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Create mini marshmallow launchers with everyday household items. Get extra cozy with some hot cocoa and see how many marshmallows land inside your mug!

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Carefully cut out the bottom of the plastic cup. If needed, your grownup assistant can do this for you!

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Leaving the balloon deflated, tie a knot to close the opening. Then, cut about a quarter inch off the top of the balloon to create a large opening.

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Stretch the balloon over the bottom opening of the plastic cup. Give the knot a tug to make sure it is on securely.

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Now your marshmallow shooter is ready! Load up the marshmallows and give the balloon a tug to see how far they go!

balloons

mini marshmallows

plastic cups

scissors

Marshmallow Launcher

physics

New Year's Eve

motion

There simply is no better way to ring in a new year or celebrate a holiday or a special occasion than with a shower of confetti. Create these confetti launchers to do just that! 

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We used one wide mouth tube and one small mouth tube.If your cardboard tubes are the same size, cut one open lengthwise. Then, overlap the seam and tape it back together so that it fits into the other roll.

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Draw two lines about ½” (1.3 cm) apart along one end of the larger tube. Repeat on the other side of this edge. Then, cut along these lines.

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Insert the rubber band into the slits as pictured.

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Place a craft stick on the other end of the larger tube. Then, loop the other side of the rubber band around the ends of the craft stick.

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Trace the bottom of the smaller tube onto the cardstock. Then, cut it out and glue it onto one end of the smaller tube.

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Insert the smaller tube into the larger tube and glue the closed end of it to the middle of the popsicle stick. Let it dry for at least one hour. 

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Place confetti into the smaller tube. Then, pull back on the craft stick. 

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 Let the craft stick go to launch your confetti!

cardboard tubes (2)

confetti (or cut up tissue paper)

rubber band (large)

tissue paper

craft stick (large)

decorative paper

double-sided tape

heavy cardstock paper

black marker

glue

Confetti Launcher

rocket

Fourth of July

party game

outdoor game

game

craft

homemade craft

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3 material crafts

3, 2, 1, launch! Try making these super simple paper cup launchers for a backyard rocket launch competition that’s out of this world.

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Place two rubber bands lengthwise across the cup, making a cross shape over the opening.

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Add a third rubber band around the cup, to secure the two rubber bands in place. This will be the "rocket."

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Get ready to launch! Place a second cup upside down on a flat surface. Put the "rocket" over the base cup. Holding the lip of the rocket cup, pull down and release! Watch your "rocket" go flying!

cups (2)

rubber bands (3+)

Rubber Band Powered Cup Launcher

catapult

construction

building

Turn office supplies into a mini catapult, then try a pom-pom launching contest with a friend!

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Gather the materials you need to make your DIY catapult desk toy. 

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Wrap a rubber band around the middle of the binder clip. If it’s loose, keep wrapping it around until it’s tight. I had to wrap mine around three times.

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Switch the arms, so the one that was up is down and the one that was down is up.

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Loop a rubber band around the lowered arm and through itself. Pull it tight to attach the band to the arm.

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Pull the other end of the rubber band through the raised arm. Slot a pencil in between the rubber band loop and the binder clip arm so the rubber band holds the pencil against the arm.

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Slide the pencil up or down so the end of the pencil is just above the main body of the binder clip. Tape the pencil to the arm of the binder clip.

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Stick the bottle cap onto the other end of the pencil. We used sticky foam, but you can also use tape or glue. (Make sure the bottle cap is facing forward!)

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You’re ready for launch! Put a pom-pom in the bottle cap, then hold the binder clip down with one hand and pull the pencil back with the other. Let it go and watch the pom-pom fly from the desk toy!
 For extra fun, try seeing how far you can launch your pom-poms, throwing several pom-poms at once, or set out a cup as a target and see if you can land a pom-pom in it!

What's going on?
 The desk catapult is able to throw projectiles because of tension in the binder clip. Tension builds up as the binder clip is bent backwards, out of shape, and when the arms of the binder clip are released, the clip relaxes back into its original shape. This quick relaxation relieves the clip's built-up tension, producing the throwing force that launches the pom poms into the air.

binder clip (jumbo)

rubber bands

Tape

pencil

bottle cap

pom poms

sticky foam (or glue) (optional)

Desk Catapult

flight

plane

outdoor science projects

backyard science

backyard games

outdoor activities

Take your paper airplanes to new heights by making a motorized launcher for them.Build more awesome electronic vehicles, all from one convenient kit with a <a href="https://www.kiwico.com/us/store/dp/make-it-move-electronics-set/4500" target="_self">Make-It-Move Electronics Set</a> from the <a href="https://www.kiwico.com/store" target="_self">KiwiCo Store</a>!

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Hot glue a flat rubber band around the outside of a wooden wheel. Repeat for the second wheel. 

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Create a small plastic circle using the pushpin. Push the pushpin into the lid and trace around it with a marker. Repeat again to make a second circle. 

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Cut out one of the small circles and hot glue it to the center of the wooden wheel. Repeat for the other wheel. 

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Connect the battery leads to the loose wire leads. 

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Connect the alligator clips to the free end of the leads.

Using the same colored leads and alligator clips will help you to remember what goes where.

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Place batteries in the battery holders. Then, close them.

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Connect the free ends of the alligator clips to the motor as seen in the photo. 

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Test the motors! Place each wheel onto the top of either motor and turn the battery holders on. Make sure that the wheels are spinning in opposite directions.

If the wheels are not spinning in opposite directions, switch the position of the alligator clips on the motor.

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Disconnect the motors from the alligator clips. Then, hot glue the motors to the smallest wooden blocks so that the motors are flush to the top of the blocks. 

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Fill the hole in the center of the wheel with hot glue so that it is as stable as possible. Scrape any excess hot glue off the top with a scrap piece of paper or cardboard.

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Mark the base ½” from either short side and 4 ¼” from the bottom. Then, hot glue the mounted motors on your mark. 

Note: The bottom is the end of the base closest to the mounted motors. 

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Mark the base ¼” from either short side and 2 ¾” from the bottom. Also, mark the base ¼” from either short side and 3 ¼” from the top. Then, hot glue the the wooden poles on your marks. 

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Paint the wooden runways so that they look like a real runway or design them however you like! This is where your plane will “take off” from. 

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Hot glue the runways to the poles.

Note: Make sure to  leave about ¼” of space between the wheels and the runway. 

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Connect the free ends of the alligator clips to the motors. Then, test them to make sure that the wheels are spinning in opposite directions.

If the wheels are not spinning in opposite directions, first check that the alligator clips on a single motor are coming from the same battery pack. If the wheels are still not spinning in opposite directions, switch the position of the alligator clips on the motor.

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Now you’re ready to launch some paper airplanes! Load a paper airplane into your launcher and watch it fly away. Try angling your launcher by placing some books underneath it and see what happens!

You may want to have a friend hold down your airplane launcher when it’s on.

Paper airplanes work just like regular passenger planes and fighter jets: by redirecting air to keep themselves airborne. As long as a plane is moving quickly, its wings will redirect a lot of air downwards, which generates an equal upwards force (lift). This lift is enough to bear the weight of the plane against the pull of gravity. Your paper airplane launcher is effective because it gives the paper airplanes a lot of speed, and therefore a lot of lift — plenty to keep the planes aloft for lengthy trips around a room (or until they hit something!)

10 fun launcher projects for kids

Screen-free fun!