Make an egg drop protector

What can we use if we don't have drinking straws or bubble wrap for the cage and padding?

Instead of straws you can tape together rolled-up paper, chopsticks, or coffee stirrers to form the cage, and replace bubble wrap padding inside the cup or box with cotton balls, socks, or crumpled paper.

My egg moved or cracked after the drop—what step did I miss and how do I fix it?

Make sure the inside of your cup or box is lined snugly with padding so the egg doesn't shift, firmly tape the straws around the outside to form a rigid protective cage, and use extra tape or a rubber band to fasten any loose pieces before repeating the 1 meter drop.

How can I adapt this egg drop for different age groups?

For younger children have an adult pre-cut straws and lower the drop height below 1 meter while guiding the drawing and taping, and for older kids raise the challenge by increasing drop height, allowing them to cut with scissors and redesign the cage after each test.

How can we improve or personalize our protector beyond the basic instructions?

Try adding a parachute made from a plastic bag taped to the straw cage, wrap extra padding around the outside as described in the steps, decorate the cup or box, record whether the egg cracked, make one change, and then share your design on DIY.org.