DIY Slingshots

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A few weeks ago, my father-in-law was chopping wood to store for the winter to burn in his fireplace.  While chopping, he came upon two pieces of wood that looked like they would be perfect for making slingshots.  He immediately thought of his grand kids. 

At first I was a little worried.  Slingshots sound dangerous!  But my husband quickly went to work with our 6-year old son and 7-year old daughter to create their very own slingshots.  He, apparently, wasn’t worried at all!  After all, he already has one of his own and remembered using one when he was a boy.  My kids were sure excited! 

Why make your own slingshot?

This was a wonderful opportunity for my husband to spend some quality time with our kids and teach them some woodworking skills.  I spend time with our kids all of the time teaching them cooking skills and doing other projects and crafts.  But I am not a handy woman and I don’t pretend to be one!  But what he can teach our children is equally important.  That’s what is so great about having different people in our lives with different skill sets. 

Not only is it great for our children to learn new skills, but it also promotes bonding with their father (or whoever the handy person is that is doing the teaching).  It opens up the door for children to ask for help with doing more activities like this one in the future, from making paper airplanes to building a tree house. 

Aren’t Slingshots Dangerous?

Well, of course slingshots can be dangerous.  Let’s not be naïve.  But does that mean we should not let our kids use them?  British brothers Conn and Hal Iggulden, authors of the book “The Dangerous Book for Boys”, say no!

Conn Iggulden claims that “boys of today get a raw deal.”  Boys are often overprotected and aren’t allowed to test themselves outside and develop their imaginations.  Instead, they are relegated to non-competitive sports, schoolwork and video games. Although Conn was clearly referring to boys, this really applies to girls as well!

Putting Danger in Perspective

Yes, slingshots can be dangerous, but so can video games!  We might not think of video games as being dangerous, but consider that they are often used as babysitters for kids, rather than raising our children to be the sort of men and women we want in our society.

Let’s also consider that there are first-person shooter video games that are extremely dangerous.  Conn warns that “these games are desensitizing, and they teach kids how to kill.”  “Slingshots are bad enough…you could shoot someone’s eye out with a slingshot,” he says, “but guns teach kids to kill.”

Positive Play

Brenda Nixon, MA, author of “Parenting Power in the Early Years” agrees that slingshots and other activities mentioned in the Iggulden brothers’ book are probably less dangerous than video games, since they foster social skills, language development and motor function, which solitary video games do not. 

Kids, both girls and boys alike, learn through physically playing.  They can scrape their knees or break a bone doing any number of activities.  Or they can become obese being a couch potato, which would bring on a whole host of other health problems.  However, with physical play, not only are parents much more likely to keep a watchful eye on their children, their children are much more likely to be physically fit and have longer attention spans, all while getting some good fresh air.

What Supplies Will I Need?

So, you’ve decided you want to make a slingshot.  Sure, you could buy one.  But usually things have more meaning if you put some of your own energy into them.  And, it’s generally cheaper to make your own!  You may even have some of these supplies already lying around.  In order to make your own slingshot, you’ll need the following supplies: 

• 1 – 12″ Long x 6″ Wide Piece of Y-shaped Wood (look in parks for fallen branches; get creative!)   
• 1 – Strong ½” Thick Rubber Band
• 2 – ½” Self-Tapping Pan Head Sheet Metal Screws
• 1 – 3″ Long x 1″ Wide Piece of Heavy Plastic or Leather

You will also need a pair of scissors and a drill with a driver bit for this project.  This should make for a pretty strong slingshot.  However, you may want to keep some extra strong rubber bands around, in case the original one breaks. 

Once the project is complete, your child will need something to shoot with, such as some small balls.  And, of course, your child will also need something to shoot at!  We fashioned a target by spray painting a target on an old pallet we found.  You can make your own or buy one of these slingshot targets.     

Slingshot Safety

Before you set your child loose with a slingshot, there are a few safety tips you should review with your child.  And as always, supervise them and make sure they are being safe and responsible!  (Or else someone might get hurt or a window might get broken!)  Handling a piece of equipment that COULD be used as a weapon should be taken seriously by both the parent and the child.       

1. Always wear eye protection.  You can get safety glasses from the hardware store or online.

2. Store your slingshot safely out of reach of minors when not in use. 

3. Know your target and what is behind it.  Do not shoot at anything that you do not intend to harm.   

4. Make sure you have an adequate backstop for your target.

5. Inspect the rubber band assemblies, slingshot frame, and ALL attachment points before each shot for any signs of wear, breakage or cracks. DO NOT SHOOT IF BANDS, POUCH OR FRAME IS WORN OR DAMAGED IN ANY WAY.  

6. Replace damaged or worn rubber bands immediately and retire a damaged frame. Do not attempt to repair.

7. Do not shoot at hard surfaces or at the surface of water. Slingshot ammo may bounce off or ricochet and hit someone or something you did not intend to hit.

8. DO NOT USE STONES OR ROCKS AS PROJECTILES- this can cause harm to the user, bystanders, your slingshot and bands.  Try using small foam balls or wood chips, instead. 

9. Never shoot at a 90 degree angle towards your target and backstop.

10. Always shoot at an angle to your target, so that the ricochet will not bounce back at you.

How to Care For Your Slingshot

Always store your slingshot in a cool, dark place, when not in use. Do not expose the rubber bands to high temperatures.  Slingshots will last longer if stored in a cool, dry place.  If the rubber band is left in direct sunlight, it will dry and crack more quickly.  Also, the wood will mold, if left in wet, dark spaces.

Other than that, I hope you have loads of fun helping your child or grandchild engage in some old-fashioned fun.  We sure are!   

What kind old-fashioned fun do you have with your children or grandchildren?  Please share below.

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