Lego Popsicle Stick Catapult Activity
Whether you’re trying to stop summer boredom or just need activity ideas on a rainy day, keeping your kids entertained can be hard! And if your kids are anything like mine, they’re naturally drawn to their screens unless they have a little bit of direction. That means I need to come up with fun activities and simple crafts for kids to keep them occupied and screen-free. This cool Lego popsicle stick catapult activity fits the bill. On top of being totally fun for kids of any age, it’s also educational!
This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you purchase something from my link (at no additional cost to you). Thanks for your support!
Not only is this cute Lego catapult so easy to make, it’s also so much fun to play with. But the best part about this popsicle stick craft is that it’s educational. Keep reading to see how this cool catapult activity can keep your kids learning and entertained for hours.
Popsicle Stick Catapult
Your kids will have so much fun putting this popsicle stick craft together. But they’ll have even more fun using it to launch their Legos across the room! To make your own Lego catapult, you’ll need a handful of regular craft supplies, including:
- Popsicle sticks. We used colorful popsicle sticks to make our catapult a little more fun. But you can use plain sticks for your craft. Or decorate the sticks before building the launcher for even more crafting fun.
- Rubber bands. You’ll use rubber bands to hold the popsicle stick catapult together. Regular rubber bands are the best option because they’ll also hold the catapult in place as your kids are using it.
- Plastic spoon. The launchpad for your kid’s Legos will be a plastic spoon. Any type of spoon will work for this STEM project.
- Legos. Once you have your catapult put together, your kids will need something to launch! Legos make a great toy to use in the catapult because they’re small and fly through the air easily.
How to Make a Popsicle Stick Catapult
This fun craft encompasses all the aspects of STEM — science, technology, engineering, and math! In addition to using their science and engineering skills to build the catapult, your kids can also practice their math skills as they measure how far they launch their Legos.
To build your catapult, you’ll need a total of eight popsicle sticks. Start by building a base for your launcher by stacking six popsicle sticks on top of each other in an even stack. Use two rubber bands to secure the stack together by wrapping a rubber band around each end.
Set your stack aside and grab the remaining two popsicle sticks. Stack those two sticks on top of each other, then place the spoon on the top of the sticks. Wrap a rubber band around the end of the spoon and the sticks to secure all three items together in one stack.
Spread the two popsicle sticks apart and carefully slide the stack of six sticks in between them. Push the stack of sticks back toward the rubber band until it’s securely in place in the center of the two sticks. Don’t push the stack too far forward or it will push the rubber band off the end of the spoon, causing your catapult to fall apart.
When your popsicle stick catapult is finished, it’s time to start launching! To launch Legos into the air, place a block on top of the spoon. Use your finger to press the spoon down, then let go to send the Lego block into the air.
To play with your Lego parachutes, simply toss them in the air and watch them float down to the ground!
Catapult Activities
After you put your catapult together, the only thing left to do is play! But as your kids are playing, they’re also learning. Playing with the launcher brings the engineering and science aspects of this STEM activity. To get your kids thinking, try these fun ways to play with this popsicle stick craft:
- Measure the distance. Let your kids launch their Legos into the air, then measure how far they went using a tape measure. Measure the distance from the catapult to the landing spot. Then launch another block to see if they can make it go farther.
- Test launching methods. Once your kids get good at launching their Legos from their catapult, they can start trying different launching methods. Let them test to see what happens when they move the base forward or backward. Then, let them try applying different levels of pressure to the spoon to see what happens.
- Make it a party game! If you’re looking for fun activities for your LEGO birthday party, why not add this fun catapult activity to your list? Let the kids build their own popsicle stick catapults, then launch the Legos into the air.
Popsicle Stick Catapult
Use popsicle sticks and a plastic spoon to create a fun Lego catapult activity for your kids to enjoy.
Materials
- 8 popsicle sticks
- 3 rubber bands
- 1 plastic spoon
- Lego bricks
Instructions
- Stack four popsicle sticks on top of each other and wrap a rubber band around each end.
- Stack the remaining two popsicle sticks on top of each other and put the spoon on top of the stack. Wrap a rubber band around the end of the spoon and sticks to hold them together.
- Open the two popsicle sticks and hold them apart while you place the stack of four popsicle sticks between them.
- Place a Lego brick or mini figure on top of the spoon and push the end of the spoon down. Let go to launch the toy into the air.
More Fun Kids Activities:
Paper Plate DIY Toy Story Aliens
Easy Popsicle Stick Tractor Preschool Farm Craft
If you like this post, you’ll probably like these:
Emily is a midwestern mom of two boys. She loves all things DIY — from home renovations to kids birthday party planning. Whether she’s making a new farmhouse craft for her home or helping her kids with a cool activity, you can bet she’s in the middle of some kind of DIY project (or three) right now!
2 Comments