slingshot learning

After spending over an hour on this project, my son came to me so excited with his trio of slingshots. This unstructured, child-intitated play is a pillar of our homeschooling. It is so much more than just fiddling around with sticks and the learning that happens is tangible and lasting. 


He explained to me how he found and prepared the sticks. He also explained how the tension could not be too tight or it was difficult to use - it had to have slack. We talked about his knot tying and double knot tying. The merits of thicker rubber bands was compared to thinner ones. 


His pride and excitement with this creation was infectious and he soon roped me into a sling shot contest. We shot wiffle balls into the metal magazine rack enjoying the cacophony. 


After explaining to me all the applications of slingshots in daily life, he designed gear that would help him carry his weapons, complete with a bullet pouch.


As he left the room to create his next project, he looked back at me and said, 


"See, I told you I could make a slingshot!" 


Yes, you did and yes, you can.