How to make a Para!

To learn about gravity make a toy parachute and see how they float to the ground.

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You will need:

A plastic bag

Some string or wool

A tape measure or ruler

A toy soldier or Lego figure

Scissors (Note: f you are a child or a serving paratrooper make sure you are supervised by an adult)

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First cut out a square from the plastic bag and make each side 20cm long. You can use a piece of card as a template.

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Now cut 2 lengths of string or wool to a length of 40cm each.

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Twist each corner of the parachute into a knot.

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Tie the end of each piece of string or wool behind the knots making sure to attach one piece of string to both corners on top of the parachute and the other piece of string to both corners on the opposite bottom side of the parachute.

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Loop the string under the arms of your toy soldier or Lego figure.

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Time to test your paratrooper! Try dropping it over a stair bannister or from a window.

You can also try cutting a larger parachute and see how that can support larger items – maybe up to a teddy bear?

If you don’t have string o a toy soldier, substitute elastic bands sellotaped to the parachute and a peg for the figure.