Simple Outdoor Adventures for Boys {Day 30}: Make a Homemade Slingshot

November 5th, 2012

How to Make a Homemade Slingshot…

   Supplies:

• A Forked Stick
• Heavy Rubber Bands
• Electrical Tape
• Hand Saw

Most every boy love to create ways to "shoot stuff". The sling shot is a classic and easy way to accomplish this. There are a million ways to make a sling shot, but I have found this one to be the least frustrating both to make and use.

First, search the woods for a stick with a main beam between 1 and 2 inches thick. It also needs to have a fork in it that splits wide enough to shoot through. Also, you will want to make sure that both sides of the fork are fairly thick and strong so they won’t break with the pressure of the rubber bands.

When you locate a good candidate, cut the handle about 8 inches long, and leave each fork about 5 inches long. Again, make sure the stick is good and sturdy. Often the best sticks are "green", or on live trees, but try not to ruin a perfectly healthy tree.

When you get home with your stick, take one of your rubber bands and attach it to the end of one fork with 4-6 wraps of electrical tape. Take a second rubber band and repeat this on the end of the other fork.

Now, before attaching the two rubber bands together, keep in mind that you have to now create a pad to shoot pebbles out of. To do this, attach the bands together with the electrical tape, but make sure you leave about an inch of gap between them. Run the electrical tape around the inside of the ends of both rubber bands several times so that none of the sticky part of the tape is exposed.

You can now pinch a small pebble in the electrical tape pad, pull it back, and let it fly! I recommend creating a target with a paper plate for target practice. Keep in mind that these can be VERY dangerous if you shoot them at other people. These simple sling shots can send rocks flying at a very high rate of speed, so please exercise extreme caution and alert your kids to the dangers. They are very fun if used safely.

  Helpful Tips/Resources:

• DIY Angry Birds
• The Dangerous Book for Boys
• Classic Wooden Slingshot
• DIY Marshmallow Catapult
• 50 Dangerous Things (You Should Let Your Children Do)

 * Use caution when shooting the slingshot and picking out ammunition.  {Go small}

* Also use caution in picking a location to use the slingshot, stay away from property that could be damaged. 😉

* I recommend finding two suitable sticks in the woods so you don’t have to go back if one breaks!

*PLEASE, In the spirit of The Christmas Story, don’t shoot your eye out.

Have you ever tried a homemade slingshot? 

You can find ALL of the Simple Outdoor Adventures for Boys over HERE.