Join our friend Lydia Sohn, a Discovery Station Ambassador and Miss Western Maryland 2020, for her latest lyDIYa #STEAM activity! Explore concepts of potential and kinetic energy, as well as engineering, with this fun Cupid’s Bow and Arrow activity that you can easily do at home!

Materials
- Craft Sticks
- Wooden Dowels
- Rubber Bands
- Glue/Tape
- Empty Toilet Paper Rolls
- String
- Foam Hearts (Two Sizes)
- Markers
- Paint
- Pens
- Construction Paper
- Glue Gun (Optional and parent supervision required!)
Before beginning this activity, follow Lydia’s DIY Tutorial in the video below (2:40 – Cupid’s Bow and Arrow)
Directions
- Create your bow using the craft sticks! It can be any size and shape, and the design is up to you! We recommend using a glue gun to hold everything together – but use it with parental supervision!
- Decorate your bow with markers, stickers, paint, and pens!
- To creat arrows, glue foam hearts to the wooden dowl.
- To create the arrowsheath, glue construction paper around the roll.
- Tape each end of your string to either side of the paper towell roll.
- Take a circular piece of construction paper and secure it onto one end of the roll, so the arrows don’t fall out.
- Set-up “targets” (the bigger foam hearts) around your room and try your hand at playing cupid!
Can you think of how to get your arrow to shoot farther? Hint: The stronger the force of the elastic rubber band, the farther your arrow should fly!