This is a great, hands on experiment that can be used again and again. Make a lollipop stick catapult, or even a whole army of them! Decorate them and get firing!

You need:

• 8 lollipop sticks
• 2 jumbo lollipop sticks
• 3 elastic bands
• Knife (Adult supervision required)
• *optional* milk bottle lid
• *Optional* super glue/hot glue gun

 

Method:

• Make 2 small grooves on either side of the end of each jumbo stick (see picture above) , an adult may want to do this bit.

  

• Stack the 8 smaller lollipop stick together and tie them together on either end with the elastic bands. They need to be tied tightly together.
• Separate the bottom 2 lollipop sticks and slide one of the large lollipop stick in between, so it is perpendicular to the small lollipop sticks. From the grooved end, leave about one inch sticking out, so the non grooved end is longer.
• Place the remaining lollipop stick on top of the stack, so the grooved end meets the grooved end of the other large stick.
• Tie them together using the remaining elastic band so the band sits in the grooves on the sticks.
• Its ready! Get some ammo, mini marshmallows are a tasty choice. Place the ammo on the end of the top stick, push it down, and release!
• *OPTIONAL* Stick a milk bottle top on the end as a bucket for your ammo, use superglue or a hot glue gun (adult supervision required).
• You could also decorate your lollipop sticks to make it more personal!

Thanks to Specific Love Creations for this fun experiment!

The Science Bit:

• When you press down on the stick, the elastic band holding the 2 jumbo sticks together stretches, but is working against the stick as it wants to return to its normal shape. So as soon as you let go of the stick the elastic band forces the sticks back together and, as the ‘ammo’ isn’t attached, the momentum carries it forward and it keeps going!