egg drop experiment science concepts

27 Fun & Creative Egg Drop Challenge Ideas

The egg drop challenge is more than just a quirky science experiment; it’s a masterclass in problem-solving, creative engineering, and learning how to embrace failure as a crucial step to success.

In the egg drop challenge, your aim is to design a device that will protect a raw egg from breaking when dropped from a significant height.

Students learn that the most brilliant solutions often emerge from unexpected combinations of unconventional materials and that failure is simply an opportunity to learn and improve.

We’ve curated egg drop challenge ideas that go far beyond the traditional “drop from a ladder” approach. Each challenge is carefully crafted to teach fundamental principles of physics, structural design, and creative problem-solving while keeping the experience fun, collaborative, and memorable.

Egg-Cellent Ideas!

1. humpty dumpty science.

Humpty Dumpty Science is a fun and educational activity that helps kids explore the wonders of gravity and physics! This hands-on experiment uses a simple egg in a ziplock bag, with a drawn face, to mimic the classic Humpty Dumpty tale.

Accompanied by a printable worksheet, kids can predict, test, and observe what happens when Humpty “falls” just like in the nursery rhyme.

Learn more: I Heart Crafty Things

2. Pool Noodle Egg Drop

The Pool Noodle Egg Drop experiment is an exciting and creative way to challenge kids to think about the principles of engineering and physics!

Using a simple pool noodle as the main structure, the goal is to design a contraption that can safely protect an egg from cracking during a drop.

Learn more: Steam Powered Family

3. Sponge Egg Drop

The Sponge Egg Drop experiment is a fantastic way to introduce kids to the concepts of force, cushioning, and gravity in a fun, hands-on activity!

Using sponges as the primary material, the challenge is to create a protective case around an egg that will absorb the shock of a drop and prevent it from cracking.

Learn more: Green Kids Craft

4. Paper-Straws Egg Drop

The Paper-Straws and Paper Cone Egg Drop is an exciting and innovative challenge that encourages kids to think like engineers! Using only paper straws and a paper cone, the task is to design a structure that can protect an egg from breaking when dropped from a height.

Learn more: I-Game Mom

5. Ship Egg Drop

In this activity, kids must design packaging using everyday materials to protect an egg during a drop, much like how companies protect delicate items during shipping. This hands-on project encourages children to think critically about impact, cushioning, and safety while experimenting with different packaging techniques.

Learn more: Cool Science Dad

6. Oobleck Egg Drop

The Oobleck Egg Drop is an exciting experiment that combines science with sensory play! Using the non-Newtonian fluid known as Oobleck (a mixture of cornstarch and water), kids must explore whether this gooey substance can protect an egg from breaking during a drop.

7. Dodecahedron Egg Drop

The Dodecahedron Egg Drop is a creative and geometric twist on the classic egg drop challenge! In this activity, kids will design and construct a protective case for an egg using the shape of a dodecahedron a 12-sided polygon.

Learn more: Sciencing

8. Tissue Paper Egg Drop

The Tissue Paper Egg Drop is a light and delicate twist on the classic egg drop experiment! Using only tissue paper as the primary material, kids must find creative ways to protect an egg from cracking when dropped from a height.

9. Reinforcement Egg Drop

The Reinforcement Egg Drop adds an exciting engineering twist to the traditional egg drop challenge by incorporating support structures inside a box! Using bottles and elastics or garters as reinforcements, the task is to design a protective system that shields the egg from impact during a drop.

Learn more: Living Digitally

10. Bottle-Pantyhose Egg Shield

The Plastic Bottle-Pantyhose Egg Shield is a unique and creative spin on the classic egg drop challenge! In this experiment, kids must craft a protective shield for an egg using a plastic bottle and pantyhose.

Learn more: Kiwi Co

11. Paper Egg Drop

The Paper Egg Drop is a fun and educational experiment that challenges kids to protect an egg using only paper as the cushioning material.

In this activity, children must design and construct a protective enclosure out of paper to shield the egg from breaking when dropped from a height.

Learn more: I Game Mom

12. Crash Car Egg Drop

The Crash Car Egg Drop is an exhilarating experiment that combines the thrill of building and testing with the science of impact and protection! In this challenge, kids design and construct a mini crash car with the mission of keeping an egg safe during a collision or drop.

