egg drop project ideas with straws

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Successful Egg Drop Project Design with Straws

Egg drop challenge science project is always fun for kids. You design a structure to hold the egg and to protect the egg from breaking when dropped from certain height. The project can be designed for different age groups with various difficulty levels. For this one, we limit the design materials on straws, tapes and hot glue only. The goal of the science project is for kids to learn physics science, design process, engineering while having fun. If you’d like to try with your kids or students, we have a free design process worksheet to help the design thinking.

STEM Challenge: Egg Drop Project Design with Straws

Before we start the design process, we did some online search to get some design ideas, then we tried the pyramid design first. Of course, it failed. The real learning happens when kids have to figure out what is wrong and how to improve. Read on to find out the learning that leads to the winning design.

First Egg drop design with Straw – Pyramid

The first step is the make a pyramid shape that holds the egg snugly. For this holder, each straw is bent to the appropriate length, so the egg can staying in it without moving.

Then tape or glue the full-length straws along the edges of the pyramid holder, so each edge is extended with a straw to stick out of the pyramid vertexes. The goal is to have the extended straws bear the forces upon touching the ground, thus deviate the force on the egg.

We used tapes and hot glue to put all straws into the place we wanted.

The test result?

After the failure, we discussed the reasons. One thing we noticed was when the egg dropped to the ground, the side that landed on the ground was on 3 straws with the same length sticking out the 3 vertexes. This makes the connecting straws parallel to the ground. These parallel straws must have hit the egg hard. With this realization, we started the next design.

Second Egg drop design with Straw – Unbalanced Pyramid

Based on the learning from the first failed experiment, we did a 2nd design to make sure all extension straws sticking out of the pyramid vertexes with a different length. But this time, the egg broke again. It was not as bad as last one, though.

We analyzed the causes again, and realized that pyramid is not a good shape to start with. Because, with this core shape, the landing side is usually with 3 straws sticking out. As we learned in geometry, 3 points form a plane, this means the landing force are equally distributed among the 3 straws, and then transfer to the crossing straws connecting these 3. Although these crossing straws are not straightly parallel to the ground, they still push the egg when it lands on the ground.

RELATED: Successful Egg Drop Project Design with Paper and Straw

The solution is to use a cube shape as the core to hold the egg. This way each side has 4 straws sticking out. The longest will be the one holding the force when it hits the ground. When only one straw is bearing the force, most of the force moves along the direction of the straw, thus little goes to the egg.

Third Egg drop design with Straw – Unbalanced Cube

Based on our analysis on the 2nd failure, a 3rd design was made. The center is a small cube to fit the egg. Then long straws are glued along each side of the cube. We made sure that each long straw extends out of the cube vertexes at a different length.

Can you guess the result?

The egg stayed as a whole, not even a crack!

Egg Drop Design Project Tips and Tricks

The key idea of a successful straw structure for egg drop project, from physics point of view, is to find a design that the straw will divert or absorb most of the forces, thus little force goes to the egg.

Lessons we learned from the egg drop challenge project design process

Focus on the design process, instead of result. Use the design process worksheet to help you. You can download the design sheet for free at the bottom of this post.

Don’t assume others’ successful ideas will automatically work for you. One of the sources we get our idea from is this Egg Drop Design YouTube video . The guy in the video made it look so easy to use a straw structure. We copied his idea, but failed. Do learn from others’ ideas. However the key is to think through the reasons behind each design and analyze the causes of failure or success.

More process and design tricks we learned through this project

Use plastic food wrap to wrap up the egg. If the egg broke, the egg white and yolk won’t flow or splash everywhere. This makes cleaning up a lot easier.

It is easier to use duct tape or washi tape to fix the straws together into shapes. Hot glue works well too, but it may not be a good option for younger kids.

Regular tape doesn’t work well with straws.

As you can tell from the pictures, we found it helpful to double up the straws for each edge and the extension.

Have you tried egg drop challenge with kids? Have you done project designs with straws? What is your challenge design? What are your winning tips?

Looking for a different Egg Drop Project Design Idea?

For more Egg Science Experiments, these Amazing Science Activities for Kids are must-tries. This Egg Painting with Vinegar is a fun one for sure. Like STEM Challenge? Try this Da Vinci Bridge STEM Engineering Building Challenge . Like Engineering Projects? Try these fun Engineering Toys for Kids

Next post: How to Build Da Vinci Bridge with Pencils – A fun STEM Challenge

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We are definitely going to use this for our 8th grade egg drop project

hi good job on this stuff

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26 Egg-cellent Egg Drop Challenge Ideas

Teaching STEM one broken egg at a time.

The egg drop may be the most versatile activity there is. It can be done in kindergarten to teach about gravity, in middle school to teach engineering, and in high school physics. (We’ve even done the egg drop in professional development as a team-building activity). These 26 egg drop ideas take the challenge far beyond basic.

1. Disaster egg drop

Have students imagine that they are trying to deliver eggs to people who have been in a disaster. They must use contents from care packages to pack and try to deliver their eggs. The focus of this egg drop is on the change from potential to kinetic energy and how energy moves when it impacts the ground.

Try it: Care Package Egg Drop at Teach Engineering

2. Parachute egg drop

Looking for tried-and-true ideas for the parachute egg drop method? Give students a variety of materials—straws, Popsicle sticks, paper, bags—and see who can make a parachute that helps the egg float instead of splat.

Try it: Egg Parachutes at JDaniels4mom.com

3. Humpty Dumpty drop

First, decorate an egg like Humpty Dumpty (smiley face, overalls). Then, fill baggies with different materials like water beads, sand, pasta, and cotton balls. Drop Humpty in and see which material protects him the best.

Try it: Humpty Dumpty Drop at I Heart Crafty Things

4. Hot-air balloon egg drop

Connect a “basket” to a balloon with yarn and see whether or not the balloon will float gently enough so the egg doesn’t break. You may try this in different types of weather to see what happens to the balloon and egg when it’s windy or not.

Try it: Gravity Drop at Science Sparks

5. Crash cart egg race

In this version of an egg drop, build a cart for an egg, then send each egg down a ramp or course to see if the cart will protect the egg.

6. Cereal egg drop

Another lesson in how energy gets absorbed. Place an egg in a can, and surround the can with a soft cereal, like puffed rice.

Try it: Cereal Egg Drop on Pinterest

7. Dodecahedron egg drop

Create a dodecahedron out of straws, place an egg in the middle, and drop it. Will the straw structure protect the egg enough for it not to break? Bonus: Students learn about geometry and dodecahedrons.

Try it: Straw Egg Drop at Sciencing

8. Styrofoam cup egg drop

Use Styrofoam cups to create a stack around the egg. Place a heavy rock in the bottom of the first cup (the rock should be heavier than the egg). Then, put six more cups on top, put the egg into the seventh cup, and cover the stack with the eighth. Tape the stack together and drop.

Try it: Styrofoam Egg Drop at Educational Insights

9. Rubber band suspension egg drop

Suspend an egg using rubber bands and pantyhose for protection. Will the egg bounce and wiggle or crack on impact?

