First is the Wikki man parachute challenge…then a fun bubble blowing activity making
your own bubble wands…and then some creative cool stuff with rocks and sticks!
Wikki Stix Parachute Fun!
How do parachutes work? What design works best? Which stays in the air the longest?
Items you will need:
Wikki Stix | Scissors | Paper towels or coffee filters…or both! | Hole punch
1.) Start by making a Wikki person…this person will be the “passenger” in your parachute! Here are the directions:
Twist two Wikki Stix
together and fold in half.
Twist at fold. Bend
ends to make feet.
Bend another Wikki into a loop
to make the head and arms.
Press parts tightly
together.
2.) Now to make the parachute. The big part you see in the air and you are about to make is called the canopy. You can use paper towels to make a square or rectangular canopy…or a coffee filter to make a round canopy. (You can also cut a round section from a paper towel if you don’t have coffee filters.)
If you make different shaped canopies, you can see which shape flies longest…round, square, triangular, etc. (Clue: a larger sized paper towel works well!)
Use the hole punch or scissors to put holes in the paper…and thread Wikki Stix through the holes, adhering the Wikkies tightly to the parachute canopy. You may find that using four Wikkies is the best way to attach your Wikki person. You can also tie the Wikki Stix to the four corners of the paper towel!
3.) Now, attach your Wikki person…deciding if you want to wrap the Wikki Stix around his waist, or twist his arms onto the Wikkies…however you feel the person will be attached the most securely. Use 8” Wikki Stix for this part, or twist two six-inch Wikkies together.
Before tossing your parachutes into the air…can you guess which will fly longest? If you toss a Wikki man into the air without a parachute…does it fall to the ground faster?
Why does the parachute reduce the speed of falling? The parachute provides air resistance, which slows the speed of the fall to earth.
Okay…now it’s time to run and toss your parachute high into the air! See which way works best… holding it by the canopy…or by the Wikki man…or maybe, try holding both together!
Clue: The circular parachute will take the longest to fall; a square parachute will fall faster, and a triangular parachute will fall the very fastest! You can time the various parachutes to see how much difference there is.
And the reason they all ultimately float to the ground is…GRAVITY!
Wikki Stix Bubble Wand Activity!
You can use bubble solution purchased from the store, or make your own using any of the recipes you can find online. We tried several… and have to admit… the store-bought version works best of all!
NOW… to make the Wikki Bubble Wands! An easy way is to use a spoon…plastic or household…to hold your Wikki bubble shape. So, you’ll want to hold the spoon with your thumb in the spoon bowl and wrap the Wikkies around the straight end of the spoon, with the shape sticking out. See pictures.
Dip the Wikki shape into the bubble solution…and wave it high in the air!
Did you have a triangular bubble? A square bubble? Does it matter if you wave the spoon sideways…or straight up in the air? What shape is your bubble?
What are bubbles, anyway? Bubbles are pockets of air inside the thin skin created by the soap mixture. When something sharp and dry touches the bubble, it pokes a hole in the bubble’s skin and all the air goes out of it. And the bubble disappears! It pops!
By now you’ve probably noticed that no matter what shape your bubble wand is…the bubble looks round when it comes out. That is because bubbles always try to take up the least amount of space and hold the most air it possibly can…so it doesn’t like corners!
But don’t stop trying…just watch closely to see the original shape, before the bubble turns into a circle!
Happy Bubble Blowing!
Rocks and Sticks for Wikki Fun!
Since you’re outside, let’s see what we can make from rocks and sticks.. and Wikki Stix! Take a look around and see if you can find rocks in interesting shapes…ones that look like an animal, or a car, a spaceship…a round rock can become a basketball…or would be perfect to make into a face! In fact, if you make a self-portrait on a rock…you can become a Rock Star! Before adding Wikkies to the rock, wash it off and scrub it a little to get all the dust and dirt off…and allow to dry thoroughly.
Rocks!
Sticks
And, you can do the same thing with sticks! Some sticks look like animals, or people, or all kinds of things.
Just add Wikkies…and see what you can make!
We would love to see your creations!
Click here to submit your images!