Rainy days are bound to happy even in the summer. A great way to keep the kiddos entertained inside is by getting those creative little minds thinking and STEM projects can do just that! This Catapult for Kids craft is both easy and inexpensive to make. Plus it will keep the kids busy for hours which is a bonus in any parent’s book.
Although this craft is really easy to make, it can be a bit of a challenge for your children if they are given the supplies and told to make a catapult without any instructions. That is the fun and excitement of STEM projects! The kids get to be engineers and truly have to think in order to complete the given task.
I was able to find all the necessary supplies (exception of the craft glue) at my local Dollar Tree store. For under $5 you can create several catapults and have a launching party in no time! How fun would these be to make at a birthday party?
If you want to jump right to the having fun and catapulting part then you are in luck because I created a fun little tutorial for you below. Hope your children love this catapult for kids as much as mine do!
DIY Catapult for Kids STEM Project
Supplies needed:
(affiliate links):
- Craft Sticks
- Rubber Bands
- Pom Poms
- Clear Drying Tacky Glue (found at Hobby Lobby)
- Large Bottle Cap (we used a cap from a Powerade bottle)
Directions:
- Stack 5 craft sticks on top of each other and fasten them together tightly with a rubber band on the end like shown below.
- Fasten the opposite side with another rubber band, tightly securing the craft sticks together.
- Grab 2 more craft sticks and fasten those together with a rubber band creating a V like shape. We used a different color of craft sticks to make the catapult fun and colorful.
- Place the craft sticks from step 1 in between the craft sticks from step 3. In this case, the orange craft sticks will be placed between the blue craft sticks (like shown below) and will provide support for the catapult.
- Secure the two parts together with rubber bands in the middle where the sticks meet. Again make sure the rubber bands are tightly secured.
- Using your craft glue, secure the lid onto the very tip of the blue stick. Allow to dry. This serves as your bucket for holding and launching various items.
- Place poms poms into the lid. Use one hand to hold the bottom of the catapult down while using 1 finger from your other hand to gently pull back on the lid and release to launch the pom poms into the air!
My son had a blast playing with this catapult for kids. It was a perfect activity since we have had lots of rain the last week. It kept him busy for quite awhile and he had fun making it.
Looking for another fun STEM activity? Why not try these exploding bubble bags? They are practically guaranteed to be a hit.
Robin Rue (@massholemommy) says
My kids love anything STEM related, so this would be fun for them to do!
Jenna Wood says
We have a lot of pets in our home, so I’m not crazy about the rubber bands but this project would be wonderful to bring to their daycare. Thanks for such great step-by-step photos!
Ty @ Mama of 3 Munchkins says
I know a lot of my friends who LOVES anything STEM related, so I’ll definitely be sharing this with them.
Amber Edwards says
This is such an awesome idea! It would keep my kids entertained for hours on end! Especially trying to see who can shoot the pom pom the farthest. lol.
MyKidsGuide says
What an amazing idea. My daughter will be thrilled to make it as she loves pom pom crafts
Liz Mays says
That’s a really cool idea. They could take the concept and try to build their own designs too.
Danielle H says
My kids would have so much fun with this! Looks like a great rainy day activity.
Shauna says
Now this looks like a very fun activity that all three of the kids would love. Thanks so much for the idea.
Autumn @Mamachallenge says
This is a great craft! I think my son would have a lot of fun with one of these!
Lauren says
My son would totally have a blast making this. Thanks for sharing!
Racquel Bregg says
This looks so fun and easy! I think my little and big kids would both love this activity and craft!
Debi says
that is adorable I can see my kids have been catapult wars with that
Carolyn says
Does this fall under bird
Jor Bib says
We expanded your awesome activity! Since my kids are really into money – I put a #5 with a bunch of nickels in one bowl, and a #10 with a bunch of dimes in another bowl.. kids are catapulting and when they land in a bowl they get the corresponding $. They are repeating until all the $ has been collected, then we are going to count by 5’s and 10’s to see who has the most $/points.
Erika says
Great idea!
Curtain says
I am a teacher in Japan. My 2nd graders are studying simple machines and they enjoyed making and playing with these easy to make catapults. Thank you.
Denise says
This looks like fun for any kid on a rainy day. So what is the STEM part of it? I need an activity that I can at least say is related to science in some way. I realize that physics comes into play, but how do I incorporate that knowledge?
Fatima says
Thank you! Just did this with my 6 year old and 3.5 year old, great activity