This reindeer racing activity works well outdoors and indoors if you have enough space. It's great for learning about the effect of slope on speed and friction.
You will need to
Thin rope or string
Two toilet paper tubes
Pens, tape and paper to decorate.
Instructions
- Cut two pieces of string or thin rope long enough to create a long zipline.
- Decorate each toilet paper tube to look like a reindeer.
- Thread each string through a toilet paper reindeer.
- Tie the string or rope between two points, one higher than the other.
- Create a steeper gradient with one string than the other.
- Hold both reindeer toilet paper rolls by the top of the rope and release them simultaneously.
- Time how long it takes each reindeer to go down the zipline.
- Experiment with different types of ropes or strings or changing the incline of the zipline.
Experiment variables
Type of zipline
The slope of the zip line
Reindeer weight
To test one variable, all others must remain the same. If you change the incline, keep the same type of zipline and reindeer.
Reindeer Race Extension Ideas
- Build two ziplines and have a race!
- Add bubble wrap inside the toilet paper roll to see if increasing the friction between the toilet paper roll and the rope slows down the reindeer.
Last updated on January 2, 2024 by Emma Vanstone
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