DIY: Catapult | Tinkerer Box Blog

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Catapult

Stem Activities

Ages: 6-8

Less than 30 minutes

Grownup needed

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Turn ice lolly sticks into a mini catapult, then challenge your friends to a pompom launching competition! Children will learn about levers, energy conversion, and other STEM concepts along the way.

Materials Needed

10 ice lolly sticks
Bottle cap
Double-sided tape
Rubber bands
Paint
Paintbrushes
Paint palette

An overhead flatlay image displays various craft supplies arranged on a light wood-grain surface. The supplies include a flower-shaped paint palette, a paintbrush, small tubes of paint in various colors, a bundle of wooden craft sticks, a small container of white paint or glue, a collection of colorful rubber bands, and a roll of double-sided tape. These items suggest preparation for a children's art or craft project.

Step-by-step tutorial

Step 1

Paint the ice lolly sticks in your favourite colours. Wait for them to dry before assembling the catapult.

Two hands are painting a wooden craft stick yellow on a light wood-grain surface. A flower-shaped paint palette with dabs of various colored paints sits nearby. A bundle of unpainted craft sticks lies next to the palette. This image appears to capture a step in a crafting activity.

Step 2

Stack 8 ice lolly sticks together and secure them at both ends with rubber bands to create the catapult base.

A bundle of colorful craft sticks lies on a light wood-grain surface. The sticks are arranged to create a rainbow effect, and they are held together by rubber bands at each end. One rubber band is pink, and the other is teal. This image likely depicts a finished craft project or a step in a larger project.

Step 3

Insert one ice lolly stick vertically between the 7th and 8th sticks of the base.

Two hands manipulate a craft project made from colorful popsicle sticks on a light wood-grain background. A stack of rainbow-colored sticks is bound together with rubber bands at one end. A single magenta popsicle stick is being held horizontally against the rainbow stack, seemingly demonstrating how to attach or integrate it into the project.

Step 4

Secure it by wrapping rubber bands in an X pattern.

A simple cross made of popsicle sticks rests on a light wood-grain surface. The cross is constructed from two magenta-colored sticks, fastened together with small rubber bands. A teal rubber band holds the horizontal stick on the left, a doubled-over purple rubber band secures the center, and a pink rubber band holds the horizontal stick on the right. This image likely depicts a children's craft project.

Step 5

Take the final ice lolly stick and position it on top of the base, aligning it with the ninth stick to create a "V" shape. Secure it with rubber bands. This will be the launching arm.

Two hands work on constructing a small projectile launcher or similar device made of popsicle sticks and rubber bands against a light wood-grain backdrop. One hand holds the main body of the device, composed of a stack of rainbow-colored sticks secured with pink rubber bands and two blue sticks forming a handle-like structure. The other hand stretches a yellow rubber band, likely to power the launcher's mechanism. A magenta stick appears positioned as part of the launching mechanism. The image captures a mid-construction step in a craft project.

Step 6

Using double-sided tape, attach the plastic bottle cap to the end of the top ice lolly stick, positioned like a cup facing upward. This will be the launcher.

A hand positions a white plastic bottle cap onto a small catapult or launcher crafted from popsicle sticks and rubber bands on a light wood-grain surface. The launcher's base is constructed from a stack of rainbow-colored sticks bound together with rubber bands, and the launching arm appears to be a blue popsicle stick. Magenta-colored sticks and additional rubber bands form the support structure. The image likely demonstrates the final step in assembling the popsicle stick launcher, with the bottle cap serving as the projectile.

Step 7

Your catapult is now ready for safe launching!

A small catapult constructed from popsicle sticks and rubber bands sits on a light wood-grain surface, ready to launch a bottle cap. The catapult's base is made of rainbow-colored sticks held together with rubber bands, and the arm is a blue popsicle stick. A white plastic bottle cap, containing a small yellow object, rests in the launching mechanism. Magenta sticks and additional rubber bands provide structural support. The image showcases the completed popsicle stick catapult with its projectile in place.

The Science Behind It:

When you've built your catapult, you've created a simple lever model. Try changing the length of the lever or the position of the fulcrum to see if objects launch closer or further!

Objects can be launched because the rubber bands store elastic potential energy when stretched. As the ice lolly stick bends backward, elastic potential energy builds up. When released, the rubber bands return to their original shape, and this quick release converts the stored elastic potential energy into kinetic energy, launching the pompom into the air.

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