Umbrellas were invented 4,000 years ago! While it is now a springtime essential for surprise rain showers, originally they were designed to shade people from the sun. Today, on World Creativity and Innovation Day, you’ll design your own umbrella!

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‍Materials:

Any building supplies you think you'll need like:

- Tape, glue, or sticky supplies

- Scissors

- Paper

Testing supplies like:

- Small Plastic Toys

- Spray Bottle

- Tray

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‍Procedure:

1. Sketch out a design for your umbrella. Will it fold? How will you store it? What shape will it be when it is open? What about when it is closed?

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2. Build a prototype for your umbrella with household materials.

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3. Test out the design by placing your small toys under the prototype and gently sprinkle water on them with the spray bottle. Did they stay dry or get wet?

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4. Make another prototype and try it again! Will it keep out the sun? Is it fashionable? Make it a competition with siblings or friends!

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What’s happening? In Egypt, those that were wealthy simply used palm leaves or feathers to create a canopy shape to shade them from the sun. Later, in China, a waterproof version was invented by coating paper with wax and lacquer.

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Today, we have all kinds of umbrellas: bubble-shaped, compact, and automatic!