10. Paper straws egg drop

Sometimes having limited materials brings out students’ creativity. Give students nothing but an egg, paper, and scissors, and see what they can come up with.

Try it: Paper Egg Drop at iGameMom

11. Pringles can egg drop

A Pringles can is the perfect size and shape to protect an egg. Use cushioning and pencils to hold the egg in place.

12. Sponge egg drop

Cut a hole in the middle of a sponge and fit the egg into the hole. Then, use straws and tape to secure the egg and see if the sponge will soften the blow.

Try it: Sponge Egg Drop at Green Kid Crafts

13. Paper bag parachute

Looking for more ideas that incorporate parachutes in your egg drop challenge? Place the egg in a red Solo cup with some cushioning (shredded paper, cotton). Then, attach a plastic bag to the cup and launch it in a place where the wind can catch the bag.

Try it: Plastic Bag Parachute Egg Drop at There’s Just One Mommy

14. Toilet paper and duct tape egg drop

Tuck an egg into a roll of toilet paper, pack with cotton balls, and cover with duct tape. You could use this strategy to drop the egg, or roll it down an obstacle course.

15. Oobleck-wrapped egg challenge

For a mult-step approach, make oobleck and cover the egg in oobleck. Then, put the egg in a cup that includes a soft packing material (mini-marshmallows, cotton balls). Cover the top with plastic wrap or tape and get ready to drop.

16. Ship egg drop

Give students a collection of materials and challenge them to make ships to protect their eggs. Some materials:

• Popsicle sticks or tongue depressors
• Rubber bands
• Pipe cleaners
• Cotton balls
• Sandwich bags

Try it: Ship Egg Drop at Cool Science Dad

17. Pool noodle egg drop

What can’t you do with pool noodles? Cut pool noodles into parts and use duct tape, rubber bands, and other materials to create soft, spongy pods for eggs.

Try it: Pool Noodle Egg Drop at Steam Powered Family

18. Toilet paper roll egg drop

Use toilet paper rolls as pillars to support and protect an egg, then use a sponge and rubber bands to hold it together. The big question with this egg drop is whether it will float down or crash.

Try it: Toilet Paper Egg Drop at Science Struck

19. Water bag egg drop

What happens if you put eggs in a bag full of water? Have students hypothesize whether the eggs will break based on how much water is in the bag.

Try it: Water Bag Egg Drop at Oregon State University

20. Reinforcement egg drop

Talk about what it means to reinforce an object, then provide students with different ways to reinforce an egg in boxes or jars (or jars and boxes).

Try it: Reinforcement Egg Drop at Living Digitally

21. Floam-covered egg

Cover an egg in floam and see if it provides enough cushioning to break the fall. If you don’t have floam, you can also try kinetic sand, play dough, or anything that will cover the egg and absorb the impact.

Try it: Floam Egg Drop at Momtastic

22. Peanut butter jar egg drop

Tuck an egg in a peanut butter jar, pack it with tissues, and secure in a box.

Try it: Peanut Butter Jar Egg Drop at Momtastic

23. Balloon bomb egg drop

Surround the egg in balloons filled with beads to provide a softer landing.

24. Another balloon bomb

Hollow out a floral foam disc and tuck the egg inside. Then, add balloons to soften the landing.

Try it: Balloon Bomb Egg Drop at The Caffeinated Homeschoolista

25. Bungee egg drop

This activity isn’t an egg drop, per say. Students use rubber bands to create a bungee jump for an egg and predict how many rubbers bands they will need for the egg to drop a certain length (maybe six feet). For students who are well versed in the egg drop, this is a fun spin on the idea.

Try it: Bungee Egg Drop at Museum of Science and Industry

26. Backyard egg drop

Looking for ideas to make the egg drop project more challenging? Ask students to find materials in nature—sticks, leaves, an abandoned bird’s nest—to create their egg drop structures.

Try it: Nature Egg Drop at Dream Big at Home

If you like these egg drop challenge ideas and want more articles like this,  be sure to subscribe to our newsletters.

Plus, check out 50 stem activities to help kids think outside the box ..

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30 Amazing Egg Drop Ideas

By Med Kharbach, PhD | Last Update: May 10, 2024

In today’s post, the focus is on egg drop project ideas! This engaging activity is not only a favorite among science classes and engineering challenges but also a fantastic way to encourage creative problem-solving and hands-on learning. The egg drop experiment involves designing a device that can protect a raw egg from breaking when dropped from a certain height. It’s a perfect blend of fun and education, allowing students to experiment with different materials and designs while learning about physics principles like gravity, impact, and energy absorption.

In this post, we’ll dive into a variety of innovative designs that use everyday materials to protect your fragile cargo. From simple household items to clever engineering hacks, these ideas are designed to inspire and challenge young minds to think outside the box.

Egg Drop Ideas

Whether you’re a teacher looking for classroom activities, a student preparing for a school competition, or a parent seeking a fun weekend project with your kids, these egg drop ideas are sure to provide entertainment and educational value.

1. Parachute Design : Attach a small parachute made of a plastic bag or lightweight fabric to slow down the descent of the egg, reducing the impact when it hits the ground.

2. Straw Cradle : Build a cradle using drinking straws to absorb the shock of the fall. You can design the straws in a box shape or use them to create a cushioning grid around the egg.

3. Balloon Bumper : Use balloons to cushion the egg. Inflate several small balloons and tape them around the egg to act as shock absorbers.

4. Padded Container : Place the egg inside a small plastic container lined with padding such as cotton balls, foam, or even mini marshmallows to absorb the impact.

5. Suspension Box : Suspend the egg inside a box using rubber bands or string. The suspension will help distribute the force of the landing more evenly.

6. Peanut Butter Jar : Fill a small jar with peanut butter and embed the egg inside. The viscosity of the peanut butter helps reduce the impact on the egg.

7. Bubble Wrap Suit : Wrap the egg in several layers of bubble wrap, securing it with tape to ensure it stays cushioned and protected.

8. Cardboard Base : Create a shock-absorbing base using layers of corrugated cardboard cut into squares and glued together, with the egg placed in the center.

9. Popcorn Packing : Fill a box with popped popcorn and nestle the egg in the middle. The popcorn provides a lightweight and effective cushion.

10. Egg in an Egg Carton : Use an egg carton and modify it by cutting out a portion where the egg sits, then surrounding the egg with a combination of soft materials like tissue or sponge. Close the carton and secure it with rubber bands.

11. Sponge Enclosure : Use kitchen sponges to create a protective box around the egg. The sponges act as excellent shock absorbers.

12. Cereal Cushion : Fill a small box with cereal (like puffed rice or corn flakes) to create a soft, impact-absorbing bed for the egg.

13. Tissue Box Theater : Modify a tissue box by cutting a small hole for the egg, surrounded by tissues or soft fabric to cushion the fall.

14. Water Balloon Suspension : Suspend the egg inside a large water balloon filled with a small amount of water. The water helps distribute the impact energy away from the egg.

Related: Best Emotional Literacy Books for Kids

15. Legged Landing Gear : Construct a landing gear using popsicle sticks or small dowels to absorb the shock, allowing the egg to remain suspended in the middle.

