Build A Catapult

The catapult emerged as a military weapon in Greece around 400 BCE, and its invention is attributed to Dionysius the Elder of Syracuse. While students have the option to build a mini-version of a catapult in one of the activity stations, an exciting event for the whole group is to demonstrate the workings of a larger, functional catapult.

You can build one catapult in advance (or enlist a volunteer who is handy with power tools to build one for you) or build a battery of catapults as a STEM crossover event with a shop class or science class. The great thing about large catapults is that once you build them, you can save them to reuse next year!

Building a Catapult

The tutorials linked below have great directions, accompanied by photos, videos, and supply lists, to guide you in building your own catapults.

Using your Catapult

Set up your catapult in a large open space, and make sure students stay behind the throwing range. You can load up your catapult with anything you like, such as wiffle balls or tennis balls (for showmanship points, fruits like apples, pumpkins, watermelons -depending on the size of your catapult - explode really well!).