Make a Water Balloon Catapult
They’re not called lazy summer days for nothing. But if you have to do some work, look for a simple machine to help. Simple machines make work easier. There are six kinds of simple machines: lever, pulley, screw, wedge, inclined plane, and wheel and axle. You can combine simple machines into something more complex called a compound machine; for example, a bike is made up of screws, levers, a pulley and a wheel and axle. This week’s "work" is actually a lot of fun—building a simple machine to launch water balloons!
Try it!
Download our Week 2 activity guide for materials and instructions, and don't forget the template to print out the battleships. You can also watch our video preview below for tips on your water balloon catapult.
Downloads
- This week's activity: Ready, Aim, Splash! (PDF)
- Template: Battleships (PDF)
- Full Activity Guide with all eight weeks (PDF)
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download the activity guide
Get the Summer Brain Games guide. Materials, instructions, tips and facts for eight weeks of summer science fun, all in one PDF.
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