Physics & Engineering
Mini Catapult
Snap together a working 3D-printed catapult and launch foam balls at targets. Learn how levers, counterweights, and launch angle affect distance.
Photos coming soon
About This Kit
What makes this kit special.
A fully functional 3D-printed catapult that children ages 5 and up can assemble in under 25 minutes using zero tools. Adjustable counterweight pebbles let kids experiment directly with how mass and arm angle change every launch.
Designed, 3D-printed, and assembled by 9th-grade students at West Shore Jr/Sr High School, Melbourne, FL — a student-led nonprofit serving Brevard County.
Support this kit
KitCraft Collective
Help us put the Mini Catapult in a child's hands.
Every donation goes directly toward materials, 3D printing, assembly, and delivery to pediatric wards and shelters across Brevard County.
Cost to sponsor
You fund
1 full kit
- 100% to kit production — zero overhead
- Delivered by students to verified orgs
- Handwritten letter in every kit
- Tax-deductible contribution
What they'll learn
Learning Objectives
- How levers multiply force01
- Potential energy converts to kinetic energy02
- Launch angle affects distance03
- Controlling variables in an experiment04
- Reading multi-step assembly diagrams05
- Cause and effect through hands-on testing06
Hands-on exploration
Activities
Assemble the base, fulcrum post, arm, counterweight bucket, and launch cup
Add 2 pebbles, launch 3 times, record average distance
Add 4 then 6 pebbles and compare distances
Test launches at 30, 45, and 60 degree arm angles
Set up paper target cards at 30, 60, and 90 cm and score 10 launches
Launch the foam ball, a cotton ball, and crumpled paper, compare distances
Sketch the catapult and label every part with its function
Where Kits Go
Built here. Delivered with love.
Every kit is hand-delivered by the students who built it to verified partner organizations.
Pediatric Wards
Delivered directly to children in hospitals across Brevard County who need a moment of joy and wonder.
Partner Schools
Distributed to title-I schools and after-school programs serving underserved communities.
Community Centers
Sent to shelters, family resource centers, and nonprofit organizations across Melbourne, FL.
Behind the Kit
From first sketch to final delivery.
CAD Design
Students model every component in Fusion 360, optimizing geometry for FDM quality, structural integrity, and child-safe tolerances.
3D Printing
Parts printed layer by layer on school printers using BPA-free, food-safe PLA at precisely calibrated settings.
QA Inspection
Every piece hand-inspected — edges deburred, tolerances verified with calipers, dry-run assembled.
Kit Assembly
Parts sorted in build order, bagged, and paired with instructions and a handwritten letter from the builder.
Delivery
Hand-delivered by students to partner schools, pediatric wards, and shelters across Brevard County.
What's inside
Materials Included
- 3D-printed throwing arm, 19 cm
- 3D-printed base (2 snap-fit halves)
- 3D-printed fulcrum post
- 3D-printed counterweight bucket
- 3D-printed launch cup
- Latex-free tension stabilizer band
- 8 river pebbles in a muslin pouch
- 3 soft foam balls
- 4 paper target cards
- 120 cm distance measurement tape
- Illustrated instruction booklet
Child-safe by design
All components are BPA-free, burr-free, and verified safe for the target age group. Engineered for repeated assembly and disassembly.
Every kit includes
Bonus Extras
Beyond the build materials, every kit includes thoughtful extras — chosen to delight and make each child feel genuinely seen.
- Handwritten letter from the student who built your kit
- Physics Explorer certificate of completion
- Distance tracking data worksheet
- Try This Next card: trebuchet and household experiments
Help us deliver the Mini Catapult to children who need it most.
Every kit starts with a generous sponsor. Your $24 covers materials, 3D printing, assembly, and hand-delivery to pediatric wards and shelters across Brevard County.
100% toward production · Zero overhead · Tax-deductible
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