30 min
Paper Aeroplane Testing Lab
Three designs, one tape measure, and an argument about which flies furthest.
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Build a Lolly Stick Catapult
Seven lolly sticks, two elastic bands, and a pom-pom that goes further than expected.
A five minute build followed by half an hour of testing and adjusting.
What you need
- lolly sticks
- elastic bands
- a bottle cap
- glue or tape
- pom-poms or scrunched paper
How to do it
- Stack five lolly sticks and band them tightly at both ends.
- Band two more sticks together at one end only, so they open like a mouth.
- Slide the stack between the two sticks, near the banded end.
- Tape a bottle cap to the top stick as the bucket.
- Load it with a pom-pom, press, release, and measure how far it goes.
Why this is good for them
Moving the stack a centimetre changes the range dramatically, which makes the relationship between the pivot point and the outcome obvious without any explanation. Measuring each configuration turns play into a fair test.
Adapting by age
5 to 6 yearsBuild it for them and let them do the testing and measuring.
11 to 12 yearsChart distance against pivot position and find the optimum.
Keep it safe
Soft ammunition only, never launched towards faces. Elastic bands can snap, so check them before use.
Cleanup tip
Keep the catapult, it gets used again.
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