How to Make a Toy Gun

Give the pencil to your child and ask her to draw the outline of a pistol on the piece of wood. A simple "L" shape is the easiest to draw and it makes the best rubber band gun. Take advantage of the right angles of the wood to make the top side the barrel and the back side will make the grip.

Cut the gun out with the coping saw. If your child is very young, do this yourself as your child supervises. It should only take two or three cuts-one to cut along the underside of the barrel down the length of the board, one at a right angle to cut down the inside of the grip and maybe one more to shorten the length of the grip. You should have a wooden "L" when the cuts are finished.

Sand off the rough edges of the cuts. Your child can do this in just a few minutes.

Mount the clothespin on the top of the barrel so the jaws face toward the end of the barrel and the back of the clothespin's bottom leg sits at the back edge of the barrel. Your child can attach it with super glue. Allow a few minutes for it to bond and dry.

Cut a notch in the end of the barrel just above the centerline. This notch will hold one end of the rubber band. This is a cut your child can make.

Load the gun by looping a rubber band around the notch and stretching it back to the clothespin jaws. Depress the top leg of the clothespin to open the jaws and insert the rubber band. Release the top leg to close the jaws and hold the rubber band. Shoot the gun by pressing down on the top leg of the clothespin, releasing the rubber band.

Make paper targets by drawing a bullseye on an 8 1/2 by 11 inch piece of paper and creasing it down the center and open it halfway so it will stand up on its own. Set up paper targets and let your child shoot them. You can make a competitive game of it by taking turns shooting the targets, if you wish.