Making a stick slingshot is a really fun activity to do and they’re so easy to make! Perfect for a sunny day in the garden practising your aiming skills!

What you will need:

A Y-shaped stick
Two rubber bands, the same size
Sturdy fabric, such as waxed canvas or denim, approximately 8-10cm square
String, thread (or dental floss!)
Scissors
Pine cones, acorns or small pebbles (for very small children, you could use felt balls or pom poms as ammo instead)
Knife for whittling (optional)
Coloured yarn (optional)

The first thing to do is go for a walk and find a sturdy, Y-shaped stick! You might find a stick in the exact shape you want or a larger branch which you can then break down. Ideally, the gap between the ends of the top part of the Y should be around 15cm apart but it doesn’t matter too much if it is bigger or smaller. Searching the ground in heavily-wooded areas will give you the most fallen branches to choose from!

Whilst you are on your walk, look for small pine cones, acorns, pebbles or other small objects which you can fire with your sling.

When you get home, you might want to break the bark off your sticks and sand them down or you can use a knife to trim and smooth the knots and bumps on the handle to make it more comfortable to hold.

You can then cut small notches on the ends of your stick, about 1cm down from the top, where the rubber bands will go. These grooves will help keep the rubber bands in place, however, it’s not absolutely necessary as you can just lash the rubber bands in place with some thread.

To create the pouch of your slingshot, first take your piece of fabric and fold in half and then half again so that you have a narrow rectangle. (I used waxed cotton canvas which came in a previous month’s Mud & Bloom box which included this slingshot making activity.) Make two small cuts in the fold of the fabric about 1.5cm from each end. The holes only need to be small - just big enough for your rubber bands to fit through.

Next, open up up your fabric so it is only folded once. Take one of your rubber bands and thread it through one of the holes. Then push one end of the rubber band through the loop of the other end. Pull the rubber band until it is tight and secure. Do the same on the other end of your fabric.

Attach both rubber bands to your stick by wrapping them around the stick once or twice and then using your thread to tie the rubber bands securely to the stick.

You can also use some coloured yarn or twine to decorate your slingshot if you like. If your slingshot is a bit rough or nobbly, then wrapping thread around the handle can make it a bit more comfortable to hold.

Now your stick slingshot is ready! Take a careful look around to make sure there isn’t anyone (or any dog!) in the way before you use your slingshot. Holding your slingshot at the bottom with one hand, take a pine cone, acorn or small pebble and hold it in the pouch with your other hand as you pull it back. Feel the rubber band pull tight and let it go!

You could aim your slingshot at some tin cans on a wall or draw a big target on some cardboard to aim at! Have fun with your slingshot!