13. The Egg Slip

In this activity, an egg is placed on top of a toilet paper roll that is balanced on a flat surface, like a table. The challenge is to quickly slide the cardboard out from under the egg, allowing it to fall straight into a glass with water below due to inertia.

This experiment demonstrates how objects at rest tend to stay at rest unless acted upon by an external force.

Learn more: The Dad Lab

14. Egg Drop Inertia

In this activity, the goal is to balance a plastic egg on top of an object, such as a toilet paper roll or a cup, and then quickly remove the base, allowing the egg to drop straight down into a container below.

Learn more: Rookie Parenting

15. Popsicle Stick Fortress

The Popsicle Stick Fortress is an engaging and creative experiment where kids build a protective fortress for an egg using popsicle sticks and elastics. The challenge is to construct a sturdy structure that can safely cushion the egg during a drop.

Learn more: Feel Good Teaching

16. Balloon Egg Drop

The Balloon Egg Drop is a delightful and inventive experiment that combines the fun of balloons with the challenge of protecting an egg! In this activity, kids use balloons as the primary cushioning material to create a protective barrier around an egg.

Learn more: The Caffeinated Homeschool Ista

17. Egg Bungee

The Egg Bungee is an exciting and inventive experiment that explores the concepts of elasticity and gravity in a hands-on way!

In this activity, kids create a bungee cord for an egg using elastic bands or string, and then design a setup where the egg is suspended and safely lowered from a height.

Learn more: MSI Chicago

18. Space Helmet Egg Drop

The Space Helmet Egg Drop is an imaginative and educational experiment where kids create a “space helmet” to protect an egg as it undergoes a simulated space landing! Using materials like cardboard, foam, and tape, children design a helmet that shields the egg from impact during a drop.

Learn more: Raising Arizona Kids

19. Cardboard Lander

The Cardboard Lander is an innovative and hands-on experiment where kids design a protective landing system for an egg using cardboard and elastics.

In this activity, the egg is placed inside a cardboard container that is secured with elastics, creating a shock-absorbing mechanism to cushion the egg during a drop.

Learn more: Learn Ada Fruit

20. 2-Layered Toilet Paper Tube Egg Drop

The 2-Layered Toilet Paper Tube Egg Drop is a simple yet effective experiment where kids design a protective casing for an egg using two layers of toilet paper tubes. The challenge is to place the egg inside the glass with water.

Learn more: Just A Mums

21. Oobleck Egg Drop

In this activity, the egg is placed inside a Ziplock bag filled with Oobleck. When the bag is dropped, the Oobleck acts as both a solid and a liquid, depending on the force of impact, helping to cushion and protect the egg.

Learn more: Mad About Science

22. Marshmallow Cup Egg Drop

The Marshmallow Cup Egg Drop is a fun and squishy twist on the classic egg drop challenge! In this experiment, kids use marshmallows as the cushioning material inside a cup to protect an egg from breaking during a drop.

Learn more: 123 Homeschool 4me

Parachute Drop

23. mission: safe landing.

Mission: Safe Landing! is an exciting challenge that combines engineering and creativity to protect an egg during a drop using only a balloon and a cup. In this experiment, kids attach a balloon to a cup containing the egg, creating a mini landing craft designed to slow the fall and absorb impact.

Learn more: Science Sparks

24. Eggs in Flight

This egg drop takes the classic egg drop challenge to new heights by incorporating a parachute along with a toilet paper roll to protect the egg. In this experiment, the egg is covered with a toilet paper roll and attached to a parachute, which is designed to slow its descent.

Learn more: Buggy And Buddy

25. Coffee Filter Parachutes

The coffee filters act as parachutes, increasing air resistance and slowing the egg’s descent. The challenge is to attach the coffee filters to the egg in such a way that it floats softly to the ground without breaking.

Learn more: J Daniel’s 4s Mom

26. Operation Egg Drop

Operation Egg Drop is an exciting challenge where kids combine creativity and engineering to safely land an egg using a plastic parachute, a cup, and a few clever design choices. In this experiment, the egg is placed inside a cup that is securely attached to a plastic parachute.

Learn more: There’s Just One Mommy

27. Common Craft Egg Drop

In this project, the egg is carefully wrapped in plastic and surrounded by inflated balloons, which act as a cushion to absorb impact and prevent the egg from cracking. The balloons help disperse the force of the drop, while the plastic offers additional protection.

