How to Make a Pom Pom Shooter

STEM for Kids

I love doing a science experiment on a rainy day. Preschoolers and kindergarteners will have lots of fun with these easy and fun ideas.

1. Floating City – STEM activity for Kids
2. Coke and Mentos Experiment
3. Parachute STEM experiment
4. Magic Milk
5. Straw Rockets
6. STEM Kits for Kids

For more ideas, visit 34 STEM Experiments for Toddlers.

Materials Needed

• Pom poms
• Paper cup
• Craft knife
• Scissors
• Strong tape
• Sharpie markers or paint

How to Make the Pom Pom Shooter Craft

Step 1. Cut a hold in the bottom of the cup.

Use a craft knife to take out the entire bottom. Try not to leave an overhanging ring around the lip, as this may block the pom pom as it’s being launched out of the larger end of the pom pom popper.

2. Tie a knot in the end of the balloon and then use a pair of sharp scissors to cut off the top third.

3. Stick them together.

Wrap the end of the balloon around the bottom of the cup. Try and pull it taught before using small pieces of duct tape to stick them together. This step can be tricky and might need two pairs of hands to complete.

I like to first place long strips of tape from the top of the cup to the bottom, and then wrap tape around the circumference of the cup. Doing it this way covers any weak points that may occur if you only place the tape around the base of your shooting toy.

4. Decorate your shooter.

There are so many fun ways to decorate your shooters. I used colored sharpies and let my kids draw all over their cups, but of course you can use paint or whatever else you feel like using.

5. Play 

To play, all you need to do is place some pom poms inside the cup, pull the balloon knot back, and then release. 

Different Ways to Make a Shooter

There are a few different ways to make an easy pom pom shooter. If you don’t have any paper cups on hand you can substitute them with toilet paper rolls or a small pool noodle.

The great thing about making a pool noodle pom pom shooter is that you can try to attach the balloon using a rubber band. Since the top and bottom of the noodles are the same circumference, the rubber bands won’t slowly roll off.

If you don’t have any pom poms on hand, you can also try using cotton balls or styrofoam balls instead. If you’re making these for a birthday party, then try using mini marshmallows instead. Kids of all ages will love shooting the marshmallows into each other’s mouths as they play.

What are you learning?

Second law of motion

The second law of motion describes how the acceleration of an object is dependent upon two variables – the net force acting upon the object and the mass of the object.

What does that mean in this STEM activity?

1. If you change how far back you pull the balloon, you will change how far the pom pom will go once the balloon is released.
2. If you experiment with different small balls. Some lighter and some heavier. That will affect how far the ball can go.

For example, if you are pulling the balloon back the same distance every time, a lighter ball will go further than a heavier ball. 

You can use this to make a variety of different games or challenges for the kids to do. Experiment with targets and see how a combination of the weight of the ball and the amount of force you use pulling the balloon back, will help you hit those targets.

Third law of motion

The third law of motion describes how for every action (or force) in nature there is an equal and opposite reaction.

What does this mean in this STEM activity?

The amount of force you exert on the balloon (ie. pull it back) is the same amount of force that the balloon will want to recoil. In simple words, the further you pull the balloon back, the more difficult it is to do so.