Looking for a fun, hands-on STEM activity for the fall season? This Pumpkin Catapult Challenge will get your students designing, problem-solving, and testing their engineering skills in a creative way!

The story hook: The beloved pumpkin chunkin’ contest at the local fair is in jeopardy—the catapult is broken! It’s up to your students to work as engineers to design and build a catapult with a limited budget of $100. Can they rise to the challenge?

Perfect for fall, Halloween, or Thanksgiving classroom activities, this project combines science, technology, engineering, and math in an exciting and memorable way.

✅ What’s Included:

• Teacher directions (setup, materials, and facilitation tips)
• Editable Student worksheet for planning, budgeting, and reflecting
• Editable PowerPoint for class instructions, visuals, and guiding the challenge
  

🛠 Materials Students Will Need (common classroom supplies):

• Craft sticks or rulers
• Rubber bands
• Plastic spoons
• Tape
• Paper, index cards, or note sheets
• Small “pumpkins” (candy pumpkins, marshmallows, or pom-poms)

(Materials can be adjusted to fit what you already have on hand!)

🎯 Skills Covered:

• Engineering design process
• Budgeting and problem solving
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Hands-on STEM application
  

👩‍🏫 Great For:

• Fall STEM days
• Halloween or Thanksgiving activities
• Engineering and design units
• Collaborative group work
  

Give your students a chance to think like real engineers while enjoying a seasonal, high-engagement challenge they won’t forget!