Learn more: Feels Like Home Blog

Egg Drop Project

Students creating a housing to protect their egg

This is the classic egg drop experiment. Students try to build a structure that will prevent a raw egg from breaking when dropped from a significant height. They should think about creating a design that would reduce the amount of energy transferred from potential to kinetic energy on the egg shell. Some ways to do this would be to decrease the final speed of the egg using air resistance, increasing the time of the collision using some sort of cushion, transferring the energy into something else, or whatever else they can think of!

Each group of students gets the following:

2 small paper cups
1 sq ft of cellophane
4 rubberbands
4 popsickle sticks
2 ft of tape
1 egg (not provided)

Subjects Covered

Energy Conservation

Provided by requester

One egg for each student group
Floor covering (Ex: Newspaper, Tarp)

Provided by us

Small paper cups
Rubberbands
Popsickle sticks

Physics Behind the Demo

The Egg hitting the ground is a collision between the Earth and the Egg. When collisions occur, two properties of the colliding bodies are changed and/or transferred: their Energy and Momentum . This change and transfer is mediated by one or many forces . If the force is too strong, it can cause the shell of the egg to crack and break.

Momentum Transfer and Impulse (no Calculus)

Starting with the definition of Force a and knowing that acceleration is just the change in velocity over the change in time

$$ \textbf{F}=ma=m\cdot{\frac{\Delta v}{\Delta t}} $$

If we move the $\Large \Delta t $ to the left side of the equation we can see how Force is related to momentum

$$ \textbf{F} \cdot{\Delta t}=m \cdot{\Delta v}$$

This means that the Force multiplied by the change in time, or duration of a collision, is equal to the mass multiplied by the change in velocity. Momentum (p) is defined as the mass multiplied by the velocity so the right side is the change in momentum. This change in momentum is the Impulse ( J )

$$ \textbf{J}= \textbf{F} \cdot{\Delta t}=\Delta \textbf{p}$$

a: In this case we are actually talking about the average force, but to keep things simple we will just call it the force.

Momemtum Transfer and Impulse (Calculus)

In Progress

Background Information On Egg Drop Experiments

Egg drop projects help students explore basic concepts such as gravity, force and acceleration. In an egg drop project, the specific details and rules may vary. The general idea is to have students design a container that will allow an egg to safely fall from varying heights without breaking. Often, one of the goals is to try and use the least amount of material as possible. Egg drop projects combine problem solving skills with basic principles of engineering and physics.

Laws of Motion

The science behind solving the falling egg "problem" is found in Sir Isaac Newton's laws of motion. The first law states that an object at rest will stay at rest, and an object in motion will stay in motion, unless acted upon by an external unbalanced force. This law means that if the forces acting on a falling egg are equal, it will remain in its current state of motion. If a force greater than those acting on the egg is applied, it will accelerate. "Acceleration" means any change in velocity — slowing down, speeding up or changing direction. If you hold an egg, the forces you are applying are equal and balanced, canceling out the force of gravity. Therefore, it remains motionless in your hand. If you let go of the egg, gravity becomes an unbalanced force and causes the egg to fall to the ground.

Force, Mass and Acceleration

Newton's second law deals with the relationship between an object's mass, its acceleration and the amount of force it exerts. The heavier an object is, and the faster it is traveling, the more force it exerts. Gravity causes falling objects to accelerate at a rate of 32.2 feet per second squared. By reducing the amount of mass in the egg container, you are reducing the amount of force it exerts as it falls.

Equal and Opposite

Newton's third law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. That means when you exert a force on an object, the object exerts a force back on you. For example, if you were standing on a boat and pushed off of the dock, even though you were pushing the dock, the dock pushed back. This is what causes the boat to move away from the dock. This concept is useful in understanding why an egg breaks when it strikes the ground; the ground is returning the force from the egg as it meets the ground. Using shock-absorbing materials can help reduce the amount of force exchanged between the ground and the egg.

Conservation of Energy

The law of conservation of energy helps understand how to mitigate the effect of an egg that is falling to the ground. Energy can neither be created or destroyed, only transferred. When an object falls to the ground, some of its energy is transferred to the ground, while it retains some energy. This is why a ball may bounce lower and lower each time. Eventually, the kinetic energy dissipates and the ball stops bouncing. By understanding that kinetic energy from a fall can be diminished over time, students can attempt to minimize the force of impact from a falling egg by using materials that allow for a bounce.

