You can create your very own flying invention. When you take the Floppy Flyer Challenge, you’ll:
- make your own paper flyer based on nature’s design of maple seed pods.
- then, you’ll test how fast your Floppy Flyer flies to the ground and write down your results.
- our scientists are no longer taking data from Citizen Scientists, but please feel free to share your results with your teachers and with the KSC Team!
The Floppy Flyer Challenge came from an idea by Kids Science Challenge winner Olivia Smith Donovan. She noticed how maple seed pods slowly twirl to the ground and wondered if their design could be used to deliver emergency packages.
1. VIEW THE VIDEOS
The Kids Science Challenge paired up Olivia with an engineer who studies flight design, Dr. Christopher Viney, of the University of California Merced. See Olivia and Dr. Viney having fun making Floppy Flyers:
2. MAKE AND TEST YOUR FLOPPY FLYER
Now it’s your turn! Download Instructions and Results Chart for making your own Floppy Flyer [word doc: 302KB].
Fill out your Results Chart on this Word document. You can create any number of Floppy Flyers, and test them multiple times.
3. SUBMIT YOUR RESULTS!
If you’d like, you can send us your flyer test results:
• Email your edited Results Chart Word document (and any drawings/photos) to: info@kidsciencechallenge.com
OR
• Mail your printed and filled-out Results Chart (and any drawings/photos) to:
Kids Science Challenge, PO Box 919, Stone Ridge NY 12484