16. Cup Cradles : Nestle the egg between two plastic cups lined with soft material and taped together. The cups act like a capsule, protecting the egg on all sides.

17. Pantyhose Pouch : Place the egg inside a section of pantyhose with padding around it. The stretchy material helps to absorb and distribute the shock.

18. Box of Springs : Use small springs or coils from pens placed in a box to create a spring-loaded platform that cushions the fall.

19. Foam Tile Fortress : Construct a fortress around the egg using interlocking foam tiles, which are commonly used as floor mats. They can be cut and arranged to form a protective barrier.

20. Rubber Band Ball : Wrap the egg in a large, dense ball of rubber bands. The rubber bands provide elasticity and cushioning, reducing the impact force.

21. Rice Box : Fill a small box with uncooked rice to create a dense, shock-absorbing cushion that molds around the egg during impact.

22. Styrofoam Support : Carve a small hole in a block of Styrofoam and fit the egg snugly inside. The Styrofoam will help absorb the shock of the drop.

23. Ziploc Bag Hammock : Suspend the egg inside a Ziploc bag filled with air or a light padding material, and then secure the bag within a rigid frame made of straws or popsicle sticks.

24. Cotton Candy Cloud : If available, use cotton candy to encase the egg. The sticky, fluffy texture can absorb shock surprisingly well.

25. Towel Wrap Technique : Wrap the egg in a thick kitchen towel and secure it with rubber bands, creating a soft, cushioned bundle.

26. Jello Mold : Suspend the egg in a small container filled with Jello. Once the Jello sets, it creates a gelatinous cushion that helps absorb impacts.

27. Slinky Shell : Place the egg at the center of a large slinky, allowing the coil to absorb the shock while maintaining its integrity during the drop.

28. Chips Bag Air Cushion : Inflate a small, empty potato chip bag and seal it with tape. Use this air-filled bag to cushion the egg, similar to an airbag.

29. Origami Holder : Create an origami structure with pockets or padding to hold the egg. This can combine art and engineering, using paper’s shock-absorbing properties.

30. Beanie Baby Bed : Use the stuffing from an old plush toy or beanie baby to create a soft, protective bed for the egg within a container.

Related: 20 Team Building Activities for Kids

Final thoughts

I hope these ideas have sparked your creativity and encouraged you to think about simple materials in new and innovative ways. Whether you’re gearing up for a classroom challenge, a science fair, or just looking for a fun activity to do at home, these egg drop designs offer a fantastic opportunity to engage with basic physics concepts and engineering principles.

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Meet Med Kharbach, PhD

Dr. Med Kharbach is an influential voice in the global educational technology landscape, with an extensive background in educational studies and a decade-long experience as a K-12 teacher. Holding a Ph.D. from Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Canada, he brings a unique perspective to the educational world by integrating his profound academic knowledge with his hands-on teaching experience. Dr. Kharbach's academic pursuits encompass curriculum studies, discourse analysis, language learning/teaching, language and identity, emerging literacies, educational technology, and research methodologies. His work has been presented at numerous national and international conferences and published in various esteemed academic journals.

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The Ultimate Egg Drop Engineering Project

Categories Engineering Activities

When I was a kid, we had a book about this egg drop engineering project , and ever since then, I have wanted to try it. We live on the third floor, so we have quite a long drop from our balcony, which is perfect for this experiment.

If you don’t live in an apartment or have a second story, you might be able to test your eggs by tossing them off your roof. The egg drop challenge is one of our favorite engineering activities for kids!

We’ve also tried a turkey egg drop that was tons of fun!

How to Do the Egg Drop Engineering Project

The egg drop engineering challenge is one of our favorite engineering activities!

The goal of this project is to create a container that will safely deposit a raw egg onto the ground when it is dropped from something high.

Egg Drop STEM Challenge Ideas

Let kids be as creative in their designs as they want.  You might want to include some design challenges like they must use a cardboard box, their design must fly, or they have to use sponges.

You could also require that the designs be a certain size, such as under 10 inches.

Make your egg drop have a theme, like in our turkey Egg Drop Project with Popsicle Sticks .

Another fun twist is to try dropping the eggs from different heights. The egg padding that withstands the most tumbling is the winner!

The Science Behind the Egg Drop Challenge

I love the egg drop engineering project because it involves creativity mixed with a bit of physics.

The force of the fall and the impact breaks the egg. But with enough design adaptations, you can prevent an egg from breaking at almost any speed!

There are probably hundreds of designs that will keep the egg safe.

With a group of children, it would be fun to see what differing designs could be successful in keeping the eggs from breaking.

The more types of designs tested the better!

What You Need for Egg Drop Designs

You’ll need these supplies for the egg drop engineering challenge.

• Raw eggs (buy some cheap ones so you can make multiple attempts)
• Various containers and padding
• We used bubble wrap, cotton balls, plastic trash bags, plastic food containers, string, tape, plastic bags, and egg crates

How to Set Up an Egg Drop Engineering Project

Follow these steps to make your own egg drop STEM challenge!

Idea 1: How to prevent an egg from breaking when dropped with straws

In this version, I challenged the kids to create a cage for their egg out of straws.

It was a pretty good design!

Even though we only dropped it from the second story, I bet the design would have held up from even higher up.

Idea 2: How to prevent an egg from breaking when dropped

Monkey thought she could create a little nest for the egg like in a hot air balloon. She used the trash bag as the balloon and placed the egg in a plastic ice cream dish.

She padded the bottom of the egg, but not the sides.

When we dropped the egg, it fell onto its side and exploded.

Idea 3: Balloon egg drop design

Monkey expanded on the hot air balloon design, but this time, she made the container holding the egg larger.

She padded the egg in several layers of padding, including a plastic bag blown up to create an air pocket. She taped the container to the trash bag balloon.

When we dropped this package, it still fell pretty heavily (I’m not sure the balloon part was necessary), but the padding prevented the egg from breaking.

If you do the egg drop engineering project, share your results with us! We would love to see your creations!

More Engineering Activities for Kids

Summer Skies Marshmallow Constellations Engineering Activity for Kids

20+ Simple Lego Engineering Challenges Kids Can Do Alone!

6 Easy and Fun Engineering Projects for Kids

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Share this project with a friend!

• EXPLORE Random Article

How to Build an Egg Drop Project

Last Updated: January 21, 2022

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 13 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 27,865 times.

This project can be used by science students of various ages to complete a science fair project. These directions can be used to carry out directions and record results in a scientific fashion with accuracy to successfully complete an egg drop project.

Community Q&A

• Buy a trifold presentation board Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• Use color pictures Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• Create a digital graph online to compare all three trials of the experiment Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• Before dropping the experiment make sure that no one is walking in the area you will drop the egg.*Wear gloves while handling the egg, so in case egg cracks you are not exposed to the raw egg contents. *Do not conduct the experiment if you are allergic to eggs. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 5

Things You'll Need

• Masking Tape
• 1 bag of cotton balls
• 2 boxes of facial tissue
• 1 carton of 6 eggs
• Presentation board

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Egg Drop Project

Have you ever wondered how to safely drop an egg from a height without breaking it? Try the egg drop challenge and find out if you can safely drop an egg without breaking it.

