap-on lid.
- 5
  Screw or snap on the lid of the container, enclosing the thread knot within the container.

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