Snowball catapult

Build a simple snowball catapult capable of firing cotton wool balls in this festive activity for kids.

By the end of this activity, you will be able to:

Engineer a catapult that harnesses potential energy and then releases it quickly, transferring that potential energy into movement as the snowball is fired into the distance.

How long will this activity take?

This activity will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. To extend your catapult design skills and understanding of levers, try the Build a popsicle stick catapult activity.

What equipment will you need?

9 x lollipop sticks, 2 x elastic bands, cotton wool balls

How to do it

Step 1
Stack 5 of the lollipop sticks on top of one another.
Step 2
Place the 6th lollipop stick across the stack of 5 sticks in the shape of a cross.
Step 3
Place the remaining 3 sticks on top of the ‘cross’ stick, like the first 5 lollipop sticks.
Step 4
Wrap the elastic bands tightly around the thick stack of lollipop sticks at either end.
Step 5
Pull a piece of cotton wool from your cotton wool ball and roll it around to make a snowball.
Step 6
Place the snowball on the longest end of the ‘cross’ stick, and press down on the shorter end using one hand.
Step 7
Using the other hand, press back on the snowball and then fire!

Watch Marvellous Marthy and download the free activity sheet today!

All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.

The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Oh ho ho, and please do share your experiment highlights with us @IETeducation! #SantaLovesSTEM.