Play Catapult

Prepare the paper mache according to the package directions. Cut one of the paper rolls in half horizontally. Fill two whole paper towel rolls and the two cut halves with paper mache. Set them aside to dry completely for at least one day.

Lay the two whole paper towel rolls next to each other vertically. Glue the two cut halves in between the long paper rolls with the craft glue or hot glue gun. Leave at least 5 inches between the two halves. They should be placed toward the back end of the rolls (meaning there should be at least 4 inches of paper towel roll in front of the two cut halves). Allow the structure to set.

Cut the remaining five rolls open vertically. Spread a thin layer of glue inside two of the cut-open rolls. Place one more cut-open roll inside each of these rolls to create two rolls of double thickness. Once these have set, cut each in half horizontally so you have four double-thick pieces. Roll the long sides of each of these pieces up as tightly as possible to form four very sturdy cardboard rods. Tape these rods down their lengths to close them. Form a fifth rod from the last cardboard roll by folding it in half horizontally, then rolling it up and taping it closed.

Use the craft knife to cut two holes 1/2 inch deep into each of the long paper mache-filled tubes in the structure you made earlier. Each hole should align perfectly with the two cut halves that form the middle of the structure. There will be four holes in total, one on each side of the two middle tubes.

Insert one rod into each of the four holes. Glue the rods into the holes and when the glue sets, use tape to reinforce them. Glue and tape the fifth rod between the two front vertical rods. This fifth rod can be attached at the top of these two rods or toward the center of the two rods.

Make two small holes, about 1/2 inch apart, in the center of the foremost middle cardboard tube. Make a hole in the bottom of the handle of the spoon. Cut one rubber band open so that it has two ends. Work one end of the rubber band through each hole and then through the hole in the spoon. Tie the ends of the rubber band together tightly so that the spoon is securely attached to the structure.

Take the remaining two rubber bands and loop them around one of the back rods, then stretch the bands over to the other rod. The bands should be taut. Use some tape to secure the bands in place.

Build the swinging arm for the catapult. Lay a 12-inch piece of wood on a flat surface. Nail, screw, or glue an eight-inch piece of wood to the near end of 12-inch piece of wood. Angle a six-inch piece of wood downward at a 90-degree angle and attach. Attach a second piece of six-inch piece of wood two inches below the first wooden slat. Nail, screw, or glue to the flat side of the 12-inch piece of wood. Affix the slanted piece of six-inch wood to the straight extended eight-inch piece of wood with your chosen attachment method.

Repeat the process and build another three-piece wooden arm. These pieces form the base sides of the rubber band catapult.

Attach two six-inch pieces of wood to the side bases to form a rectangle with screws or glue. Stand side arms upright, with the attached six-inch piece of wood pointing toward the top of the project.

Attach the four-inch slat two inches above the base front slat with nails or glue. Attach the remaining piece of four-inch long wooden slat two inches above the middle slat, on the backside of the catapult.

Drill a hole a half an inch from the end of the remaining 12-inch long piece of wood. Make a hole only large enough for metal bar.

Screw a teacup hook two-and-a-half inches from the end opposite the teacup hook. Screw the hook along the edge of wooden slat, not the flat side of the 12-inch piece.

Fold the five-inch piece of cardboard material into a box shape. Attach box sides with glue. Glue cardboard box onto wooden slat. Position the box directly against the hook opening.

Place dots of glue on the inside of the side base arms, directly above the nail or screws, used to attach the six-inch wooden slats to the longer base piece.

Slide catapult arm firmly into the base frame, wire side first. Line catapult arm wire bar with glue marks. Press side bases toward wire arm section to secure.

Push the metal bar and the catapult arm 12-inch piece of wood firmly inside the wood frame.

Screw the remaining teacup hook into the front frame piece. Place the rubber band on the catapult arm hook, pulling tightly to gauge placement for second hook. Stretch the rubber band and attach to the second teacup hook for catapult action.

Paint, stain, or decorate the catapult frame and basket.

Wrap one rubber band around the paper cup 1-inch below the lip of the cup until it is tight, but not bending the cup.

Hold the spoon upright by the handle with the scoop on top. Lift the rubber band while sliding the handle of the plastic spoon in between the rubber band and the cup with the back of the spoon facing the cup. Push the spoon down until the bottom of the scoop on the spoon is resting on the lip on the cup.

Hold the bottom of the spoon handle against the cup as you wrap the second rubber band around the cup, with the spoon handle in between the rubber band and the cup. Position the rubber band so it is just above the very bottom of the spoon handle as you wrap. You have done this correctly if you can lift the spoon by the scoop without the cup or the rubber bands coming loose.

Pull back the scoop of the spoon toward the opposite side of the cup until it touches the lip of the cup. Place a cotton ball inside the scoop. Release the spoon to launch the cotton ball.

Make a platform for the catapult by laying 10 sticks side by side. Place a support stick on top, perpendicular to the direction of the other sticks about an inch in from the edge. Place a second support one inch in from the other edge. Glue into place and let dry.

Create a small wall by lining up five sticks. Cut a sixth stick in half and glue to the small wall in the same manner as the main platform, with each support stick one inch in from the sides. Glue and let dry.

Mount your small wall to the platform by standing the wall up across the center of the platform. Cut a stick in half and glue each half on either side of the wall at a diagonal to brace the wall. Glue along the bottom of the wall where it comes into contact with the platform as well. Let dry.

Make a hinge by first gluing three sticks together to form one thick stick. Set the thick catapult stick down so it is resting on a solid stick and not its layered side. Place the end of another stick under the catapult, and one stick over the catapult stick. Hold the three together and nail the finishing nail through all three ends. Cap the nail with a pencil eraser. Glue the eraser on if desired, but be sure not to glue the sticks together. At the opposite end of the catapult stick, glue the base of the medicine cup to the layered side of the sticks.

Set the base of the catapult down on the center of the platform with the hinge and catapult stick butted up against the wall. Glue the base to the platform sufficiently, again being sure to avoid gluing the hinge area.

Glue a final stick to the front of the platform so that it overhangs the edge and let dry. This stick will hold the rubber band to bring the catapult forward. Loop your rubber band over and around the cup and bring it down toward the wall. Extend the rubber band and loop it around the holding brace you just added.

Form 1 oz. of air-drying clay into a ball, and form the ball around the middle of an unsharpened pencil.

Place the pencil onto a table, and press down on the pencil to flatten the ball on the bottom. The pencil should be resting on the table.

Place a second unsharpened pencil perpendicular to the first pencil, pressing the middle of the second pencil into the clay. Rotate the pencil back and forth to create a channel in the clay, then remove the pencil. Allow the clay to air-dry for two hours.

Roll a quarter-sized ball of clay onto one end of the second pencil, and flatten the clay ball into a bowl by pressing your thumb into it. Allow the clay to air-dry for two hours.

Place the pencil back into the clay channel, which will now be hardened. Position the clay bowl at the end of the pencil so that it is facing up. The pencil can move up and down, and will be raised in the middle like a seesaw.

Place a small object into the clay bowl at the end of the pencil, allowing that end of the pencil to rest on the table. The other end of the pencil will be lifted up into the air.

Press down the lifted end of the pencil very quickly with your palm, which will launch the object on the other end through the air.