Since we didn’t have a chance to post a movie last week we thought we would post two today! These movies are from the boy-craft day that Luke did with the kids. The boys (and Ana) made propellers and catapults then had a blast throwing and shooting them all over the play area upstairs.
You KNOW I want catapult-making instructions! :-)
ReplyDeleteLinda T. From OC
I posted the instructions on your profile a while ago, did you get them?
ReplyDeleteIf not, here it is again :)
To make the catapult you need three kinds of popsicle sticks
8 Full length normal
8 Half size pieces
1 2/3 size piece
1. The first step is to create a frame out of the long and half size sticks. Lay two of the long sticks side by side about 2” apart. Put a dot of glue on the four ends. Place two half size pieces, one at the top and one at the bottom so that the four sticks form a rectangle. Put a dot of glue on the ends of the short sticks and place two more long sticks. Then continue gluing and placing alternating layers of sticks until you have used up all the full and half length pieces. Let the frame dry, you can use rubber bands, or clamps or heavy books to help it hold and dry nice and tight.
2. The catapult arm. Once the frame is dry, wrap the rubber band around the frame 2-3 times until it will not fall off (Does not need to be super tight yet). The frame will look like the number 8. Next take the 2/3 size piece and insert into the eight so that it floats between the top loop and the bottom loop of the rubber band (it will run parallel to the long sticks). Now start to turn the popsicle stick over and over so that it wraps tighter and tighter in the rubber band. When you cannot wrap it any more, slide the stick so that the wrapped rubber bands are about a 1/5” away from the end of the stick. This should allow the catapult arm to rest on the short end of the frame (it will not unwind itself).
3. To fire the catapult pull the stick back place an object on the stick, aim, and let it fly! For firing objects we took a pipe cleaner and rolled both ends tightly toward the middle till we had a shape that looked like a barbell. But pretty much any light thing will work.