Spider Launch Halloween Stem Game

The science teacher in me likes to make kids party games just a little bit educational. I can’t help it!

And quick, low effort prep? Yes, please!

Enter: popsicle stick catapults.

Kids love being allowed to fling stuff! It’s simple enough but also challenging enough.

For a Halloween game plastic spiders are convenient and won’t hurt any potential unintended targets. You can also make a web as a target/landing pad.

You can get everything you need at Dollar Tree so it’s a cheap game too!

Spider Launch Halloween Stem Game

Here is what you need to make this game:

• jumbo wood craft sticks

• rubber bands

• plastic spiders/spider rings

• dark color posterboard

• white yarn

• glue/hot glue

Catapults: Take two craft sticks and wrap a rubber band around them about an inch from one end. Stack 7 more craft sticks together and slide them in between. Wrap a rubber band around the intersection of the craft sticks to hold them in place.

Note: You can adjust the height by changing the number of craft sticks in the middle stack or the placement of the rubber band anchor. To launch smaller or round items, use a rubber band to attach a plastic spoon to the end of the top craft stick.

Spiders: If only spider rings can be found, but the ring portion off.

Web Target: Draw diagonal lines across the posterboard that intersect in the middle to create the radial lines. Draw curved arches between these lines from the center outwards to create the spiral lines. Glue white yarn over these spiral lines. Finally, glue yarn over the radial lines, overlapping the spiral lines and holding them in place.

Note: Regular or hot glue may be used. The sections of the web may also be assigned points for a game with a numerical score.

I would also recommend taping the web to the table and marking a line with painters’ tape to keep the catapults behind, just to keep things a bit more orderly.

This game works for big kids too! I have done this will high school physics and candy pumpkins as we studied projectile motion. It’s fantastic timing. They got to make their own catapults and make adjustments based on distance, weight, height, etc.

Here is a little video tutorial if you want to see the process in action: