Happy Birthday Month
January 1, 2020
Fun For the Family | January 2020
January 1, 2020
For as simple as this craft is to create, there is a whole world of STEAM to explore! We use science when testing how far items might fly. Technology is used to help assist us in building. Engineering is what actually builds the catapult. We utilize art when custom decorating the project. Math skills are needed to determine the supplies needed as we build.
Have your children form a hypothesis and guess how far different items will fly when catapulted. Test each item and record your results! You can adjust where the arms rest or how many sticks you use to further the experiment as well.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
- 10 Jumbo popsicle sticks
- 3 rubber bands
- sticky dots
- scissors
- bottle cap
- items to launch (pompoms, pencil erasers, marshmallows, coins)
WHAT TO DO:
STEP 1
Count out eight popsicle sticks and stack them on top of one another. Wrap a rubber band around each end to secure them.
STEP 2
Very carefully, with adult supervision, cut two tiny V-shaped notches about an inch from the end of the remaining two popsicle sticks. Make sure they are in the same place on both sticks. This will help your rubber band to stay in place.
STEP 3
Take one of the notched sticks and slide it in under the top stick on your bound stack.
STEP 4
Flip your stack over so that stick is on the bottom. Lay the last stick on top of the entire stack, matching up the notches.
STEP 5
Wrap a rubber band in the notches to attach the catapult arm.
STEP 6
Affix a glue dot to the drink cap. Attach the drink cap to the top of the arm.
STEP 7
Ready to launch!
