Pyramid Catapult
You will need :
• 6 garden canes
• plastic cup/end of 2 litre bottle/marg tub
• elastic
• pencil
• blu tac or plasticine
Method
• Arrange 3 of the garden canes into a triangle with the ends over lapping, secure the ends using
lots of thick tape.
Using the 3 remaining canes, attach a cane at each joint, then join these 3 canes together to give
a free-standing pyramid shape
• Using the blutac and pencil make a hole in the top of the plastic cup, then make 2 more holes in
the cup so that you have 3 holes in the cup equally spread around the rim. (Reinforce space
between holes and rim with tape so the plastic doesn’t rip)
• Pass elastic through the holes and tie them on. Attach the free ends of the elastic bands to the 3
corners of the pyramid so that the cup is suspended in the centre.
• Fire the catapult by pulling the cup back and letting go.
Lever Catapult
You will need:
• Cardboard
• Pencil
• Plasticine or blutac
• Rubber band (A thicker rubber band provides more tension)
• Plastic spoon
• Masking tape
• Cocktail sticks
Method
• Cut the cardboard into 2 pieces with the following approximate sizes:
15cm x 15cm (this is the base) 5cm x 15cm (this is the lever)
• Fold the 5cm x 15cm piece of cardboard in half so you get a folded piece 5cm x 7.5cm. This is
the lever.
• Pierce holes (using the pencil and plasticine) in the centre of each flap of the lever.
• Pierce another small hole in the middle of the 15cm square cardboard base.
• Cut the rubber band and knot one end.(or secure with cocktail stick – knot sometimes passes
through the hole)
• Pull the rubber band up through the cardboard base and through both holes in the folded
cardboard lever. The knotted end of the rubber band will be under the cardboard base.
• Tape one side of the folded cardboard lever to the base.
• Knot the other end of the rubber band tightly (or secure with cocktail stick – knot sometimes
passes through the hole) The shorter the length of rubber band between the knots, the more
tension you create in the folded cardboard lever.
• Tape the plastic spoon to the upper side of the cardboard with the bowl of the spoon facing
downwards towards the base.
• Pull the spoon back, put the object to fling into the bowl of the spoon, pull it back right back and
try catapulting.
Lollystick catapault:
Step 1 – Take 7 of the craft sticks and tie a rubber band tightly around one end.
Step 2 – Tie another rubber band tightly around the opposite end so all 7 sticks are bound together.
Step 3 – Take the remaining 2 sticks and tie a rubber band on one of the ends. Try to tie the band close to
the edge of the sticks.
Step 4 – Insert the 7 sticks banded together through the 2 stick bundle as shown in the illustration below.
Step 5 – Tie a rubber band in a cross fashion joining the two pieces. The closer the 7 stick bundle gets to the
edge, the more leverage the catapult will have.
Step 6 - Use a few rubber bands and attach the plastic spoon on the end.