Make A Pom Pom Popper – Fun Halloween STEM craft
In this simple STEM craft, kids will make a Pom Pom Popper using a paper cup and balloon. They will then fill it up with pom poms, pull back the balloon and watch them shoot out. It may seem simple but honestly, they will love it!
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I did this activity last year at our local Home Ed Coop and it was a big hit with all the kids, even the teens! This year I have given it a Halloween Make Over and have created cup wrap templates for the children to colour in. They can pick a Witch, Mummy, Vampire or Frankenstein.
At A Glance
- Age: 7+
- Time: 10-20 minutes
- Prep: Minimal
- Best For: Home, Groups, Kids Craft Classes, Halloween activities
What You’ll Need To Make A Pom Pom Popper
You only need a few simple materials to make a pom pom popper.
- Paper Cup 8oz
- Balloon
- Pom Poms
- Scissors
- Tape
- Colouring Pens
If you would like to give it a Halloween twist, like the ones in this blog, you can purchase the cup wrap templates. View the Halloween Templates on Etsy.
What Does The Activity Involve?
Kids can choose their favourite Halloween character from the printable templates: a witch, vampire, mummy or Frankenstein. They then colour in their design and make a pom pom popper using a paper cup and balloon. Once it’s assembled, they’ll wrap their decorated template around the cup, fill it with pom poms and launch!
There’s plenty of opportunity to experiment, too. Try different sizes of pom poms, set up targets to aim for or see how far they can shoot them.
Testing Our Pom Pom Shooter
Tips From Our Testing
- Cutting out the bottom of the cup. We found a pumpkin carving knife made this much easier. Make a small hole first with something sharp to get started.
- Smaller pom poms fly further. We tried a few different sizes and found the mini pom poms shot out faster and travelled much further.
- Secure the balloon with tape. Don’t skip this step! Taping the balloon in place makes the popper much easier for kids to use.
- Try swapping pom poms for sweets. I’ll let you decide whether this is a top tip, but my kids were big fans of this one!
Buy The Halloween Pom Pom Popper Template & Instructions
If you want to give your pom pom shooters a Halloween makeover, you can purchase the templates and step by step instructions on my Etsy.
The Make A Pom Pom Popper Halloween Activity Pack includes:
- 4 Cup Wrap Templates to fit 8oz Paper Cups.
- Witch, Mummy, Vampire and Frankenstein designs to colour in.
- Step by step photograph instructions.
- A4 and US Letter
Made one? Tag @printandplaydays or use #printandplaydays — I’d love to see what you make.
Looking For Another Simple STEM Activity?
Check out our DIY spinning top STEM craft for another hands-on project kids can make and test.
Thanks For Reading
Joanne