NASA.gov: Conservation of Energy

Cite This Article

Garrison, Joel. "Background Information On Egg Drop Experiments" sciencing.com , https://www.sciencing.com/background-information-egg-drop-experiments-8704697/. 27 April 2018.

Garrison, Joel. (2018, April 27). Background Information On Egg Drop Experiments. sciencing.com . Retrieved from https://www.sciencing.com/background-information-egg-drop-experiments-8704697/

Garrison, Joel. Background Information On Egg Drop Experiments last modified March 24, 2022. https://www.sciencing.com/background-information-egg-drop-experiments-8704697/

The Physics of Egg Drop Science Projects

Learn about the basic, yet fundamental physics concepts that the egg drop science project demonstrates, including gravity, free fall, air resistance and terminal velocity.

Free Fall – The egg drop experiment – a science project where students craft ways to keep an egg from breaking when dropped from a certain height – is a highlight in most physics classes. Read on to learn more about the basic, yet fundamental concepts the experiment demonstrates. TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read) The pull of gravity, free fall, air resistance and terminal velocity are all key physics concepts you’ll learn about in the egg drop science project. The Pull of Gravity Gravity is the force that exists between the earth and objects near it. There are two criteria when defining gravity: Force of gravity: Represented by Fgrav, this is the force that acts upon objects on or near the earth’s surface. The force of gravity can be calculated by the equation: F_{grav}=\text{mass}\times\text{acceleration} Acceleration of gravity: Represented by g, this is the acceleration experienced by an object when gravity is the only force applied to it. All objects on or near the earth’s surface have the same value for the acceleration of gravity (g): 9.

Video advice: Egg Drop Challenge- Physics Explained

Want to know the secrets behind the egg drop? Last-minute help on that lab project related to the egg drop? All of that is covered in this video. All the resources mentioned are down below. For more information, make sure to visit us at https://sciteens.org

The Physics of Egg Drop Science Projects

Egg Drop Physics – Egg Drop Physics: The egg drop experiment can have many variations. This is the one I like best. I have used it for a number of years, made some adjustments along the way, and think it’s finally time to share with you. I use this project as a way …

Video advice: Sycamore School / Middle School Egg Drop Challenge

Sycamore 8th graders in Mr. Schuth’s 8th grade science class are studying Physics, and the effects of \”fluid forces\” (air, liquid, etc…). Students started this experiment with an egg in a plastic bag, placed in a disposable cup. They had to create a device that, when dropped for a height of approximately 20 feet, would allow the cup to hit the ground first, while the device would auto-rotate, much like an unpowered helicopter.

I usually give students about 45 minutes of pure build time. This does not include the time taken to hand out materials. I usually hand out the materials and give them some planning time. . . then start the clock. Because my school has 45 minute periods, we can’t do it all in one class period. I force them to build and test in two.

Video advice: Physics Egg Drop Project

This is Trey, Nancy, Brittney, and Jonathan’s egg drop project. Enjoy!

What is the physics behind the egg drop experiment?

The cup drop illustrates the transfer of potential energy to kinetic energy . The potential energy from the eggs transfers into kinetic energy after an outside force (gravity) acts upon the egg.

What physics principle is used to make a surviving egg drop project?

Inertia . Newton's Laws of Motion are the basic principles illustrated in the egg drop experiment.

What forces are acting on an egg drop?

A falling object (egg) has a downward force acting on it due to gravity . Air resistance acting on the falling egg results in an upward force, and these 2 forces oppose each other.

What are the physics principles?

Basic principles of physics

Newton's laws of motion.
Mass, force and weight (Mass versus weight)
Momentum and conservation of energy.
Gravity, theories of gravity.
Energy, work, and their relationship.
Motion, position, and energy.

How Newton's three laws of motion relate to the Egg Drop project?

Newton's third law states that for every action there is a opposite and equal reaction . Our egg drop project demonstrates this by there being a simultaneous reaction but in the opposite direction, so when you drop the egg and it lands, an upward force will act on it.

