Catapults are awesome fun. They fling things through the air, which is always a hit. Add in marshmallows, and you're pretty much guaranteed happy kids. This marshmallow catapult is easy and fun to make, even more fun to play with, and kids won't even realize they're learning about physics along the way.
1. Stack up a few Popsicle sticks for your fulcrum (I used six) and bind them together with rubber bands on each end. Take two more Popsicle sticks and wrap another rubber band tightly around them towards one end.
2. Push your fulcrum, the larger stack of Popsicle sticks, in between the other two sticks. Secure them with a rubber band by wrapping it across the spot where the two sets of sticks meet so the rubber band makes an X.
3. Take a plastic spoon and secure it onto the arm of your catapult with another rubber band. I also tucked the end of the spoon into the central rubber band to keep it secure. Place a marshmallow on the spoon, pull down and let 'er fly! This project doesn't have to stop once you've built the catapults. Experiment with them and see how you can make them work better. Try making the arm longer, or using different materials. We made one with chopsticks and two erasers that sent longer shots than our first catapult. Let us know what you come up with!
Kids' work is to play. WeeWork is a Mommy Poppins series offering an easy daily activity for grown-ups and children to do together, making kids' work an important part of your day. We aim to inspire together time, creativity and fun using only your imagination and things around the house. You can see all our WeeWork activity posts here.
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