Egg drop challenge

A challenge to protect an egg from breaking after it is dropped from height.

In this fun STEM egg drop challenge students will use, make, and assemble a protective structure to save an egg from breaking.

This activity is aimed at secondary school students and could be used as a main lesson activity, to teach learners about the strength of structural forms. It could also be used as one of several activities within a wider scheme of learning focusing on gravity.

The Egg Drop Challenge is a popular and versatile Easter STEM challenge. It is an exciting and engaging way for children to develop their creative thinking and problem-solving skills.

This STEM challenge is one of a series of free resources designed to allow learners to use Easter themes to develop their knowledge and skills in Design and Technology and Engineering. This resource focuses on the egg drop challenge. Sheets of paper are used to make a protective structure to prevent an egg being broken when dropped from height.

Once the egg protection frame has been built learners will test their structures by dropping the egg first from 0.5m, then 1m.

If your egg survives this fall, how high do you think an egg can be dropped from without breaking? How could you improve your design to make it more effective?

If using raw eggs, it is recommended that plastic covering is used on the floor and suitable hand washing facilities are available. One option is to use boiled eggs as these will reduce the mess but still crack on impact.

This activity will take approximately 60-90 minutes.

Tools/resources required

Projector/whiteboard
Raw eggs/Boiled eggs
Scissors
Glue sticks
Paper
Tissue paper
Sticky tape
String
Plastic bags

The engineering context

Understanding how structures are used to protect products is an important part of the new GCSE courses in Design and Technology and Engineering. Structures are used to protect many products, ranging from eggs to supplies dropped from aircraft during emergencies.

Suggested learning outcomes

By the end of this exercise students will know that gravity is a pulling force and they will be able to make a structure to protect an egg dropped from a height.

Download the free Egg Drop Challenge activity sheets, including a bonus crossword using the words used in the activity to enhance learning.

All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.

The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Please share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation.