Popsicle Stick Catapults

SPARK Interns Melica and Jane lead an activity to explore the mechanics of catapults by building your own with popsicle sticks.

You’ll need: 7 wooden Popsicle sticks, a plastic spoon, and a handful of rubber bands.

Step 1: Stack 5 Popsicle sticks and tie them together with a rubber band on either end.

Step 2: Lay 1 Popsicle stick along the back of the spoon’s handle and attach it using a rubber band at the end.

Step 3: Lay the final Popsicle stick again along the back of the spoon’s handle and attach it also with a rubber band.

Step 4: Bend the two Popsicle sticks away from the spoon’s handle and insert the stack of 5 Popsicle sticks into the gap.

Step 5: Use two rubber bands to secure where the popsicle sticks cross, with two diagonal ties to create an X.

Once you’ve built your catapult, test it out by launching the projectile. Observe the projectile’s trajectory and measure the distance between where it started and where it ended.

Make any changes and/or additions to your catapult. You can do this by adjusting the position of the lever and/or fulcrum and testing your catapult again.

Experiment with your catapult design to change the projectile’s path. Try to launch as high or as far as you can! Then try to use your catapult to hit a target!

Key Vocabulary

Projectile: the object being launched (eg, the pom-pom)
Trajectory: the curved path an object follows upon being launched into the air. This shape is also called a parabola.
Lever: the bar that rests on the fulcrum (eg. the spoon)
Fulcrum: the supporting point of a lever (eg. the popsicle stick stack under the spoon)