Explore physics, measurement, and engineering with a spooky twist! Launch candy pumpkins and eyeballs across the room using this easy DIY Halloween catapult. Kids will love flinging their favorite Halloween goodies while learning about energy and motion.
Halloween Catapult and STEM Activity
Field of Science: Physics
Grade Level: 1st–5th Grade
Concepts Explored: Force, Motion, Energy, Simple Machines, Measurement
A catapult is a type of simple machine that stores potential energy—energy waiting to be released. When you pull back on the popsicle stick, the stick bends and builds elastic potential energy. When you let go, that energy converts into kinetic energy (energy in motion), launching your fake or candy pumpkin through the air.
This activity introduces projectile motion—how gravity and force affect the distance and height to which objects travel. It’s an exciting, hands-on way to explore basic physics principles in action!
💡 Look through a variety of Halloween science and STEM activities here.
Supplies Needed
- Catapult science journal sheet (free below)
- 10 jumbo popsicle (craft) sticks
- Rubber bands
- Bottle cap
- Hot glue gun (adult supervision)
- Small measuring tape or ruler
- Fun items to fling! Try:
- Candy pumpkins
- Plastic eyeballs
- Mini spiders or pom-poms
- Small, lightweight artificial pumpkins 1-2″ in diameter
- Pencil erasers
How to Make a Halloween Catapult
🎥 Watch the DIY video for our basic popsicle stick catapult:
Step 1: Stack 8 jumbo craft sticks together and secure each end tightly with rubber bands.
Step 2: Slide one stick into the stack just above the bottom stick. Make sure it’s centered.
Step 3: Place the remaining stick on top, crossing it at the same point. Secure the tips of these two sticks with a looser rubber band so they can move easily.
Step 4: Use hot glue to attach a bottle cap to the end of the top stick—this will hold your candy or Halloween object before launch.
Step 5: Load your catapult, pull down on the top stick, and release! 🎃
💡 Tip: Try building a few catapults with different numbers of sticks to see how the design changes your launch power.
Catapult Science Information
Elastic Potential Energy: When you bend or stretch something—like a popsicle stick held in tension—it stores energy that can be released later.
Kinetic Energy: The moment you let go, that stored energy transfers into kinetic energy, propelling your object forward.
🔎 Learn more about potential and kinetic energy here.
Projectile Motion: The candy flies in an arc (called a trajectory). The shape of this arc depends on how much force you used and the object’s weight.
Simple Machines: A catapult is a type of lever. Levers make work easier by using force over a distance.
🔎 Learn more about all the different types of simple machines here.
Encourage students to measure, compare, and analyze results—just like real scientists and engineers!
Free Halloween Catapult Science Journal Sheet
Grab the free Halloween STEM activity here.
Make It a Halloween Science Project
Turn your Halloween fun into a real experiment!
- Ask a Question: Which candy will fly the farthest?
- Form a Hypothesis: “I think the candy pumpkin will go farther because it’s heavier.”
- Test It: Launch each object 10 times. Measure how far it travels.
- Record Data: Use a simple chart or graph to track results.
- Draw Conclusions: Which object went the farthest? Why do you think that happened?
Try experimenting with a different variable:
- Different object weights
- Changing the number of sticks in the stack
- Using rubber bands of different thicknesses
🔎 Learn more about applying the scientific method for kids
More Halloween STEM Activities
Keep the learning going with these spooky science favorites:
- Dissolving Candy Corn
- Halloween Density Experiment
- Bone Bridge STEM Challenge
- Halloween LEGO STEM Challenges
- Halloween Lava Lamp
- Frankenstein’s Frozen Brain
- Gelatin Heart Experiment
Printable Science Packs for Kids
Visit our SHOP for easy-to-print STEM and science lesson plans for the whole year. Or join us in the Little Bins Club.