There are many cool and easy science experiments for kids to do at home or as a part of their school project. One such simple science experiment is the egg drop project. The egg drop project is also a fun activity to teach children about the laws of motion and gravity.

Here is a step-by-step guide to dropping an egg without breaking it.

Materials You Need For The Egg Drop Project

• A Step-By-Step GuideTo Perform The Egg Drop Project

The Science Behind The Egg Drop Project

Other ideas to ace the egg drop project, why should you do the egg drop project.

The egg drop project does need a few materials. But they are inexpensive materials you can find at home or in a craft store.  You can make it more challenging for the kids and tell them to use as few materials as possible to perform the egg drop project. Here are the instructions to build an easy egg drop device, which will ensure a successful egg drop experiment. 

Here is a list of things you’ll need for an easy egg drop device to ace the egg drop challenge. 

• An extra-large sized Ziploc bag
• Bubble wrap
• Adhesive tape
• Packing peanuts
• A large empty plastic jar
• A carton of eggs

Download Egg Drop Project Printable

A Step-By-Step Guide To Perform The Egg Drop Project  

Here is a step-by-step guide to building the easiest egg drop device. This device ensures that the egg doesn’t break when it’s dropped from a height.

Place a raw egg in the middle of a sheet of bubble wrap. Roll the bubble wrap around the egg several times. Seal the bubble wrap with some adhesive tape to ensure that the egg is securely wrapped.

Fill the plastic jar halfway with packing peanuts and place the egg in the middle. Add the rest of the packing peanuts into the jar until it’s filled. This provides good padding for the egg.

Wrap the jar in several layers of bubble wrap on all sides and secure it with adhesive tape.

Then, place the bubble-wrapped jar in the Ziploc bag. Ensure that the bubble-wrapped jar fits neatly inside the Ziploc bag.

Step 5 – Bombs Away!

Now, drop this Ziploc bag from a height and see if the egg breaks.

What is gravity?

Gravity is a force of attraction that pulls on a mass. The earth’s gravitational force is what keeps us standing on the ground. The same gravity is the reason that fruits fall from trees. This is also the reason a ball or egg that is thrown in the air falls back to the ground.

Why does the egg break when it is thrown from a height?

When an egg hits the ground, a collision occurs between the eggshell and the Earth. When this happens, the energy and the momentum of the egg and the Earth are transferred and their properties are changed. Many forces are responsible for this change and these strong forces cause the eggshell to break as it hits the ground.

Why doesn’t the egg break in a successful egg drop device?

The egg drop device provides good padding, which cushions the egg. This is the same concept as airbags in vehicles, which protect the passengers in an accident. The bubble wrap, packing peanuts in the jar, and Ziploc bag protect the egg by absorbing the impact when it hits the ground.

This is not the only way to perform the egg drop experiment. Place some yarn, adhesive tape, paper straws, popsicle sticks, Ziploc bags, trash bags, pipe cleaners, cotton balls, glue, rubber bands and eggs in front of the child. Ask them to experiment with the materials and come up with egg drop experiment ideas. Then tell them to use these ideas to build a device that ensures the egg doesn’t break when dropped. The egg drop challenge also helps children think outside the box to create a structure that prevents the egg from breaking. Place the materials in front of your child or the team of kids. Then challenge them to build a structure that holds the egg and prevents it from breaking. 

The best way for children to learn and understand science and develop an interest in it is through experimenting. When kids learn new things in a practical way, they can retain the information for a much longer time. This also keeps them engaged and helps them to develop an interest in the subject they are learning. Learning science can sometimes be confusing and at times it can be boring. Gravity and motion are one such subjects that can sometimes be too complex for kids to understand. 

The egg drop project is a great way to help kids understand these concepts quickly. The answer is to build a simple structure around the egg so that it doesn’t break even when it is dropped from a height. But, it is not as simple as it sounds. You might end up sacrificing a few eggs for the egg drop project. The design can be simple or complicated, but it should decrease the energy transferred to kinetic energy from potential energy on the eggshell. 

It can be a team activity or you and your kid can do it together. Additionally, the egg drop experiment is a great way to test your child’s creativity, imagination, and strategizing skills. Additionally, the experiment also teaches them physics concepts like gravity, motion, momentum etc. 

Frequently Asked Questions on Egg Drop Project

What are the items required for egg drop project.

The items required for the egg drop project are eggs, bubble wrap, a plastic jar, packing peanuts, a Ziploc bag, and adhesive tape.

What do children learn from Egg Drop Project?

When kids perform Egg Drop Project they learn about gravity and its important properties. Also understanding the reason behind the breakage of eggs when dropped from a certain height.

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Awesome Egg Drop Ideas

Take the egg drop challenge for an awesome  STEM project for young kids and older ones too! Your imagination is the limit with these cleverly styled egg drop designs as you investigate what makes for the best shock absorber for dropping an egg. Read on to find out how the egg drop challenge works and what are the best materials for an egg drop. We have tons more STEM activities for you to try!

Take the Egg Drop Challenge

Create your own egg drop designs to protect your egg from breaking when it is dropped from a height. 

Egg drop challenges are super cool and make for terrific STEM activities! I have been waiting to do a classic egg drop project for some time with my son but felt like he was too young.

The goal of the egg drop challenge is to drop your egg from a height without it breaking when it hits the ground.

Most egg drop projects use many loose materials, design making, and tinkering that my son isn’t ready for yet. I thought we could expand on it by using materials in our kitchen to protect the eggs including ziptop bags to control the mess.

What else can you do with eggs? Watch the video!

Grab the FREE Printable Egg Drop Worksheets!

What are the Best Materials for an Egg Drop?

We have two versions of this egg drop challenge below, one for older and younger kids. Do you need real eggs? Usually, I would say yes, but given the circumstances, how about candy-filled plastic eggs ? If you don’t want to waste food for any reason, don’t! Find a workaround instead.

Egg Drop Ideas for Older Kids

Older kiddos will love coming up with ideas to protect the egg in an egg drop. Certainly, egg drop designs can be more involved the older a kid gets, making this a great activity to try each year. Some materials they may want to use…

• Packaging materials
• Old T-shirts or rags
• Recycling container goodies
• And so much more!

Here’s a past year’s winner in the egg drop challenge! It even included a plastic bag parachute!

Egg Drop Ideas for Younger Kids

You will need eggs and plastic zip top bags to contain the mess! How many is up to you? We had seven bags left, so we came up with six items from around the kitchen to fill the bags and protect the eggs and one with nothing.

I tried to pick items that weren’t too wasteful, and we had a few expired and unused items in the pantry. Some materials you could use to protect the egg…

• paper towels
• dry cereal {we used very old wheat puffs}

Best Egg Drop Design Ideas

Here are ten simple egg-drop design ideas for kids to try.

TIP: Tape and rubber bands are great to have on hand for securing constructions.

1. Parachute Design

Attach a parachute made from a plastic bag or thin fabric to slow down the descent of the egg. Experiment with different parachute sizes and shapes.

Materials: Plastic bags, fabric scraps, tissue paper.

