Have you tried the egg drop project yet? This was our 4th year in a row taking part this super fun STEM activity for kids! Check out how to do it with your children or students, and be sure to print out our two free printable recording sheets.
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The kids always look forward to the annual egg drop project! If you’re unfamiliar with this popular STEM activity, the challenge is for kids to design a contraption using various materials (usually recyclables) to protect a raw egg from a high fall.
Be sure to check out our previous egg drop challenges for tips and ideas:
- Egg Drop Challenge 2018
- Egg Drop Challenge 2016
- Egg Drop Challenge 2015
- Egg Drop Challenge 2014
- Egg Drop Challenge 2013
Although this activity is most popular in high school physics classes, we’ve adapted it for elementary aged children and have done it with my husband’s 4th grade class for years in a row. (You can even do it with preschool aged children!)
Egg Drop Project
Kids were instructed to bring in materials from home for their egg contraptions. This year we changed the rules up a bit and eliminated a few materials the kids usually use in their egg contraptions- no boxes and no battery powered items.
After collecting materials over a few days, students were able to work independently, in pairs or in small groups to design a contraption to protect their raw egg.
They recored their designs on our free printable recording sheet.
After constructing their contraptions, the class examined all the other egg containers created.
They recorded their predictions on which contraptions would work using our free printable egg drop challenge recording sheet.
They then took their contraptions outside to test them out. My husband climbed onto the school roof with all the egg containers and dropped them one at at time. Since this is the highest we’ve done the egg drop challenge compared to years past, there were quite a few broken eggs this time!
The students discussed why certain contraptions did or did not work.
The kids were super excited to take part in the egg drop project, and one student even suggested we do it again later in the year taking into account what we learned from the current egg drop challenge. I’m sure we’ll be doing it again soon!
Be sure to check out STEAM Kids book and ebook for even more creative STEM and STEAM ideas!