Tightly roll a newspaper into a cylinder. Bind the tube with several layers of masking tape.
Stretch a rubber band around the middle of the newspaper tube. Slip one end of the rubber band into the other. Hold one end of the excess rubber band with your finger after you slip both sides through each other.
Insert a spoon through the excess rubber band you are holding with your finger. Slide the spoon at least halfway through and let go of the rubber band.
Place the newspaper on a flat surface so the spoon faces up and the handle points to the floor. To work this catapult, place an object in the spoon. Apply pressure to the tip of the spoon with your finger. The rubber band builds tension and releases once you remove your finger.
Fasten a spring clothespin to a small rectangular wooden block with craft glue.
Glue a small wooden block to the top of the clothespin. Glue at the edge of the clothes pin so the block sits flush.
Glue a popscicle stick onto the top of the wooden square block. Line up the bottom of the popscicle stick with the bottom edge of the wooden block.
Fasten a small plastic bottle cap to the end of the popscicle stick extending past the block. This cap needs to be large enough to hold the object you want to catapult, such as a ping-pong ball. Press down on the bottle cap to build tension in the clothespin. Release to catapult the object.