Perfect parascending parachutes

Before you begin

• You could start with ‘It’s a drag’ from Drag it, lift it, thrust it, weigh it to introduce the basic theory of flight and air resistance.
• It’s up to you whether you let everyone loose to research online or whether you use the 'Parachute statements' matching activity. You know your group best, so choose whichever will work for them.
• The instructions are for creating a round canopy as they’re commonly used for parascending. People could get creative, though. They could make a different shaped parachute based on their research, or even make more than one parachute and compare how well they work.
• Everyone will need a 60 cm square of lightweight plastic tablecloth. You could also use white bin liners (so you can still draw on them) or even reuse worn-out bags for life. You may want to cut these out before the session to save time.
• Swivel clips are useful as they stop everything getting tangled, but your parachutes will work without them if you can’t get any.
• It’s up to you whether you make sky balls or just use toys you already have. If you want to make sky balls, you’ll need balloons, rice, empty 500 ml bottles, scissors, and elastic cord; the instructions are below. You could even use eggs and challenge teams to make a parachute that protects the egg when it’s dropped from a height.

Do your research

1. The person leading the activity should explain that different types of parachutes have different features that make them suited to different situations.
2. Everyone should get into small groups.
3. If they’re using the internet, each group should research parachute examples. They should start by looking at the differences between round canopy parachutes and ram-air canopy parachutes. Once they’ve finished, each group should take it in turns to tell everyone what they found.

The British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association website’s a great place to start your research.

4. If they’re not using the internet, the person leading the activity should give everyone the cut-out parachute statements. The groups should sort them into two groups – one for round canopies and one for ram-air canopies. Once they’ve finished, the person leading the activity should reveal the correct answers.

Craft a parachute

Check out the ‘Illustrated’ to help you follow the steps below.

1. Get a 60 cm square piece of thin plastic.
2. Fold the square in half, then in half again. There should now be four layers of plastic squares that are 30 cm square.
3. Use a ruler to draw a 12 cm square starting from the four loose corners and carefully cut it out.

Make sure you’re using the four loose corners – it won’t work if you cut into a folded edge.

4. Unfold the canopy and lay it out. It should be a plus shape.
5. Stick the two edges on each corner of the canopy together using sticky tape. This should make the parachute ‘pop up’ to become more 3D. Put the sticky tape at the edge of each corner of the canopy, leaving a gap to create a slit for an air vent.

It’s important to leave the air vents and not tape along the entire edge – the air vents let air escape in a controlled way, so it doesn’t leak out from underneath and make the parachute rock as it descends.

6. Cut two pieces of string that are 75 cm long. Mark around 3 cm from each end of the string using a pen and ruler.
7. Stick the end of one piece of string inside a taped corner of the parachute. Line up the 3 cm mark with the edge of the canopy so 3 cm of string is inside.

Some string should stick out once you’ve put the first bit of tape on. Fold this over before you tape it, so the string doesn’t just slip out from underneath the tape as the parachute falls.

8. Attach the other end of the string to the next corner of the canopy in the same way.
9. Hold the two corners of the canopy together and stretch the string out to find the middle. Tie a knot in the middle to create a small loop.
10. Repeat steps seven to nine with the other piece of string and other two corners. Try to make sure the loops are as even as possible.

The two looped strings are the parachute’s suspension lines.

11. Thread some elastic cord through both of the loops. Tie a knot in one end of the elastic cord to attach it to the loops. Tie a swivel hook to the other end of the elastic cord and trim any excess. These are the parachute’s links and harness.

Alternatively, attach a swivel clip to each end of the elastic cord and attach the clips to the loops.

Time to fly

1. Everyone should run through the different parts of their parachute. Can they find the canopy, vents, suspension lines, and harness?
2. Everyone should use a sky ball, toy, or egg to the parachute’s swivel clips, in place of a parascender.
3. Everyone should fold their parachute. They should hold the top of the canopy in the centre, pull the strings straight, and squeeze any air out of the canopy. Then, they should fold the top of the canopy over to where the suspension lines start and roll it tightly into a ball.

The tighter people pack their parachutes, the longer they’ll take to open so the higher they should be able to throw their parascender.

4. Once the canopy’s folded, everyone should wrap the suspension lines and elastic cording around it.
5. Everyone should take it in turns to hold their parascender and parachute in one end and throw them into the air. They should throw them as far and high as possible.
6. Once everyone’s thrown their parachute a few times, they should gather back together.
7. Everyone should think about how the parachute works to catch air and slow the parascender’s fall. Can they explain what’s happening using terms like ‘drag’ and ‘air resistance’?

To put it simply, parachutes work by increasing air resistance as someone falls.