2. Cup and String Contraption

Suspend the egg inside a cup using strings or rubber bands. The cup absorbs some of the impact, and the strings provide additional support.

Materials: Paper cups, rubber bands, string or yarn.

3. Bubble Wrap Encasement

Wrap the egg in several layers of bubble wrap to provide cushioning and protection. Secure the bubble wrap with tape.

Materials: Bubble wrap, packing peanuts, tissue paper.

4. Straw Structure

Create a protective structure using straws. Arrange the straws to form a cage around the egg, leaving enough space for the egg to be cradled safely.

Materials: Plastic or paper straws.

5. Balloon Cushioning

Inflate a balloon and tape it securely around the egg. The balloon acts as a cushion during the fall.

Materials: Regular balloons.

6. Cotton Ball Padding

Surround the egg with a thick layer of cotton balls or cotton padding. This can absorb some of the impact forces upon landing.

Materials: Cotton balls, cotton pads, sponge, foam padding.

7. Foam Container

Place the egg inside a small foam container, such as a foam cup or takeout container. The foam absorbs and disperses the impact energy.

Materials: Plastic containers, foam cups, paper cups, small boxes.

8. Paper Mache Shell

Create a protective shell for the egg using paper mache. The hardened shell provides a protective barrier against impact.

Materials: Newspapers, flour, water.

9. Cardboard Tube Construction

Use cardboard tubes (toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls) to create a protective structure around the egg. Arrange the tubes to form a cradle for the egg.

Materials: Cardboard sheets, cardboard tubes.

10. Feathered Landing

Attach feathers to the egg to slow down its descent. The feathers create drag, reducing the speed at which the egg falls.

Materials: Bird feathers or craft feathers.

Remember to encourage students to test and refine their designs. They can vary the drop height or make adjustments to improve the performance of their egg drop contraptions. Additionally, discussing the science behind each design choice can add to the learning experience.

Make It An Egg Drop Experiment

Want to turn this fun science activity into a science fair project? Check out these helpful resources.

• Easy Science Fair Projects
• Science Project Tips From A Teacher
• Science Fair Board Ideas

💡 Here are some ideas to remember to change the variables for an egg drop science fair project.

Standard Egg Drop : Start with the classic challenge where students must design a contraption to protect a raw egg from breaking when dropped from a certain height. They can experiment with different materials and shapes for their protective devices.

Materials Investigation : Have students investigate the properties of different materials. Ask them to design a container for the egg using various materials like paper, cardboard, plastic, and foam. Then, compare which material offers the best protection.

Shape Experiment : Explore the impact of the shape of the container on the egg’s safety. Students can create different shapes, such as cubes, spheres, or pyramids, and see which one works best.

Parachute Design : Challenge students to design a parachute system that slows down the egg’s descent. This adds an aerodynamics element to the project.

Weight Constraint : Introduce the maximum weight constraint for the entire contraption. This requires students to think about the trade-off between protection and weight.

Altitude Variations : Change the height from which the egg is dropped. Ask students to adjust their designs for different drop heights and explain how they made these adjustments.

Add These STEM Questions for Reflection

These STEM questions for reflection are perfect to use with older kiddos to talk about how the project went and what they might do differently next time around. Use these questions for reflection with your kids after they have completed the STEM challenge to encourage discussion of results and critical thinking .

—> Get the printable STEM questions list here .

• What were some of the challenges you discovered along the way?
• What worked well and what did not work well?
• What part of your model or prototype do you really like? Explain why.
• What part of your model or prototype needs improvement? Explain why.
• What other materials would you like to use if you could do this challenge again?
• What would you do differently next time?
• What parts of your model or prototype are similar to the real world version?

Check Our Our Egg Drop Experiment

The first egg drop challenge had to be the egg in the zip-top bag. We had to ensure the bag wasn’t protecting the egg, right? Crash and splat went that egg drop. Since it’s already in a bag, I might as well squish it around!

We continued with the egg drop challenge, testing each bag and then examining the contents. This egg drop project had some clear winners!

IDEAS THAT FAILED!

Obviously, the egg did not fair well with no protection. It also didn’t make it through an egg drop in water or ice. Note: We tried the water twice! Once with 8 cups and once with 4 cups.

EGG DROP IDEAS THAT WORKED!

However, the egg drop did make it through the crazy cup contraption. We were all impressed. It also made it through a drop in a bag of cereal. The egg, however, did not fare well in the paper towels. He didn’t think the towels were thick enough!

It would be a great egg drop project idea to explore: how to drop an egg without breaking it using paper!

We concluded the egg drop challenge, with a bag of flour mix. {This was very old gluten-free mix we will never use}. The flour was “soft” apparently making for great protection against the fall.

More Egg Science Activities

Prepare the eggs for more simple science projects to explore chemistry, biology, and physics!

• Do Eggs Float?
• Make A Bouncy Egg
• Test the strength of eggshells
• Get an egg into a bottle

More Favorite STEM Challenges

Straw Boats Challenge – Design a boat made from nothing but straws and tape, and see how many items it can hold before it sinks.

How Strong Is An Egg – Test much weight one egg can hold before it breaks.

Strong Spaghetti – Get out the pasta and test our your spaghetti bridge designs. Which one will hold the most weight?

Paper Bridges – Similar to our strong spaghettti challenge. Design a paper bridge with folded paper. Which one will hold the most coins?

Paper Chain STEM Challenge – One of the simplest STEM challenges ever!

Spaghetti Marshmallow Tower – Build the tallest spaghetti tower that can hold the weight of a jumbo marshmallow.

Strong Paper – Experiment with folding paper in different ways to test its strength, and learn about what shapes make the strongest structures.

Marshmallow Toothpick Tower – Build the tallest tower using only marshmallows and toothpicks.

Penny Boat Challenge – Design a simple tin foil boat, and see how many pennies it can hold before it sinks.

Gumdrop B ridge – Build a bridge from gumdrops and toothpicks and see how much weight it can hold.

Cup Tower Challenge – Make the tallest tower you can with 100 paper cups.

Paper Clip Challenge – Grab a bunch of paper clips and make a chain. Are paper clips strong enough to hold weight?

Printable STEM Pack for Kids

80+ Doable Engineering Projects in one convenient pack!

• Full instructions with sample images
• Activity-specific instruction sheets
• Data Collection Sheets
• Questions for Reflection
• Architecture Building Cards: Try the tallest tower challenge
• Bridge Building Cards: Explore different types of bridges to build your own.
• Paper Chain STEM Challenge: Who can make the longest chain? Great icebreaker or quick challenge!
• 3 Little Pigs Architectural Pack: Design a house that won’t blow away!
• Great marshmallow challenge: A classic challenge kids love!
• Real-world STEM challenge lesson but don’t know where to start? Our easy-to-follow template shows the steps!
• What’s the difference between a scientist and an engineer?
• Crossword and word search with engineering vocabulary.
• Engineering vocabulary cards
• Design a one-of-a-kind invention and write about it with this 5-page activity!

you worry too much about what people will think do your experiments and be happy who cares if you wasted a couple eggs. it was good clean fun with your kids.

