Over the summer I want to encourage you to have fun with your children. What does that mean for you?  Well,  I will be encouraging you and your children to see the world with a sprinkle of imagination.  I will be producing great projects that help turn everyday objects into something that your children can use for imaginative play. I am looking to inspire you with simple tutorials and get the whole family playing and having fun.

My first project for you is this fab LEGO Minifigure parachute.  We had all the materials for this project in our home and we had so much fun both making and playing with them.

The weather was so great so we all had Fab ice lollies and took turns timing the drops.

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How to make a LEGO Minifigure parachute

Materials

• Parachute material – we used carrier bags, envelopes and ziplock bags
• Tapestry needle (large eyed needle)
• Embroidery thread
• Loom bands
• Loom band S clips
• Scissors (please ensure parental supervision before using)
• Sharpie permanent markers

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We decided to try different materials and sizes of parachutes to see if that made a difference in the way they worked. You can also try different length thread too.

First, you need to cut your chosen parachute material into a circle. We used a paper plate as a template but also used a compass to draw larger circles.

Cut out your circles and mark four points for the cord to be threaded through.

Decorate your parachute. If you are colouring carrier bags then make sure you use sharpies, so they do not smudge. if you are recycling a large envelope, then standard felt tips, pencils, crayons or paints are fine.

Thread your embroidery thread in to a large headed needed and push through the parachute. Tie a knot in the end and cut your thread to your desired length.

Tie all four threads into a knot.

Take a loom band (I am sure you must have some left lying around after the loom band craze) and place it over the arm of your minifigure around the back and over the other arm.

Then take a loom band S clip and attach to the loom band and the other side clip over the thread from the parachute.

The science behind the parachute

Depending on the age of your children you can discuss gravity and how a parachute works with air resistance. A great way to demonstrate this is to drop a minifigure without a parachute at the same time.

Try timing each of your parachutes. Does the length of the strings make a difference? Does the size of the canopy make a difference or even the shape or weight of the parachute?