To change things up from my regular posts, I decided to write instructions on how to make a simple catapult. I’m a Den Leader for my local Webelos cub scouts group and we are working on the engineering activity badge. One of the requirements of the activity badge is to built a catapult. This catapult can be used as a craft idea for kids on a slow weekend or it can be used as a school project.
When finished, I found that the best items to launch from this type of catapult was mini marshmallows commonly found for a few dollars at a grocery store.
I chose a simple design that would be easy for the boys to follow and would allow plenty of time to launch marshmallows at a target. Many designs (including the one provided in the scout handbook) were fairly complex and would require a long time to built. Some I saw were just as big as the scouts themselves. After following these instructions, it only took the scouts about 10 minutes to complete everything and start participating in trying out their new catapult.
If you’d like to print these instructions, download this PDF.
Materials
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Instructions
Step 1 – Take 7 of the craft sticks and tie a rubber band tightly around one end.
Step 2 – Tie another rubber band tightly around the opposite end so all 7 sticks are bound together.
Step 3 – Take the remaining 2 sticks and tie a rubber band on one of the ends. Try to tie the band close to the edge of the sticks.
Step 4 – Insert the 7 sticks banded together through the 2 stick bundle as shown in the illustration below.
Step 5 – Tie a rubber band in a cross fashion joining the two pieces. The closer the 7 stick bundle gets to the edge, the more leverage the catapult will have.
Step 6 – Use a few rubber bands and attach the plastic spoon on the end.
If these instructions helped you in anyway, please leave me a comment or link to this page so others can find these instructions as well.
Awesome so easy to make
This is going to make my team WIN!
A simple small and cheap catapult.+ it takes only a little time to make! I give this a 10 out of 10!
Thanks so much!! This is very very useful and makes my school life so much easier! You deserve love and happiness.
Thanks so much! This will be a hit at our Family Math, Science, and Engineering Night. Kids of all ages can create and shoot.
Used this w fifth graders in the library http://oglelibrary.edublogs.org/2018/04/14/fifth-grade-designs-catapults/ gave you credit and link to your site and instructions. Thank you so much! Your instructions were easier to understand and clearer than others I found.
WOW THIS IS SO COOL
Thanks so much this helped my school project! ^_^
I am doing this for my innovation project! Thanks.
If only I had popsicle sticks :(. ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, I COULD USE PENCILS OR Outdoor sticks! HOORAY!!!!:)!
awesome i needed to modify my school project
Thanks. This helped for my STEM project 4 school.
I LOVED THIS SO COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL LOL
Wow! Your instructions make it super easy for kids to make on their own! Thank you so much! I plan to try this with 2nd graders for a Valentine’s Day craft and game.
Thank you super helpful. Pictures are great.
5 stars! Watching the marshmallows fling into mouths was my favorite part.
Creating the catapult was easy too! 🙂
Good idea
Good idea
Fantastic!
this is fun and shots far in the air i promise
This is so helpful for me, thank you so much!
Very fun but did not have enough time to make them very short im my school
that is a cool catapolt
this was very helpful thank u people
I am definitely going to use this for my Forces in Motion Passion Project!!
Thanks this was very helpful!
This was awesome, please make more if your still alive.
I love this catapult! We named ours Jeremiah Chancla and drew a chancla on the spoon!