My 3 year old daughter loved this activity, to make it work however you need a high balcony, stairs or a climbing frame to drop the toys down. Obviously be careful with young children near high drops.
You will need:
- Napkin(s) (we used paper ones and a cloth one, both worked but you can decorate the paper ones)
- Wool (string would also work but might tangle easier)
- Some very light plastic toys (less than 15g)
- Felt pens (optional)
What to do:
- Decorate the napkins with felt pens (optional)
- Measure out the wool so it’s one and a half times the length of the napkin
- Cut 4 pieces of wool this length
- Pinch one corner of the napkin and tie once piece of wool well
- Repeat for all corners
- Make sure the other ends of the wool are the same length and tie a knot in the wool
- Tie the wool securely around the toy
- Pinch the top of the napkin and drop from a height
Hints and tips:
- For slightly older children you could make it more scientific by experimenting with different types of parachute material and sizes, and varying the weight of the toy
- You could also use the bottom part of a coke (or similar) bottle and punch holes to make a basket
- Make sure there are no holes in the parachute, the strings aren’t tangled, and the toy is tied evenly
Recycle and Reimagine 