Play Catapult

Laying siege is usually tough and your neighbors might get angry, but with the power of a catapult, you can launch projectiles to your heart's content, all while utilizing pure physics rather than electricity or gas. Building a life-size, historically accurate, boulder-tossing catapult is difficult and dangerous, so leave those big ones to engineers. Rather, below you'll find detailed instructions on how to make a smaller, but equally enjoyable catapult you can make with a few supplies and time.

Instructions

1 Lay out four pieces of wood to form a rectangular base. Glue or screw the pieces together. Take two pieces of wood and cut the ends at a 45 degree angle. You should now have two trapezoid-shaped pieces. Set those aside.
2 Affix one piece perpendicular to the base about half way in. The perpendicular piece should be half the length of the base. Repeat this for the other side. At the top of the two pieces, attach another piece of wood connecting the two. It should look like a doorway.
3 Take those trapezoid pieces and attach them to the base and the perpendicular pieces. The angles allow the pieces to fit comfortably. These pieces add structural integrity to the overall catapult.
4 Drill through the base so that the two holes are directly underneath the perpendicular pieces. Drill through another piece, which will be used as the launching mechanism. Place the wooden dowel through one side of the base, attach the launching piece in the middle and finish by inserting the dowel into the other side of the base. Use glue on the base (only on the base, not on the launching portion) to keep the dowel in place.
5 Cut the ping pong ball in half and glue it to the end of the launching piece to act as a basket for your projectiles. Attach hooks to both the launching piece and the top of the frame and attach rubber bands. Pull back the center piece, place your projectile in the basket (marshmallows work well) and let it fly.