Let’s have a catapult competition! Kids of all ages will have a blast building various catapults and then testing them out in a competition to see whose catapult is best! Whose catapult will shoot the furthest? This is a fun STEM activity that makes learning fun. Young kids and older kids will learn about math, science, and engineering in a fun and understandable way. Try having a catapult competition at home or in the classroom!

Catapult Competition- 4 catapults with pink background and text- kids activities blog

Catapult Competition

So, how do we have a catapult competition? Where do we even start? Well, we start with building our own catapults. Don’t know how? That’s fine, we got you! We have a number of great designs that are easy to follow. You can build one or build them all!

This post contains affiliate links.

Related: We have 15 easy catapults to make with kids!

Build A Catapult

1. Simple Catapult With Popsicle Sticks

Catapult Craft- green popsicle sticks, rubber bands, and lid to make a catapult on a white background- kids activities blog
Are you going to try this catapult?

This simple catapult is made with craft sticks, rubber bands, and a milk cap. It isn’t the biggest catapult, but it is sure to pack a punch!

2. Lego Brick Catapult

Catapult craft- lego brown and gray catapult with rubber bands- kids activities blog
Is this catapult the winner?

This catapult is a little more complex and requires LEGOs and rubber bands. But we have a step by step tutorial showing you how to put this LEGO catapult together.

3. Wooden Spoon and Paper Towel Roll Catapult

Catapult craft- spoon with paper towel tubes and rubber bands with pom poms- kids activities blog
Perhaps this is the winner?

Save your paper towel roll tubes, grab a wooden spoon, and some rubber bands, because we have another design for a catapult that is gonna send things flying!

4. Wooden Spoon and Toilet Paper Roll Catapult

Catapult Craft- toilet paper roll, wooden spoon, rubber bands, with marshmallows- kids activities blog
This catapult looks promising.

This catapult is similar to the paper towel roll one, but instead it uses toilet paper rolls. Do you think it’ll make a difference? It might!

Catapult Kits For Kids

Don’t wanna gather a bunch of parts and pieces? We get it! There are also catapult kids you can get and test out in a competition too. Or test them out against the homemade catapults!

5. Catapult Engineering Kit

Catapult Craft- box catapult engineering kit with different items to build- kids activities blog
This engineering kit has everything you need to build a catapult.

This engineering kit actually comes with a few things you can build, but it does come with everything you need to build a catapult. It even includes foam balls for you to shoot.

6. Mini Catapult Kit

Catapult Craft- kit with popsicle sticks, plastic cups, blocks, and rubberbands- kids activities blog
This is great is a whole class is competing.

This is great for classrooms, or just because, everyone will be able to make a mini catapult and you’ll be able to test it against everyone else’s!

7. STEM Catapult Kit

Catapult Craft- plastic blue and orange catapult with foam ball- kids activities blog
This one is pretty cool? But will it beat the others?

This is a science kit that will let you build a plastic catapult. It’s a little more work to put together, but super cool nonetheless.

8. Medieval Catapult Kit

Catapult Competition- medieval wooden catapult with box- kids activities blog
Sometimes the original is best!

This is a very simple catapult kit, but it’s cool because it’s modeled after the original medieval catapults!

How To Have A Catapult Competition

Setting up your competition is super easy. All you need is:

Step 1

Make a catapult. Once you have made your catapult it’s time to set up your competition.

Step 2

Make a line using the tape so everyone can set up their catapult in the same spot.

Step 3

Grab your ammo and one at a time shoot your ammo.

Step 4

When it lands, grab your measuring tape. Have one person hold one end by your catapult. Then walk out with it until you reach your ammo. Write down your score (inches) in the notebook.

Step 5

Repeat until everyone has gone! Whoever’s catapult shoots the furthest win!

Catapult Competition- all catapults made and bought- kids activities blog
Which one won?

Variations Of This Catapult Competition To Make It More Interesting

Change up what you are using. Maybe the first round you guys use cotton balls, then pom poms, then marshmallows etc.

Everyone use something different each round to see which item works the best out of all of them!

Trade up catapults and see if someone else putting different pressure on it makes a difference.

Make sure you write down all of your findings!

More Fun STEM Activities From Kids Activities Blog

Which catapult did you build? Which one won the catapult competition? Let us know!



You Might Also Like

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *