Roman Catapult Games

Punkin' Chunkin'

• Nassau, a small town in Delaware, has been host to the annual Punkin' Chunkin' competition 26 times at the time of publication. Held just after Halloween, pumpkins are repurposed to see how far they can be flung or shot from a variety of pumpkin throwing machines. There are many categories, including air cannons and a cousin to the Roman catapult -- the trebuchet. Classic Roman catapults make their showing, too, with multiple catapult builders entering the games each year.

Model Catapults

• If Punkin' Chunkin' is a little too much for kids, they can partake in the silliness of catapults on a smaller scale. Entire websites, such as Storm the Castle, are dedicated to catapult fun, with a number of plans for do-it-yourself catapult models, made from household materials like popsicle sticks and rubber bands. Two kids, two catapults and a target makes a fun game of medieval horseshoes.

Have Your Own Chunkin' Contest

• You don't have to tune into the pumpkin contest or settle for a scale model. If you've got the room, you can build your own life-size catapult. Sites like Medieval Siege Weapons has full-size catapult plans along with instructions for the hardware to power them. It seems natural that if one person builds a catapult, somebody else has to build one that will throw things farther. Just be careful; while the design is old, it's doubtful such plans have been carefully engineered for safety.

Video Games

• There is a litany of catapult games: anything from war scenarios to fun, online physics simulations like Ragdoll Catapult at Physics Games. While the idea can be fun and funny, there are also some basic physics lessons to be learned. For example, the weight of the projectile, the tension placed on the arm and the angle of release all affect the trajectory of the catapult. You can play with them in virtual worlds without breaking any windows.