Have you ever wanted to make something levitate? Maybe you have a child who’s fascinated by flight? In celebration of Disney’s release of the Aladdin Signature Collection on Blu-Ray™, I’m teaming up with Disney Studios to bring Aladdin’s flying carpet to life.
That’s right, today we’re making a flying carpet in this Aladdin-inspired STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) project that will invite your child to draw and/or color, learn about the magic of magnets, and amaze family with their ability to make a carpet “fly.”
My kids and I recently watched both the live action Aladdin and animated Aladdin movies (they had never seen them before) and we were all smitten by the fun storyline, humorous genie, and catchy songs. Oh, and the magic, of course!
I’m including a few things here to make this extra easy for you: a printable template, step-by-step instructions, and a video to show you how the carpet flies. Fun! Are you ready to start?
Supplies
Warning: Please watch young children closely when using scissors and magnets. These are not toys.
- Choose a magic carpet template to decorate. You can use the Aladdin theme carpet or invent your own design.
- Cut the carpet out.
- Tape a strong magnet to the back of the carpet. Place a few more magnets on top of the tape to make it extra strong. Watch the video to see how this looks.
- Place the carpet on a table or ceramic plate.
- Make another stack of magnets and hold them under the table or plate. Move the magnets and watch your carpet “fly.”
Aladdin Signature Collection is now available on Digital & Blu-ray™
Wow! You are so creative!! I really loved your DIY and the idea of the magic carpet you’ve made!!! Nice work,
Can I get this carpet to fly about 5 feet into the air some way?
I have been searching online and in my on mind for this same answer. You don’t even need any magnets.
While making my bed I discovered something that amazed me. I like to stand at one end, and at whip covers out into the air so they settle down flat. One day I was doing this to a small coverlet on top of the bed. This “carpet” was just the size of the top of the bed, with nothing hanging down on the sides of the bed.
One time this happened when I shook it. When you shake it, like cracking a whip, you can see a wave going through the fabric. Usually I would just hold it so it stretches out flat. This time, right after “cracking the whip,” for some reason I let go of it. I was shocked as the cover flew away across the bed! It flew so fast, like a window shade going up.
After seeing this, I started to wonder what if I could attach two thrusters where my hands were. Their only job would be to move rapidly up and down, at the right time, to keep a wave moving forward, through the fabric. The wave creates a crest in the cloth, makes it shorter, and the back gets pulled forward. This is a fact, you can try it yourself. I know this would definitely work across something like a gymnasium floor. I’m trying to work out if it would allow for the “carpet” to fly through the air, just a wavelet flying itself through the air, powered by the shaking.