---
product_id: 5997412
title: "MindWare Contraptions Catapult"
brand: "mindware"
price: "AED 350"
currency: AED
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.ae/products/5997412-mindware-contraptions-catapult
store_origin: AE
region: United Arab Emirates
---

# Target mat for physics experiments Rubber bands & leather strap for tension 178 precision-cut KEVA planks MindWare Contraptions Catapult

**Brand:** mindware
**Price:** AED 350
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Summary

> 🚀 Launch your STEM skills sky-high with MindWare’s KEVA Catapult!

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** MindWare Contraptions Catapult by mindware
- **How much does it cost?** AED 350 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.ae](https://www.desertcart.ae/products/5997412-mindware-contraptions-catapult)

## Best For

- mindware enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted mindware brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Key Features

- • **Master Physics Through Play:** Experiment with force, tension, and angles using colorful beanbag projectiles and target challenges.
- • **Perfect for Ages 7+ and Beyond:** Challenging yet safe, ideal for tweens and adults to collaborate on engineering fun.
- • **Build Your Own High-Flying Catapult:** Step-by-step KEVA plank assembly sparks creativity and hands-on STEM learning.
- • **Comprehensive Kit with All Essentials:** Includes planks, glue, leather strap, rubber bands, balls, ruler, fasteners, and target mat for full DIY experience.
- • **Precision-Cut Wood for Endless Redesigns:** No glue needed for planks—stack, rebuild, and innovate without limits.

## Overview

The MindWare Contraptions Catapult is a hands-on STEM building set featuring 178 precision-cut KEVA wooden planks and all necessary components to construct a functional catapult. Designed for ages 7 and up, it encourages learning physics concepts like force, tension, and angles through interactive play. The kit includes a target mat and beanbag projectiles to test accuracy, promoting creativity, fine motor skills, and problem-solving. While assembly requires patience and adult supervision, the durable wooden structure offers hours of educational fun and experimentation.

## Description

Product description With no fixed rules or connectors, kids are free to experiment, envision new forms, and bring their creative ideas to life. Stacking the planks with precision requires hand-eye coordination, especially when aiming for taller or more intricate structures. Handling the solid pine planks strengthens fine motor skills as kids manipulate, place, and align the pieces. As children stack planks and explore different structural forms, they directly engage with concepts of physical balance and stability. How is the Contraptions Reactions set different from standard KEVA planks? Beyond 178 wooden planks, you get reaction pieces—bells, dowels, a bowling pin, string, balls, and more—to trigger chain-reaction events. How is the Contraptions Reactions set different from standard KEVA planks? Beyond 178 wooden planks, you get reaction pieces—bells, dowels, a bowling pin, string, balls, and more—to trigger chain-reaction events. What will my child learn? Hands-on lessons in balance, leverage, geometry, force and motion while they experiment with cause-and-effect. What will my child learn? Hands-on lessons in balance, leverage, geometry, force and motion while they experiment with cause-and-effect. Do the planks require glue? No, precision-cut wood stacks perfectly—kids can redesign contraptions endlessly. Do the planks require glue? No, precision-cut wood stacks perfectly—kids can redesign contraptions endlessly. What ages is it for? Suggested for ages 7 +—challenging enough for tweens but still safe and open-ended. What ages is it for? Suggested for ages 7 +—challenging enough for tweens but still safe and open-ended. Does it come with build ideas? Yes, a 16-page illustrated idea book jump-starts creative marble-run and chain-reaction challenges. Does it come with build ideas? Yes, a 16-page illustrated idea book jump-starts creative marble-run and chain-reaction challenges. Comparison chart – KEVA engineering Contraptions Reactions Contraptions Catapult Contraptions 50 Plank Set Contraptions Wood Blocks Models Monuments Structures 200 Maker Bot Maze

