ALL ABOARD: WE’RE GATHERING STEAM
This week’s area of focus is ENGINEERING and we’re learning how to make our very own catapult!
For this activity, your child will learn about how a catapult is built and by checking various angles they can see if it affects how far something (we used toy bug) will fly!
You’ll need:
- 8 Popsicle sticks
- Elastic bands or pipe cleaners
- Bottle cap
- Glue
- Toy bugs
Take two popsicle sticks and lay them on top of each other. Use a pipe cleaner and wrap it around one end. Now, stack the other six popsicle sticks together and tie both ends to hold the sticks altogether. Now, wedge the two-stick stack between the six-stick stack. A more detailed outline and picture reference may be found here.
This catapult will keep your child entertained and teach them about how catapults use stored energy to throw an object. The energy comes from building a gadget (catapult in our case) that uses tension, torque, and gravity!
If you try this with the children in your life, remember to share your creations with us on social media @childmuseumwpg