Ball Drop Science Projects
Egg Drop School Projects
Physics Egg-Drop Experiment Ideas
Building a Effective Egg Drop Container for Physics
Effective Egg Drop Contraptions for any Science Project
Physics Projects for top School

Erwin van den Burg

Stress and anxiety researcher at CHUV2014–present Ph.D. from Radboud University NijmegenGraduated 2002 Lives in Lausanne, Switzerland2013–present

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Egg Drop Experiments

An egg drop experiment is a classic science activity that kids love. There are many ways to set up an egg drop experiment. Read on to see my suggestions plus a list of how others set theirs up.

The overall goal of an egg drop experiment is to drop an egg from a predetermined height and hope it doesn’t break. The egg is placed in or attached to something to help it make it to the ground safely. You could wrap the egg with something, place it inside a container, or attach helicopters, parachutes, or rockets to it. Several middle school and high school Science Olympiad events have involved some sort of egg drop. Many science classes issue an egg drop challenge each year. You can try it with your kids, too!

How to Set Up the Egg Drop Experiment

Involve your child in the design process. Decide what you will be changing in your experiment. Will you be testing different designs or materials? Will you be changing the drop height?

Talk about eggs. What happens when you drop an egg? It breaks. Can you drop an egg without it breaking?

**Wash your hands after dealing with eggs. Some eggs have Salmonella bacteria on or in them.**

Here are 4 main ways {they could also be combined}:

Wrap the egg in one or more materials.
Place the egg in a protective container.
Attach something to the egg to slow down the decent {parachute, helicopter, balloon, etc.}.
Place material on the ground to cushion the fall.

Can you think of any other ways?

Our Egg Drop Experiment

We chose to test materials that will cushion the fall of the egg. I talked to Aiden about what materials he thought might work. We settled on bubble wrap, a towel, and a pile of grass. To compare, we also dropped the egg into a plastic container.

We dropped our eggs from 3 different heights: 2 feet, 5 feet, and 10 feet. We recorded our results in a data table.

Aiden was trying to break the eggs. He dropped the egg first onto a pile of grass from 2 feet up. He was upset it didn’t break. The egg also did not break from 5 feet or 10 feet when dropped onto the pile of grass. Our ground was really soft, so I wasn’t sure the egg would break with any soft material on top of it. I had Aiden drop the egg into a plastic container {a hard surface} to compare. Then, we placed the other materials on top of the plastic container.

The egg didn’t break when dropped onto the towel from any of the 3 heights.

The egg survived being dropped from 2 feet onto the bubble wrap. When dropped from 5 feet onto the bubble wrap, the egg bounced and then hit the top of the container. This broke the egg. The same thing happened when we dropped the egg from 10 feet – bounced, hit the top, and broke. I think the eggs would have survived had they not hit the container. It was interesting how high the eggs bounced when dropped onto the bubble wrap.

What materials would you use to cushion your egg’s fall?

Egg Drop Experiments from Others

There are many variations on egg drop experiments. Check out these ideas below and try some out for yourself!

Science Sparks learned about gravity and air resistance by dropping eggs in different containers – a parachute, a balloon basket, and nothing.

Planet Smarty Pants issued an engineering challenge to protect an egg when dropped from different heights. Check out all of the designs using materials from the recycling bin and see which one worked best.

Lemon Lime Adventures proposed an egg drop project in which the children were to create something (a contraption) to protect the eggs when dropped. The children journaled about what materials they would use before building their contraptions.

Life Lesson Plans set out a variety materials for an egg drop experiment and let the kids create an egg safety vehicle. They dropped their eggs and watched them break. After discussing design problems and solutions, they tried again. I love how connections were made to real life in relation to car seats, too.

No Time for Flashcards built parachutes to protect their eggs in this fun egg toss activity . Check out their materials and discussion on why the egg did or did not break each time it was dropped.

Parent Teach Play conducted their egg drop experiment in the bath tub. They tested 9 different packaging materials and recorded the results.

Buggy and Buddy participated in an egg drop challenge in which they designed containers to protect the eggs. Then, they dropped the eggs onto grass and onto concrete. (Find out if it makes a difference.) Buggy and Buddy also has a planning printable that you can download to help you plan out your designs in advance.

Have you ever done an egg drop experiment? I’d love to hear about it. Leave a link or share a picture on the Inspiration Laboratories Facebook page or tag me on Instagram .

This post was originally published on April 8, 2014.