Catapult

Last night Big Sis's elementary school hosted a Family Science Night with assistance from the local Science Museum.  Our school's teachers volunteered to man the tables and demonstrated the experiments, all simple hands-on applied physics concepts. 

Among the highlights:  constructing an "earthquake-proof" structure out of toothpicks and mini-marshmallows, designing and executing a rollercoaster for marbles using pipe insulation (cut in half lengthwise) and masking tape (we even made loops that worked!), watching coffee-filter chromatography, launching balloon rockets, and constructing catapults. 

I enjoyed the fact that this was an event I attended alone with Big Sis; I could focus completely on her and the projects.  For once, we had each other's attention exclusively.  Big Sis skipped all the way home. 

She was excited to explain the experiments to her sister.  And lo and behold, when I walked into their bedroom this morning, I found the catapult we made last night, and another that she constructed for Little Sis (these contraptions and some cotton balls would make a great birthday party game, by the way!): 

Cork, tongue depressors, plastic spoons, rubber bands.  Awesome.