How to make a toy zip line
Learn how to make a zip line for toys in this free activity.
In this fun activity, students will be challenged to design and build a zip line for toys.
Students will become budding engineers and problem solvers, working together to construct a mode of a zip line system that will transport their favourite toys on an exhilarating journey from one point to another.
Activity: Make a zip line
This project is a hands-on activity that teaches learners about the effect of gravity on a body falling in a controlled manner, friction, and the practical application of trigonometry. It involves building a model of a zip line for toys, which can be done in pairs or individually.
Finding suitable places for the zip line can be a challenge. In a classroom setting, it can quickly become difficult to allow every team or student access to a high-level fixing point. The class may have to work in a larger area or outside with access to trees and fences. If there is access to a sports hall, the wall bars could be a solution.
This activity is one of a set of resources that allows learners to use summer themes to support the delivery of key topics in mathematics, design and technology, and engineering. This resource is part of a group for summer activities that can be done in school or at home. It involves constructing a zip line for a toy. It is targeted at Year 9 students (S2 in Scotland) but is also suitable for other year groups.
How long will this activity take to complete?
This activity will take approximately 60-90 minutes to complete. Download the activity sheet below for a step-by-step guide on making a toy zip line.
Materials/resources required:
- String or thin rope, 10m should be enough
- A ‘passenger’ for the zip line
- Paper clips or stiff wire
- Sticky tape
- A stopwatch or a stopwatch App on a phone
- A ruler or tape measure
- A protractor
- Some paper and a pen to take notes
The engineering context
Designing for Theme parks is a new and evolving area of Engineering. The rides have to be enjoyable, sometimes extreme, but always safe. Engineers are responsible for the careful design and thorough and regular testing of the installations.
Suggested learning outcomes
By the end of this activity, students will be able to understand how gravity and friction affect a body falling in a controlled manner, and they will be able to record data and draw conclusions.
Download the free activity sheet below!
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable so that you can tailor them to your students and your schools' needs.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, helpful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in the four devolved UK nations: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
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