Cotton Ball Catapult

Catapults are a great way to learn about force and motion, in addition to general engineering and design. Most families have cotton balls at home, but if you can't find any, a bunched up piece of tissue or paper will work. Again, our activities are designed to stretch your creativity. So if you don't have a ball, make a ball! If you don't have popsicle sticks, look around the house to find something else that could work. Design a new one each day-- to see what works the best.

A catapult is a simple machine that stores energy and then releases it quickly to cause motion. Check out this YouTube video to get some inspiration and make your own! LINK

When everyone is done building, have a competition to see who can launch the ball the farthest!

Supplies:

• Cotton balls (or anything you can create to be a ball)
• Plastic spoon
• Rubber bands
• Popsicle sticks or something similar
• Tape or glue
• Any kind of materials that might help your design-- plastic cups, markers, etc.