Did any of the bags burst open? I’m interesting in leading this for a library program and need to figure out where we should drop the bags.

There was no catastrophic bag opening. I would suggest making sure the air is out of the bag first. You could also drop it into a plastic bin. Also go with quality zip top bags if you are worried. Have fun with it!

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How to Design an Egg Drop Experiment Using Straws

Successful Egg Drop Ideas

An egg drop challenge tests the skills of engineering and physics students. Students are allowed plastic straws, tape and other minor materials such as popsicle sticks, but the basic material used should be straws. The goal of the experiment is to construct a container that will protect an egg when it is dropped from a certain height. Assign the project of designing and building an egg drop experiment using straws for students who want to learn about engineering and physics.

Research websites such as NASA's Mars Rover Mission and Science Ideas to get design ideas for your egg drop experiment. You want a design that will cushion the fall of the egg so it will not break. The basic materials you will be using are straws so you need to find a method that will use the material to its advantage.

Draw ideas on a scrap piece of paper with a pencil. Consider a design that holds the egg into position and has a strong cushion effect. Then test your design by building it.

Cut Boba straws to the width of your clear packaging tape. Boba straws are thicker and can be purchased at Asian grocery stores. The thickness should help better cushion your egg compared to regular drinking straws.

Unroll about 10 inches of tape and place sticky side up on your table. Place the straws on the sticky part of the tape side by side in a line. Place another piece of 10 inch tape on top of your straws. Wrap the straws inside the tape to form a loop. Secure with tape. This will be the container for your egg.

Unroll eight inches of tape and place the cut straws along the sticky part of the tape like before. Place more tape on top to secure. Cut another piece of eight-inch tape and place more straws down on the sticky side. Add more tape on top. These two pieces will become the base of your egg drop design.

Tape the two eight-inch pieces of tape with straws together for the bottom cushion of your design. Place the round looped straw container over the cushion so the hole is facing up. Put the egg inside and secure with tape by placing tape over the opening of the container and down along both sides and underneath the cushion.

Test your egg container design by dropping it, cushion down, from table height. If your egg is intact, try higher. If your egg container fails, make adjusts to your design, such as container size and cushion thickness.

Things You'll Need

• Check with your class experiment rules before you design your container. If it needs to withstand a drop of 20-feet, you need to take that into consideration.
• Experiment with different designs to find the best one that works.
• Ask former students how they designed their egg drop experiments.
• Drop your egg outside to prevent a big mess.

Related Articles

Egg drop experiment solutions without a parachute, egg drop school projects, how to make an egg capsule out of straws, successful egg drop contraptions for a science project, how to package to protect an egg for a science project, egg drop ideas to not make an egg break from the height..., the best ways to make an egg drop, egg drop device ideas, how to drop an egg without breaking it by using straws..., project ideas for an egg drop with instructions, how to build a successful egg drop container for physics, how to make a boat for a science project, substances that absorb impact for science projects, physics egg-drop experiment ideas, how to do an egg projectile project, how to build an egg catapult, how to build an egg drop container with straws, how to make an egg drop box, egg drop experiments.

• PBS Kids: Egg Drop
• NASA: In-situ Exploration and Sample Return: Entry, Descent, and Landing

About the Author

Charong Chow has been writing professionally since 1995. Her work has appeared in magazines such as "Zing" and "Ocean Drive." Chow graduated from the University of Miami with a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy. She also received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the California Institute of the Arts.

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Buggy and Buddy

Meaningful Activities for Learning & Creating

March 2, 2016 By Chelsey

STEM for Kids: Egg Drop Project

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.

Follow our STEM and STEAM Activities for Kids Pinterest board!

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.

Be sure to check out STEAM Kids book and ebook for even more creative STEM and STEAM ideas!

Egg Drop Project

Can You Drop an Egg without Breaking It? The egg drop challenge is a classic but it never ceases to amaze the kids, and I am always amazed with their ingenuity! With STEM we are always working to build creativity, problem solving skills, curiosity, and a passion for experimentation and learning. The Egg Drop Project is the perfect Summer STEM project for developing all of those areas. So let’s dig into this wildly popular activity.

Egg Drop Project Ideas

What you will discover in this article!

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With an egg drop project it always seems like the contraptions that you’re sure will fail, somehow keep that egg perfectly safe. Then the ones that seem indestructible, end up with egg all over! What makes a good egg drop experiment in my mind is a little bit of direction and a lot of freedom. Kids will copy just about anything you show them, but given the freedom to problem solve on their own is always a joy to watch.

I highly recommend doing this project outside or somewhere that allows for easy clean up. Dropped eggs can really splatter everywhere! You may also want to avoid this activity on really hot, sunny days, to avoid the splattered raw egg cooking before you can clean it up. If you want to try cooking some eggs on those hot days, check out our Solar Oven Project .

Egg Drop Project Supplies

What Do We Need?

Raw Eggs (and lots of them!)

Plastic Easter Eggs (optional but great for the planning and prep work)

Building Materials , this is where you want to raid your tinker kits , recycling bins, cupboards and really encourage kids to get creative! Here are a few ideas to get you started.

• Cut up Pool Noodles
• Cardboard Tubes
• Cardboard boxes (smaller ones, like shoe boxes or tissue boxes)
• Plastic containers (like yogurt containers)
• Packing Peanuts or other packing materials
• Rubberbands
• Plastic Cups
• Zip Top Bags
• Craft Sticks
• Cotton Balls
• Old shirts or pieces of fabric

You may also need:

Tape (clear tape, duct tape) Glue (school glue, glue sticks, glue gun) Scissors Hobby knife Markers

Inquiry Questions for Students

Start with some questions and a conversation to get your kids thinking like scientists and STEMists. Also, don’t be afraid to have kids use the Scientific Method to reinforce learning this powerful approach to experimentation.

Here are some questions and conversation prompts for you.

What happens when you drop an egg? This is a great time to talk about potential and kinetic energy.

What will happen if I drop an egg on the floor? If you’re feeling brave you could even drop an egg and let them see the mess and how fragile the shell is!

What causes the egg to break when it hits the ground?

What might we be able to do to prevent an egg from breaking? How can we protect it?

Could you build a contraption that would protect an egg? What would that look like?

What are some important things that you should consider when building?

You could also explore the parts of the egg and challenge kids to make Bouncy Eggs using chemistry . This could be a fun experiment to do, while doing the egg drop project. The result is an egg with no shell that bounces. A super cool experiment to do with the Egg Drop.

Science Vocabulary

This is a perfect opportunity to talk about some science vocabulary and the physics behind the egg drop!

Potential Energy: The energy an object may have based on its size and position.

Kinetic Energy: The energy of motion.

Gravity: The force that pulls objects to earth.

Velocity: How fast an object moves as it falls.

Momentum: the way an object will speed up as it is falling and continue until it meets an outside force – like the ground.

Collision: When two objects run into one another causing a change in energy and momentum.

Newton’s 3rd Law of Motion: Action & Reaction: For every action in nature there is an equal and opposite reaction. If an object (egg) exerts a force on another object (the ground), the ground also exerts an equal and opposite force on the egg. For more projects on Newton’s Laws check out Balloon Rocket Physics or our Pinball Machine Project .

