![]() Let’s just say, there was much rejoicing in the land. You’d think the boy won the lottery when the yellow pom-pom landed on the yellow paper. If it landed on the paper whose color matched the pom-pom, we got TWO points. If a pom pom landed on a paper, we gave ourselves a point. We laid out several different-colored pieces of paper on the floor and then catapulted the pom-poms toward them. ![]() Last week, Little Man was getting frustrated with aiming into a plastic bin, so we started playing a new game. See how these choices affect the performance of the catapult. Experiment with how many rubber bands you have wrapped around different parts of the the catapult and also the position of the sticks.Next, slide a popsicle stick between the top two popsicle sticks in the stack. ![]() This rubber band is important in keeping the whole thing from shifting too much. Popsicle Stick Catapult STEM Activity Instructions for Building a Popsicle Stick Catapult Alright, it’s catapult time Start by stacking seven popsicle sticks together and secure them on each end with an elastic. Take an additional rubber band and wrap it in an X-shape around the whole stack of sticks.Wrap the two perpendicular sticks with a rubber band. Read more about the science behind the catapult and simple ways to create a catapult science experiment below STEP 3: Test and measure how far each item goes when flung from the catapult. Place the popsicle stick with the cap on top of the stack, again perpendicular. STEP 2: Hand out supplies to each individual or in small groups, and build a Popsicle stick catapult following the instructions below.Slide another popsicle stick between the bottom-most stick in the pile and the rest of the stacked sticks, perpendicular to the pile.Stack 6-8 popsicle sticks on top of one another and secure both ends with rubber bands.Glue the plastic cap to one end of one popsicle stick.pom poms (or something else small to catapult).We used the instructions in this YouTube video to build this catapult. Plastic cap (I used the lid to an old spice jar, but a milk jug cap or something similar would work, too) The popsicle stick that goes across at the top stops the spoon and ensures that the candy corn is launched at the right angle.If you have a little knight in shining armor who needs battle practice, here’s what you’ll need for your own catapult. He loves testing its limits and seeing how far he can make it go, and I’ve started trying to help him to learn about aiming by having him try to shoot the little pom-poms into a plastic bin. This popsicle stick catapult is nothing crazy complicated, but Little Man has pulled it out over and over again in the months since we made it. Rather than fight the beast, I try to find structured ways for Little Man to unleash the destruction-loving boy inside. Another option is to forego the directions and allow the children to engineer the catapult themselves with the materials provided.Sometimes, boys just need to throw things. Launch your pumpkin! The children can have contests to see who can launch it the farthest, or set up small cups and see how many times a pumpkin lands in the cup.Use a few rubber bands and attach a plastic spoon to the end. ![]() The closer the 7 stick bundle gets to the edge, the more leverage the catapult will have.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |