Accuracy, Precison, and Rubber Band Shooters

Since the snow has been melting, the school age children have been very interested in activities relating to precision and accuracy. Since the children have also shown an interest in real tools, fine motor skills, and manipulation it seemed obvious that a rubber band shooting range would be a perfect blend of all those interests.

To our surprise, the children took the activity further than imagined and we were all able to explore themes and experiences that we would not have otherwise been able to.

 

Rubber band shooters were pre-made by our gifted staff and were given a blue coloured tip to match with the elastics and a red strip of paint on the clothespin to help with accuracy. The range was set up with tin cans and building blocks.

 

Initial Excitement

It was suggested to the children that they abide by similar safety rules as they were familiar to from archery at Camp Manitou.

Based on this suggestion the children made many more safety rules. Most importantly, no shooting until everyone is behind the coffee table. Secondly, when loading keep the blue end away from your own face! And finally, when loading, aim away from anyone else.

The children decided that when all the elastics had been shot, everyone would say “shooters down!” Then, when it was safe to do so, the cans and army men could be set up for another round.

Loading the shooters could only happen again when the setup was complete and everyone was behind the line.

 

Accuracy is everything!

 

Well...maybe not everything.

After shooting elastics for long periods of time, the shooters didn’t shoot the way they once did.

 

After a quick lesson on how to replace the clothespin hinge, the children were able to fix their own shooters and also learned to take care of the shooters so the clothespin wouldn’t loosen as fast.

 

"I want to make my own"

After shooting for long enough to understand the mechanics of the teacher-made shooters, several children wanted to make their own. These shooters would be lighter, smaller, and would be even more powerful!

 

The main design modification that the children wanted was a trigger hole. After speaking at length about where the best location for a hole would be, we took out the drill and got to work.

 

"Can I try?"

The shooting range emptied when the power drill came out. The children were taught how to use the power drill safely and how to drill a hole in exactly the spot they wanted for their trigger finger.

 

Not only could the drill make a hole in precisely the right spot, but it was so strong that it could split wood and make sawdust!

 

The rubber band shooting gallery was intended to build on the children’s interest in precision and accuracy but became so much more by the end of the day. The interest in accuracy and precision escalated into an interest in the shooter itself and how it works. Then, once the clothespin mechanism was understood a fascination in creating a shooter with an improved design became the major interest. With the interest in design came an interest in power tools.

As staff we had no idea that this rubber band shooter idea would culminate into an afternoon of gluing, sanding, and drilling. By following the children’s interests we were all able to learn and experience new things together. A fear of gunplay or power tools would have stripped all these opportunities away.

~Mr. Dueck