Egg Drop Project Step 1 – Design

I like to have students draw out their designs – making note of what they think is important to protect the egg. I let them look at the materials we have to work with so they have some direction. Some things to take into consideration are how can we slow the fall of the egg once it is released and how might we be able to protect the egg once it hits the ground. Once they have their design they need to bring me a materials list of what they need to build their design.

Egg Drop Project Step 2 – Build

Students are given a plastic egg for measuring purposes and the materials that they requested. I give them a set amount of time to build. It is good to stress here that they need to be able to remove their plastic egg and add an actual egg before the drop. The build process will inevitably present issues that the students will need to work with and adapt. This is all part of the process and encourages students to problem solve as they go.

Egg Drop Project Step 1 – Test

This is the fun part – I had students drop their eggs over a 2nd story railing. (With supervision at the top and bottom!) Sometimes you will hear a crack, but other times there is a lot of anticipation to see the results when you reveal the inside of the egg drop designs.

This part is always exciting! It’s a great time to ask students some questions. Do they predict the egg survived or not? How did the fall or the landing influence your prediction?

Then gather round and check the eggs!

It’s always funny to me how this turns out – the one contraption this time that I was sure would fail was by far the best egg drop design this year. This particular student had no interest in the suggestions of his classmates and simply wrapped the egg in pieces of pool noodle and rubber bands. The student didn’t really listen and hurled the egg over the railing rather than dropping it – I was sure we would all be covered with egg yolk and surprisingly his contraption just bounced and the egg was perfectly fine. While the student who made a meticulous soft cocoon of cotton balls and had a parachute to slow her fall ended up with a broken egg.

If you would really like to check out an amazing egg drop experiment that might not go the way you would think – check out the Egg Drop project using Oobleck – it’s a really cool out of the box way to try this challenge!

Egg Drop Final Step: Revise and Retest

I really enjoy leaving time to revise and retest designs whenever possible. It really helps encourage a growth mindset in the students – it’s the definite power of yet!

Have a blast with this classic STEM challenge with your students!

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Science Struck

Simple and Easy Egg Drop Project Ideas You Should Try Next

Egg drop projects challenge students and individuals to devise working contraptions to safely land an egg without causing it to crack. ScienceStruck brings to you some easy ideas that you can implement for your egg drop project.

Like it? Share it!

To Put It Bluntly

The egg dropping device should be such that it creates air resistance which slows the descent, thus minimizing the impact on contact with the ground.

Egg drop competitions are held in schools and colleges where students compete with one another to create unique devices to safely land an egg when dropped from a decided height. The goal is to keep the raw egg intact, and minimize the impact on the egg encased in the contraption.

While the designs for the device can range from simple to complex depending on the creativity of an individual, he/she has to make do with limited material. The egg drop project is definitely a means for students to learn the basics of science―from velocity and force to rate of speed. It compels them to think of innovative ways to protect the egg on impact.

Egg Drop Project Ideas

Using toilet paper rolls.

Materials Required

• 2 Toilet paper rolls
• Thick paper

Getting ready Cut a toilet roll horizontally to get two exact halves. Slit the other toilet roll lengthwise. You now have three pieces of toilet roll to work with. Wrap the egg in a Ziploc bag to reduce the impact on landing.

• Place one of the halves on a flat surface, and place the slit tube over it.
• Ensuring it fits snugly over the lower half, tape the longer roll back together.
• You have now created a cylinder which will effectively cover the lower half.
• Detach the pieces of toilet roll, and use a scissor to make 1-inch vertical cuts in the lower half.
• Fix the widened tube over the half, and make two holes through them.
• Push two straws through the holes ensuring they intersect at the center of the tube, and keep the base aside.

The propeller

• Use the uncut half to create blades by inserting wooden skewers into the upper portion of the roll.
• Ensure the skewers encircle the perimeter of the toilet roll.
• Cut out rectangular strips of the paper, and stick them to each of the skewers at slight angles using glue or electric tape.
• Ensure the blades are equidistant from the center of the tube and tilted at the same angle.
•  The propeller tube should resemble a miniature version of an exhaust fan.

The assembly

• Place the egg, which was wrapped in a Ziploc bag, vertically inside the base.
• Ensure it neatly sits over the straws.
• Place the propeller on top of the widened tube.
• Fix it into place with a single skewer inserted through the two pieces of tube.
• Bend the vertical slits outward to act like a shock absorber on landing.
• Attach a piece of thread to the top portion of the propeller.
• Hold the device with the help of the thread to test the working.

Using Balloons

•  Balloons
•  Wicker basket
•  Skewers
• Paper balls or

Getting ready Do away with the handle and side trimmings of the basket. Cut the cloth to the desired length. Wrap the egg with paper balls or cotton.

• Fasten the basket to the inflated balloons on all four sides.
• The balloons will create a soft cushion for the landing.
• Use the skewers to create a frame to attach the fabric.
• Fasten the rectangular piece of cloth to individual skewers.
• Attach the wing to the skewer frame using hot glue.
• Attach the lower end of the skewer frame to the basket.
• Secure the frame in place along the edges of the basket using burlap strings or glue.
• Place the egg in the basket.
• Keep the egg in place either using strings or skewers intersecting in the center.

Using Plastic Cups

• Plastic cups
• Popsicle sticks
• Plastic bag

Getting ready Tape the cotton onto the egg, and keep aside. You can even use bubble wrap to provide extra cushioning for the egg.

•  Use popsicle sticks to create the landing base for the cups.
• Crisscross two sticks and stick them to the base of a plastic cup.
• Use additional duct tape to keep the sticks in place.
• Stack a couple of cups into each other.
• Place the egg in the topmost cup.
• Stack a couple of cups over the egg.
• Use duct tape to seal the cups from opening.
• Create a square frame with the ice cream sticks.
• Use skewers to attach the base to the frame.
• Secure the joints with electrical tape or duct tape.
• Use the thread to attach the plastic bag to the frame.
• Using glue, attach the propeller to the skewers that are jetting out of the cups.
• Secure it in place with tape.

Using Popsicle Sticks

• Lightweight paper
• Rubber bands

Getting ready Secure the egg with cotton or bubble wrap. Place in a Ziploc pouch filled with cotton. You can even place it in a burlap pouch.

• Create a cube-shaped frame with the ice cream sticks.
• Seal the joints with glue.
• Hang the burlap pouch with the egg in the center of the cube.
• Secure the open ends of the cube by crisscrossing the ice cream sticks.
• Use glue to ensure that they do not come apart.
• Allow to dry thoroughly before you secure with electrical tape.
• Split the popsicle sticks in halves, or better still, use skewers or thin sticks to make the frame for the propeller.
• Create a spiral-shaped frame using skewers.
• Cover the frame with the paper. Glue and trim the edges to get a clean finish.
• Use hot glue to secure the joints together.
• Use a skewer to attach the propeller to the base.
• Fasten the joints with glue and tape ensuring that it does not move.
• Use twine to cover the edges as well as to give it additional strength.
• Once the glue is set, test your device.

