#STEM CATAPULT HOW TO#

We found the best way to get more launch from our tinsel was to increase the weight of the tinsel by adding some bells, or you can also lengthen the top craft stick by adding another craft stick. This is a great way to turn this into a true STEM Challenge.

#STEM CATAPULT HOW TO#

One way to challenge the kids is to have them engineer and work with the physics to see if they can figure out how to launch their tinsel the farthest. Attach the remaining flat part of the paper clip to the other end of the popsicle stick, with the straightened part pointing outward and up (away from the counterweight). Unbend one end of a paper clip so it is almost, but not quite, straight. Crazy light, which means it doesn’t fly very far with our little catapults. First, tape the AA battery to one end of a popsicle stick. Ask your students why they think this is happening, and what can be done to solve it. Wait… we have a problem! Time to employ those critical thinking, problem solving and STEM skills. Simply load your tinsel in the cup, pull down (place a finger on the base so it doesn’t bounce), aim it at your tree, and LAUNCH! Your Tinsel Toss Catapult is complete! Using the Tinsel Toss Catapult You may need to hold the cup on the craft stick for a few minutes until it stops sliding. Ensure you leave a small bit of the craft stick at the top to get your finger on for launching. Using a bit of glue attached the cup or small container to the top craft stick on stack 2. Now secure the two stacks together with an elastic. Call this stack 2.Ĭarefully slide the bottom craft stick in stack 2 between the bottom two craft sticks in stack 1. Next take two jumbo craft sticks and secure them with an elastic at one end only. To begin we made our stack of 8 jumbo craft sticks and secured them with an elastic on each end. We did make one major change from our original catapult, we increased the container size so it could hold the tinsel. So once we gathered up all of our supplies we set about building our catapult. You can also find this video on the STEAM Powered Family YouTube Channel. If you can not see the video, ensure your adblockers are turned off as they also block our video feed. Priceless! Video of Tinsel Toss Christmas STEMĬheck out our video of the Tinsel Toss activity. Add in the fact that this is Christmas themed and you can use it to decorate a tree?

So to start our kids on their journey with STEM, engineering a catapult and learning the physics of a good launch is the perfect first gadget. Seeing it fly through the air? That is a moment to be proud!

There is nothing more satisfying than launching something with a gadget you built yourself. The catapult is a classic STEM challenge that is much loved by kids all over the world, and through time. Well we thought about it and decided a really fun twist for Christmas would be to make a Tinsel Toss Catapult! With the festive season upon us, it is time to have some fun and celebrate! We always have so much fun with our Christmas STEM Activities, and one of our New Years STEM Activities was a confetti cannon. Or visit our YouTube channel to see if the video has been uploaded there. Not seeing our videos? Turn off any adblockers to ensure our video feed can be seen. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Disclaimer: This article may contain commission or affiliate links.

Stem catapult