How to make a zip-line toy transporter

— Cardboard tea box

— Hole punch

— Cardstock

— Tacky glue

— 11 1/2 feet of parachute cord, cut into two pieces: 10 feet and 16 inches

— Swivel-eye pulley

— Duct tape

WHAT TO DO

1. Attach the hook to a wall, about as high as your child can reach; let set.

2. Cut the box in half lengthwise, punch holes in two opposite sides, then use our template (find it at familyfunmag.com/printables) to create the rocket from cardstock and adhere it to the box. Tie one end of the 16-inch rope to one hole, loop it through the eye of the pulley, and tie it to the hole on the other side.

3. Run the 10-foot piece of rope through the block (wheel) of the pulley. Tie a loop onto one end, then hang it on the wall hook. Pull the other end of the rope until it’s taut, then use duct tape to secure it to the floor at a 45-degree angle from the wall (or hold it in place for your child).

4. Have your child push the rocket all the way up to the top of the line, then let go and watch the rocket fly!

HOW DOES IT WORK?

A pulley is a wheel with a grooved rim that helps it grip the rope. As the wheel turns, it encounters very little friction as it travels, so it moves quickly. Because the far end of the rope is lower than the anchor point in the wall, gravity pulls the rocket toward the ground — super fast!