Using Drinking Straw

• Drinking straws
• Bubble wrap

Getting ready You can choose to secure the egg in bubble wrap, or keep it as it is.

• Join two straws together by inserting one into the other.
• Bend the straws at their joint.
• Use a drop of glue on the inner side of the straw to ensure the straws do not come apart.
• Create a mat of straws in a similar manner.
• Repeat the process twice, so you have a three to four layers of straw as the base.
• Stick two straws together with glue.
• You can alternately use tape to hold your straws parallel to each other.
• Create a basket of straws by assembling the straws in similar fashion.
•  Use more straws to create a protective shield around the egg.
• Hold the straws in place with tape and glue.
• Place the egg in the straw basket.
• Cover the top with straws and ribbons.
• Use some more tape to go over the basket to provide additional strength to hold the egg inside.
• Test your device and make adjustments accordingly.

Using Bagels

•  Bagels

Getting ready Wrap the egg in bubble wrap, and keep aside.

• Secure two bagels with the help of skewers.
•  Place the bubble-wrapped egg horizontally in the gap of the bagel.
• Cover the egg with the third bagel.
• Secure the bagels in place with more skewers.
• You can use gum paste or glue made from cornstarch to hold the bagels together.
• Use a ribbon to hold the bagels together.

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Egg Drop Design

Introduction: Egg Drop Design

The main goal of an egg drop competition is to make a structure or something simple that could protect an egg from breaking when dropped. In an egg drop competition there are always rules on what design types you can use and what you aren't allowed to use. Some of these rules can include no parachutes and some rules say that your contraption has to weigh a certain mass. Every competition is different though so make sure you go over your rules before making something. The competition I'm participating in doesn't allow parachutes and some other rules. This is a design I came up with that follows my rules and is usually allowed in most competitions. Materials needed: -A hot glue gun and glue sticks -A large and small pair of scissors -A ruler -A sharpie or a marker -Lots of straws -Duct tape You may want to start heating up your glue gun now as you will need it soon in a few steps.

Step 1: Part 1: the Egg Housing Pyramid

Take one of your straws and your ruler and carefully measure 6 centimeters starting from the end of the straw with a marker. It should look like figure 3 and 4 when you're done.

Step 2: Cut

Cut the straw on the line you've marked with a pair of scissors. Repeat step 1 and 2 until you have a total of 6 straws that are each 6 centimeters in length.

Step 3: Making the Center Pyramid

Now that you have cut 6 straws, take 3 of them and make a closed triangle like the one in the pictures above. Once you have done so, take your glue gun that you've previously heat up and glue the triangle together one corner at a time. While gluing your triangle be careful not to move the shape to much. If you do move the triangle move it back while the glue is still soft.

Step 4: Completing the Pyramid

After you've finished gluing the base you should have something that looks like this. To start the top of the pyramid, take the rest of your straws from before and glue them one at a time to each corner like the one I did in figure 2. Look down from the top of the pyramid to see if the straw meets in the middle (Figure 3). The red dot marks the center. Repeat this for the rest of the corners.

Step 5: The Finished Pyramid

Once you completed your housing and it looks like the one above, your halfway from completing your contraption. Try test fitting an egg in it to make sure it fits. Go back and make any changes if necessary.

Step 6: Part 2: Outer Housing

Take a straw and cut the bendy ends off of them with a pair of scissors. Repeat this until you have 4 straws without the ends.

Step 7: Housing Beams

Next, glue the straws that have been trimmed in the last step vertically to the tips of the pyramid. Repeat this step for all sides until it looks like the one in figure 2.

Glue a straw to the end of beam like in image 1. Then join it with another straw and repeat it for the top half until you end up with something like this.

Make a tripod with 6 cm straws like in image 1. Glue it on the bottom of the housing pyramid and you should have something like in the last image.

Step 10: Finished!

Then repeat the pattern you did in step 8 and your contraption is ready to be dropped! If you have any, please leave any questions or comments down below about this instructable.

Step 11: An Update

Hey Instructables, it's occurred to me and other people that this design may have some flaws such as very little protection on the sides that are flatter. One way you can fix this issue is by following the pattern above in image 2 and 3. Basically, it's just 2 straws joined together then glued onto the flatter side to give it protection. Then you want to add a supporting beam and glue it like the one in image 4. Then you should be all done. If you want, you can make it more rigid then add some more outer supports. Watch out for a version 2 egg drop design coming in late June!

Participated in the Egg Contest 2016

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Big and Small Contest

Made with AI - Autodesk Design & Make - Student Contest

Egg Drop CHALLENGE

YOUR CHALLENGE IS:

Build a system that protects a raw egg when dropped from 8 feet, challenge closed, dates / judging criteria / prizes, who can enter, judging criteria, how to enter.

• $500 STEM School Grant
• Awesome Egg Mold
• Future Engineers T-Shirt

1 Winning Student or Team will receive a $500 STEM School grant for a school of their choice.

4 finalists will win an awesome egg mold to make eggs in a fun shape for each team member

10 Semifinalists will win a Future Engineers T-Shirt per team member

Dive Into The Challenge

Lesson plan details and challenge tips, 1. links & lessons, 2. digital tools, 3. brainstorm & design, 4. build & iterate, learn about the challenge, links & lessons.

Brainstorm & Design

Educator tools, brainstorming idea.

You can use paper plates, straws, balloons, rubber bands, paper cups, and tape, but the smaller your design, the more points you will get. Think about what materials you will pick and how you will use them. Will you use them as is, or alter them to get the results you want? 

EGGSHELL PROTECTION

Egg shells are delicate. How will you distribute the force to protect your egg from getting poked, prodded or pierced upon impact? (Remember! You need to show the intact eggshell at the end of your egg drop video, so make sure any egg protection is removable.)

STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY

How will your design keep its shape? How will it securely hold your egg? Will it be built to be hard like a tank? Or soft like a pillow? Or a little bit of both? 

AIR RESISTANCE

Drag is a force due to air resistance which in the case of the egg drop, directly opposes the weight of your payload. Will you try to use air resistance as part of your design? If so, how? If not, why? 

BALANCE & ORIENTATION

Is balance important to your egg invention? What about orientation? Is there a specific way it should land? Is there a specific orientation that the egg should be placed in your design?

IMPACT ABSORPTION

How will your design absorb the force of impact? How fast will your egg come to a halt when it hits the ground? Will you use crumple zones or perhaps a different method to break the fall? 

Digital Tools

Native tools, adobe spark.

Davinci Resolve 15

Build & iterate, launching the innovators of tomorrow.

Future Engineers hosts online innovation challenges for K-12 students. In 2014, Future Engineers launched its inaugural 3D printing in space challenge, sponsored by the ASME Foundation with technical assistance from NASA, which produced historic achievements including the first student-designed 3D print in space. Based on that success, and through the support of the U.S. Department of Education's SBIR Program, Future Engineers launched a multi-challenge platform in 2018 capable of hosting STEAM challenges of all kinds. All challenges are free for student/classroom participation.

Thank you for your interest in contacting Future Engineers. We look forward to connecting with you!

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