Materials Needed:

• 2 tongue depressors (or large craft sticks)
• 7 regular craft sticks
• 7 rubber bands
• 1 plastic bottle cap
• Hot glue gun (and glue stick)
• Safety glasses (optional but a good idea)
• Small marshmallows or erasers for ammo

Instructions:

1. Stack the 7 regular craft sticks on top of each other.
2. Wrap one rubber band around each end of the stack to hold them tightly together.
3. Take the 2 tongue depressors and rubber band them together on one end only.
4. Slide the stack of 7 sticks between the open end of the tongue depressors.
5. Now, wrap a rubber band diagonally across the spot where the tongue depressors cross over the stack. Wrap it several times.
6. Wrap a second rubber band diagonally the other way. This helps hold the stack in place.
7. Use the hot glue gun to attach the bottle cap to the end of the top tongue depressor. Let it dry fully before using.
8. Put on safety glasses. Place a soft item like a marshmallow in the cap, press down, and let go to launch.

Safety Tips:

• Only aim the catapult in a safe direction.
• Never point it at people or animals.
• Use safety glasses to protect eyes.
• Have an adult help with the hot glue gun.

Variations:

• Try changing the number of sticks in the center to see what happens.
• Use different types of rubber bands to test the results.
• Try a plastic spoon instead of a bottle cap for a different launcher style.
• Hold a distance contest to see which Scout can make theirs go the farthest!