Eggcellent..

     My family recently enjoyed the Sizzlin Science Festival here in Salem, organized by A.C. Gilbert Discovery Village. One of the events was the annual 'Egg Drop'. Engineers of all ages were invited to construct a contraption that would save an egg from the damaging effects of a fall from the Marion Street Bridge.

    This activity is perfect for home as well...
Step #1: Give each child/adult an egg, free rein of the recycling bin, and a whole lot of masking tape.
Step #2: Find a high place to release your creations.
Step #3: Begin your countdown.

    As the Discovery Village drop took place over bark dust, we brought our designs home to test on the hard concrete of our driveway. My youngest son and I formed Team Tough and followed two different strategies. We used fabric in both designs and focused on layers of "cushion."

Team Tough Designs:

My youngest took the lead on this design. First, he surrounded his egg with fabric within 2 styrofoam trays.

Next, he wrapped the trays with tape; again and again and again,

Last, the secured trays were places in a cereal box and then wrapped in large packaging pillows. More tape was added.

I came up this design: filled with fabric scraps and wrapped in twine.

  
     My older son and my husband made up Team Crusher. "I think you've misunderstood this activity's objective." I cautioned them.

Team Crushers' creations:

My oldest son, followed his brother's design but swapped a parachute for the outside padding.

My husband decided to try his luck with just two materials: balloons and tape.

Here at home, we launched
our designs from the upstairs window.... and had varied results.

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Youth designs were 100% successful:

Hooray!!!!

Not a scratch!

Adults designs were clearly not:

Eeewwww!

Oh my, that's just messy!