A Ping Pong Ball Launcher Can Be Fun For The Whole Family
The festive season has drawn to a close and many Moms and Dads will be breathing a little easier. Aside from the cost of gifts in these belt tightening times, there’s always the dreaded question about weapons of violence and mayhem under the tree. The answer too many of these questions has traditionally been “because you’ll put your eye out.” Well there’s an alternative which is not only fun for the kid in all of us, but holds the promise of an educational experience as well. The answer is a ping pong ball launcher.
With supplies that you can find around the house, like cardboard, Styrofoam and rubber bands you can give the kid’s access to a fun contraption. Some of the leading educational institutions in the United States even use it to teach students elements of physics, including force and motion, which might otherwise be dull and boring. You can also teach the younger members of the family the finer points of hand eye coordination by setting up targets that they can aim for. A points system of rewards for all can mean a fun filled afternoon. Constructing a ping pong ball launcher is also a project that can involve everyone in the family, from young to old. Even the youngest can help build the launcher by being involved in coloring the various components required for the construction of the launcher.
This project requires parts that can be scavenged from all over the house and in itself this hunt for parts can be a part of the fun of building the launcher. If you have a ping pong table odds are that you will have some spare ping pong balls lying around the house. You can find plans to build a safe ping pong ball launcher almost anywhere of the Internet, just input the correct query into your search engine of choice and away you go. The more ambitious builder can contemplate ping pong launchers that require a little more than some glue, cardboard and rubber bands. There are launchers that can be constructed out of mouse traps and those that operate on similar principles to spud guns. However, be aware that the more powerful of these ping pong ball launchers can be extremely dangerous and are certainly not projects that should involve the younger members of the family. Use of these launchers without adult supervision can lead to serious injury. Some of these home made launchers are powerful enough to launch a golf ball at extremely high speeds and their use is discouraged in built up areas. In some states the use of these devices can lead to criminal charges.
It is far better to look up the construction plans for a ping pong ball launcher that uses household components. These are not really powerful enough to do any real amount of damage. That said any device which can fire a projectile any distance at all should be treated with respect. Have fun, but be careful.
