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How to Make Your Own Parachutes

Making parachutes is an enjoyable activity for young and old alike. Racing them is a way for children to imagine themselves as paratroopers floating in to save the day. Parachute making is an interesting way to learn about air resistance and how descent times are affected by weights. Creating homemade parachutes out of recycled products is a good way to teach youngsters about recycling goods and to teach them a bit about science and gravity at the same time.

Things You'll Need

Plastic grocery bag
Scissors
Hole punch
Ruler
Yarn
Weight (small toy)

Instructions

- 1
  Trim the handles off a plastic bag and cut down each side of the bag with scissors. This leaves you with a long, rectangular piece of lightweight plastic.
- 2
  Smooth the plastic out on a flat surface with your hands.
- 3
  Cut the shape so it forms two squares.
- 4
  Trim the four corners of each square so it has eight sides -- an octagon shape.
- 5
  Poke holes near the edge and in the center of each of the eight corners with a hole punch or the pointed end of the scissors.
- 6
  Cut the yarn so you have eight 12-inch strands of yarn for the parachute.
- 7
  Thread a piece of the yarn through each hole and tie a simple knot.
- 8
  Gather all the untied ends of the yarn together and make one large knot with the strands, leaving about a 3-inch tail.
- 9
  Add a weight to the tail end of the yarn strands by tying the strands around a small object. Small, lightweight children's toys are effective weights. Repeat the methods for the other parachute.
- 10
  Drop the parachute from a balcony or second story window or simply toss it up in the air. It will float slowly down with the toy as its passenger. Have races with someone else by dropping your parachutes at the same time.

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