Catapult tutorial...

We are taking Ebi-kun and his best mate bowling today, neither of them know! What fun!

I originally wrote this for Homespun Threads Summer Soiree but thought some of you might have missed it so I have put it up here too. There are lots of  great ideas over on Homespun Threads if you are looking for things to do with the kids during the summer break.

We found this catapult idea in a Japanese craft book for kids, it's easy to make and lots of fun.

What you will need:

3 pairs of disposable chopsticks

decorative tape

plastic lid from a bottle of pop

elastic bands

5 paper cups

stapler

strong double sided tape / glue

pen

1. Start by decorating two sets of chopsticks by wrapping tape around them.

2. Break the third set of chopsticks in half, I did it by hand but you may want to saw it, cover the rough edge with tape then decorate as before.

3. Take the two long chopsticks and place them flat sides together, secure them at the narrow end with an elastic band, roughly 2.5cm / 1" from the end, don't wrap the band too tightly. Now slide the broken chopstick between the two long ones until it is about 5cm / 2" from the narrow end. Secure with another elastic band, if your bands are not very big you may need to use two.

4. Attach the pop cap to the other end of the top chopstick with either strong double sided tape or glue, leave 0.5cm / 1/4" from the very end.

5. Prepare you missiles, rolled up pieces of tin foil work well as do power balls, nothing too heavy.

6. Now for the target. Take the 5 paper cups and place them together in a circle then staple each one to the cup next to it. 

7. If you want to make the game more challenging, write some scores in the bottom of the cups.

8. Get ready to play. Put the missile in the pop lid, in this case the brave King Arthur, with one hand hold the short cross section of chopsticks and with the other push the top chopstick down, Aim and.....

FIRE!

Experience tells us that those Lego Kings are mighty talented in aerial displays!

The missiles tend to fly quite high so don't use anything that might take your eye out! 

Ebi-kun had just as much fun trying out the types of missile as he did trying to get them in the cups.