Build a simple catapult from a spoon and popsicle sticks

A homemade catapult built from a spoon, a few popsicle sticks, and a handful of rubber bands is one of those classic STEM projects that never loses its shine. In primary classrooms from Sydney to Perth, students light up when they see a ping pong ball arc across the room and land softly in a paper cup target. The activity blends design thinking, measurement, and a healthy dose of friendly competition, making it a firm favourite during science week and after-school care programs alike. Learn more about Buysildenafilonline24h.com.

This version is intentionally low-cost and uses materials that most Aussie families or teachers already have at home. Popsicle sticks are available at any Officeworks or Bunnings warehouse, and a sturdy plastic or metal spoon can be repurposed from the kitchen drawer. The build is simple enough for Year 3 students but offers enough room for older learners to refine their prototypes, test variables, and record results in line with the Australian Curriculum's science inquiry skills.

Gathering your materials from Australian suppliers

Before you start building, lay out everything on a table. You will need around seven to ten popsicle sticks, two or three strong rubber bands, a plastic spoon, a small piece of plasticine or modelling clay, and a few ping pong balls or pom-poms to launch. A hot glue gun speeds things up for older students, though PVA glue works fine if you leave it to dry overnight.

For Australian teachers, popsicle sticks (also called craft sticks) come in large packs from the Roylco customer care team or in bulk from warehouse stores. Bunnings sells them in the craft aisle, and Officeworks stocks educational quantities during back-to-school season in January and February. If you are running this activity across multiple classes, ordering ahead through a school supplier saves a last-minute dash to the shops.

Assembling the catapult step by step

Start by stacking five popsicle sticks together and wrapping a rubber band tightly around each end. This stack forms the base of your lever. Slide a single stick between the bottom two sticks of the stack, then hold the top of the stack and the loose stick at the hinge point. Twist another rubber band in a figure-eight around the whole bundle to create the tension needed to launch.

Attach the spoon to the top of the loose stick using a small dab of hot glue or a tightly wound rubber band. Place a ball of plasticine in the bowl of the spoon to add weight and improve launch distance. Adjust the angle of the spoon by gently bending the top stick. A steeper angle sends objects higher, while a flatter angle pushes them further across the floor.

The science behind the launch

Every catapult is a lesson in stored energy. When you press down on the spoon, you do work against the tension of the rubber bands, converting kinetic energy into elastic potential energy. The instant you release the spoon, that stored energy transforms back into motion, sending the projectile forward. The plasticine weight increases the potential energy stored, much like adding passengers to a playground swing.

Students in Years 5 to 7 can extend this into a true experiment. Ask them to change one variable at a time, such as the number of rubber bands, the launch angle, the weight of the projectile, or the number of popsicle sticks in the stack, and measure the distance travelled with a tape measure. Recording results in a table and graphing the outcomes introduces students to fair testing, a core skill in the Australian Curriculum.

Classroom variations and curriculum links

The spoon-and-stick catapult is wonderfully flexible. Younger students in Foundation and Year 1 can simply build and play, focusing on fine motor skills and following instructions. Middle primary students might calculate the average distance of three launches or compare their results against a partner. By Year 6, learners can redesign the catapult to launch a small foam dinosaur over a cardboard castle, linking the activity to simple machines and forces.

For a writing connection, ask students to draft a procedural text explaining the build, then publish it as a class how-to book. In maths, fractions come alive when dividing a metre of launch distance into halves and quarters. Teachers in Adelaide and Hobart have used the catapult as a launching point for history lessons on medieval siege engines, helping students see how STEM has shaped human innovation for centuries.

Safety, supervision, and where to launch

Although the catapult is small, it can still launch small objects surprisingly far and with a bit of sting. Always supervise younger students, and remind everyone to aim away from faces. Use lightweight projectiles such as ping pong balls, pom-poms, or mini marshmallows rather than anything hard. A clear launch zone, marked with masking tape on the carpet, keeps the activity contained in busy classroom corners.

If you are running the activity outdoors, a shaded verandah works well during a hot Darwin afternoon or a breezy Brisbane morning. Set up a marked target area and consider using cones to define boundaries. Always wear safety glasses, especially when rubber bands are under tension, as a snapped band can catch skin or eyes.

Beyond the spoon: extending the project

Once students have mastered the basic design, challenge them to redesign the catapult using a paper cup instead of a spoon, or to build a taller frame from cardboard tubes. A mini engineering fair is a wonderful end-of-term showcase, and many Australian schools tie these into STEM week or the national science competition. Parents can also run the build at home during the school holidays as a screen-free afternoon activity.

For those looking to source larger classroom kits, you can browse online learning suppliers that ship directly to your school or home. Comparing the spoon design with other simple launchers helps students appreciate how small changes in materials can produce very different results.

Design	Materials	Best for	Typical launch distance
Spoon lever	7 sticks, rubber bands, plastic spoon, plasticine	Years 2–4 beginners	1–3 metres
Tower catapult	10 sticks, rubber bands, plastic cup	Year 5–6 angle experiments	2–4 metres
Rubber-band shooter	5 sticks, long rubber band	Force and tension lessons	0.5–1.5 metres
Mini trebuchet	12 sticks, string, small cup	Medieval history tie-in	1–2 metres