STEM Kits: Physics & Mechanics Through Catapult-Building Kits

Aria Dana
Dec 1, 2025
5 min read

Material: Wood

Key Points:

A catapult is any mechanism that stores energy and releases it quickly to launch an object, illustrating key physics concepts like energy transfer, force, and motion.
Catapults have applications from ancient warfare to modern engineering and education.
Catapult-building kits offer a dynamic, hands-on approach to learning physics and engineering, making abstract concepts concrete and engaging for learners of all ages.

STEM Kits: Physics & Mechanics Through Catapult-Building Kits

What is a Catapult?
Types and Examples
How It Works?
How Catapult Kits Teach Core Physics Concepts?
What’s Inside a Catapult STEM Kit?
Catapult Kits
Skills Developed Through Catapult Kits
References

What is a Catapult?

A catapult is a mechanical device designed to hurl objects by storing energy—typically through tension, torsion, or gravity—and then releasing it suddenly to propel a payload. The stored energy is built up by deforming a component (such as bending a rod, stretching a band, or twisting a rope), and when released, this energy is converted into the motion of the projectile [2]. Catapults have been used since ancient times in both technology and nature for launching objects over distances [2, 3].

Types and Examples

Ancient Catapults: Early catapults, such as those described by Greek and Roman engineers, used levers and torsion springs to launch stones or arrows during warfare [3].
Modern and Biological Catapults: In modern engineering, catapult mechanisms are used in devices like aircraft launch systems and even in soft robotics. In biology, similar mechanisms help plants disperse seeds or animals capture prey by rapidly releasing stored elastic energy [2].
STEM Kits: Educational catapult kits often use a simple lever arm, a fulcrum, and a tension source (like a rubber band) to demonstrate these principles in a hands-on way.

How It Works?

Imagine a simple tabletop catapult:

Pulling back the arm stretches a rubber band (storing potential energy).
Letting go releases the arm, converting stored energy into kinetic energy, which launches a foam ball across the room.

Catapult-building kits offer a dynamic, hands-on approach to learning physics and engineering, making abstract concepts concrete and engaging for learners of all ages.

How Catapult Kits Teach Core Physics Concepts?

Catapult kits are ideal for exploring fundamental physics principles through direct experimentation:

Potential & Kinetic Energy: Pulling back the catapult arm stores potential energy; releasing it converts this to kinetic energy, launching the projectile. For example, students can measure how increasing the pullback distance (potential energy) results in greater launch speed (kinetic energy).
Force & Trajectory: The distance and angle of launch demonstrate how force and trajectory affect motion. By adjusting the launch angle (e.g., 30°, 45°, 60°), students can observe which angle produces the farthest shot, reinforcing the concept of optimal projectile motion.
Simple Machines: Catapults are practical examples of levers and fulcrums. Students can experiment with different arm lengths or pivot points to see how these changes affect the force needed and the resulting motion.
Engineering Design: Learners modify variables like tension, weight, or arm length, seeing firsthand how design tweaks impact performance. This mirrors real-world engineering processes and encourages iterative problem-solving [1, 5].

What’s Inside a Catapult STEM Kit?

Typical kits include:

Frame pieces (wood or plastic)
Rubber bands or tension cords (for energy storage)
Lever arm and fulcrum
Safe projectiles (foam balls, lightweight objects)
Instructions and challenge cards (e.g., distance, accuracy, or design modification tasks)

Advanced kits may offer modular parts or adjustable angles, allowing for deeper exploration and creativity [1].

Catapult Kits

Click to explore the best catapult kit for you.

Catapult Wars

Output: 2 catapults

Age: 8 years and up

Da Vinci Model Kit

Output: 1 Ballista (crossbow), 1 Bombard ( cannon) and 1 Catapult

Age: 12 years and up

Mini Toy Catapults

Output: 30 Catapults

Age: 8 years and up

Siege Catapult Kit

Output: 1 Catapult

Age: 6 years and up

Truck Catapult

Output: 1 Catapult

Age: 5 years and up

Wooden Catapult Kit

Output: 1 Catapult

Age: 8 years and up

Skills Developed Through Catapult Kits

Catapult kits foster a range of valuable skills:

Problem-solving & Analysis: Students hypothesize, test, and refine their designs, mirroring scientific inquiry [4, 5].
Engineering Design Thinking: Learners follow the engineering design process—ideate, build, test, and improve.
Hypothesis Testing: For example, “What happens if I increase the angle?” or “How does changing the projectile’s mass affect distance?”
Creativity: Kits encourage students to invent new designs or optimize for specific goals.
Fine Motor Skills: Assembling and adjusting the kit builds dexterity and construction skills [1, 4].

Example Activities for Deeper Learning

Angle vs. Distance Test: Launch projectiles at different angles and record distances to find the optimal trajectory.
Mass & Motion Experiment: Use projectiles of varying weights to observe how mass influences launch distance.
Design Challenge: Modify the catapult to hit a target, encouraging interactive design and consistent accuracy.
Energy Exploration: Adjust rubber band tension and measure how it affects launch speed and height.

Why Catapult Kits Matter?

Hands-on kits make physics tangible, increasing retention and curiosity. They also promote independence, self-reliance, and higher-order thinking skills, as students must solve problems and make design decisions themselves [4, 5]. Many kits use sustainable materials, supporting eco-friendly learning goals [1].

Real-World Example

A high school class used a mousetrap-powered car project (similar in spirit to catapult kits) to teach physics principles. Students designed, built, and tested their cars, learning about energy transfer, force, and engineering design. The open-ended nature of the project fostered creativity, teamwork, and pride in their accomplishments [5].

Key Learning Outcomes from Catapult Kits

Physics Concept	Example Activity	Skill Developed
Potential/Kinetic Energy	Vary pullback distance, measure speed	Energy transfer analysis
Force & Trajectory	Test different launch angles	Data collection, analysis
Simple Machines	Change arm length or fulcrum position	Mechanical reasoning
Engineering Design	Modify for accuracy or distance	Iterative problem-solving

Table 1. Examples of physics concepts, activities, and skills from catapult kits.

Catapult-building kits are powerful tools for making physics and engineering accessible, memorable, and fun, while building essential STEM and 21st-century skills.

“There is no ‘best’ method in teaching; the best is the one that works.”

References

Boya-Lara, C., Saavedra, D., Fehrenbach, A., & Marquez-Araque, A. (2022). Development of a course based on BEAM robots to enhance STEM learning in electrical, electronic, and mechanical domains. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-021-00311-9.
Curatolo, M., Napoli, G., Nardinocchi, P., & Turzi, S. (2024). Swelling-driven soft elastic catapults. International Journal of Non-Linear Mechanics. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnonlinmec.2024.104727.
Hacker, B. (2023). Greek Catapults and Catapult Technology: Science, Technology, and War in the Ancient World. Technology and Culture, 9, 34 - 50. https://doi.org/10.2307/3102042.
Hubbard, K., Henri, D., Scott, G., Snelling, H., & Roediger, E. (2024). Developing undergraduate practical skills and independence with ‘at home practical kits’. International Journal of Science Education, 47, 65 - 86. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2024.2311087.
Zeid, A. (2020). Deploying Engineering-Based Learning in High School Students STEM Learning. American Journal of Education, 7, 255-271. https://doi.org/10.30958/aje.7-3-2.