Catapults & Trebuchets Kit

With the Catapult & Trebuchet Engineering Kit, students will explore the science behind some of history’s most iconic machines of motion. From simple stick catapults to advanced floating-arm trebuchets, they’ll design, build, and test multiple projectile launchers while uncovering key principles of energy, motion, and mechanics.

Each activity guides students through the full engineering process: design, test, evaluate, and improve. Along the way, they’ll discover how energy transforms from potential to kinetic, how angles affect range, and why precision and accuracy matter in every launch.

This Launch-level STEM kit is ideal for students in grades 8-12 and includes hands-on builds, guided experiments, and opportunities for open-ended engineering challenges that promote critical thinking, creativity, and persistence.

What they'll do:

• Build and test multiple siege machines, including catapults and trebuchets
• Experiment with launch angles, range, and energy transfer
• Compare accuracy, precision, and power across designs
• Apply mathematical modeling to predict projectile motion
• Use the engineering design cycle to build and refine their ultimate launcher
• Explore how the physics of siege engines connects to sports, nature, and video games

Students will explore questions like:

• How does changing the launch angle affect distance?
• What’s the difference between potential and kinetic energy?
• How can I make my design more powerful—or more accurate?
• What can ancient siege machines teach us about modern engineering?
• How do physics principles like gravity and force appear in sports and games?

Perfect for grades 8-12, the Logic Gates kit is part of the Science Unlocked Launch series by Home Science Tools—designed to spark understanding and confidence in STEM.

• 6 Ball
• 4 Binder clip
• 3 Box
• 7 Cardboard Sheet
• 3 Cap
• 1 Cheesecloth
• 1 Dominoes, pack
• 25 Dowel, large
• 5 Dowel, small
• 1 Hot Glue Gun
• 1 Marbles, pack
• 10 Mini Hot Glue Stick
• 1 Mouse trap
• 2 Paint
• 2 Printed Targets, set
• 1 Protractor
• 1 Rubber bands, pack
• 1 Scissors, adult size
• 1 String
• 1 Tape
• 1 Tape Measure
• 1 Tongue Depressors with Holes, pack
• 2 Weight

• NGSS science standards alignment
  • HS-ETS1-1: Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants.
  • HS-ETS1-2: Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.
  • HS-ETS1-3: Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.
  • HS-ETS1-4: Use a computer simulation to model the impact of proposed solutions to a complex real-world problem with numerous criteria and constraints on the interactions within and between systems relevant to the problem.