The Pumpkin Catapult STEM Challenge is a hands-on fall activity where students design and test their own catapults to launch candy pumpkins. Through this engaging challenge, students apply the engineering design process while learning about force and motion in a fun, seasonal way.

To extend thinking, students respond to Depth & Complexity prompts connected to the icons Trends, Change Over Time, and Rules. They analyze patterns in their results, reflect on how their designs evolved over time, and identify the rules that guided their building and testing.

This activity is perfect for integrating science, engineering, and critical thinking into your autumn lessons. Easy to set up and adaptable for upper elementary, it makes STEM both fun and meaningful!