Build Your Own Grain Safety Demo!

Show your friends and family the dangers of playing in grain by building your own gravity flow wagon.

Click here to download a PDF version complete with pictures.

Grain equipment found on the farm might not look dangerous, but it is! Wagons and bins release grain from the bottom and most rucks release grain from the back. When the grain is released, it begins to flow. If a person is in the grain when it begins to flow, they will begin sinking with the grain. It grabs your body like quicksand and only takes 3-4 seconds for an adult to become trapped and even less time for children. Once you start sinking in grain, you can't dig your way out. In about 10 seconds you will be totally buried. People who are buried in grain rapidly run out of air to breathe and suffocate.

Materials needed:

• 2 litre pop bottle
• scissors
• parent to help with cutting
• clean grain such as canola, oats, barley wheat or popcorn
• small toy figurine
• empty container to catch the grain

1. Cut the bottom off of a 2 litre pop bottle.
2. Turn the bottle upside down with the cap on.
3. Fill the pop bottle with cleaned grain (canola, oats, barley, popcorn, etc.).
4. Stand a small toy figure on top of the grain and remove the cap of the bottle, letting the grain flow into another container.
5. The grain will flow rapidly out of the jug, pulling the toy figure to the bottom.
6. Count the seconds it takes for the figure to be buried. In real life it only takes 3-4 seconds to become completely buried.
7. Show your family and friends the danger of flowing grain.