Review: This one is also pretty good. - Bought this and catapult for my class. The glue that they use is awesome. It sets in minutes..and I mean minutes. I had a 12 year old making it and a 10 yr old and they made it in about 2-3 hours. They did make some mistakes so I think a competent adult should be present . :). It works pretty awesome. Its not cheap either. We were shooting marshmallows and marbles and it threw them approximately 6 feet. We've used it for 9 weeks and it hasn't busted. the rubber bands on this one has lost some of its power now.
Review: Not a terrible kit-but directions are not going to allow 100% success - Overall this is a not a terrible kit. However, although there has been some care taken in the creation of the directions, they are not going to allow the average user to be 100 percent successful. And there are some issues with parts. There is a big sheet of directions meant to look somewhat like "blueprints" and it's a good start. They are clear about how to assemble the smaller sub-assemblies needed before putting those together to make the final product- and the drawings are pretty clear. However, when you get to the end and are trying to assemble the whole thing you realize that small errors made along the way make the final product "iffy". The manufacturer needs another round of real-world testing and editing of the directions. That being said, here's my advice for success. (I say this as a carpenter AND architect) Use your own wood glue, like a good yellow carpenters glue. You will need some spring clamps. Jorgensen "Pony" clamps, with the orange rubbery tips, are perfect. (they are like giant clothespins). A couple "small" and a couple of "medium" one will be fine. Check your local hardware store if you don't have these. You really cannot adequately glue up the "sticks" without clamps. We assembled two or three "stick" assemblies with glue and clamps, and left them to dry overnight. If you had a lot more clamps you could do more work in each session. As it was, it took us about 6 sessions. They don't say anything about clamping of course, but there's no way to ensure that the pieces remain tight and aligned while the glue sets up if you do not have clamps. In Step 6, make user that the "upright supports" are perpendicular to the base. Use a square if necessary. Make sure that the holes at the top of the "upright supports" are level with each other! This is where small variations in the length of various sticks you made in the first steps can become problematic. When you get to Step 8 you are assembling the "sticks" you put together before into the final assembly. If you do not get this right, the holes for the central "axle" will not align and the whole thing won't work. I advise when you are assembling everything in Step 8, you put the "medium bamboo shaft" through all the holes (the two support holes and the two holes on the "sling arm"...and make sure the thing is all aligned and the shaft is level BEFORE you glue up the components. You can glue up the parts, clamp everything, and then adjust the parts while the glue is still wet so everything is just right- then allow the glue to dry. Pay attention the the 1 3/4" to 2" spacing required BETWEEN the "upright supports" in Step 8. (More on that later) When assembling/gluing the "uprights" onto "horizontal base beams", assemble on a flat table and use some bricks or books to apply downward weight on each side. Clamps won't work well for that particular step of the process. Lastly, and this is frustrating, the "medium bamboo shaft" and "long bamboo shaft" are too small. If you follow the directions carefully (including that 1 3/4"-2" dimension I mentioned before), the sticks will not be long enough and then you're really out of luck. I would actually recommend using a dimension of 1 1/4" BETWEEN the upright supports- otherwise your shafts will be too short. We are heading out to the hardware store to find some replacement dowels or nuts and bolts. We ended up using the long one where the medium one was supposed to go and need to have a new "long" one. Also, there are supposed to be two elastic bands to power the catapult. One is long, the other is tiny. No good. They both have to be the same size so again, the manufacturer messed up. If you have two different sized bands, you'll need to go hunt down a matching pair. The "rubber washers" do not hold the shafts in place the way they are supposed to; they just don't work. We glued in the elastic band "small shaft" and the central axle (medium shaft). Again, frustrating due to manufacturer's lack of attention to detail. And pay attention to where the holes are supposed to be on the various sticks when you are making the sub-assemblies. it's easy to get one or two backwards. If you have no experience working with wood, glue, clamps or a tape measure, you might be challenged by this. Most kids will need help of an adult. Many adults will need the help of another adult! Plan on this being an extrapolated process and an exercise in delaying of gratification! Have fun! Will post more feedback when we see how it shoots and how it holds up after play. UPDATE: The unit works pretty well now. No issues after a couple of hours of play. I'm glad we used good wood glue and clamped this up when we were gluing because the frame does take some stress when firing. Someone (an adult) has to hold it down to the floor while the child "loads and fires"...otherwise it just tips over. We might get a heavy wood base (perhaps two layers of 3/4" plywood) and make a base for this to bolt to. I would think something about 1'6" x 2'-6" would stabilize the unit pretty well. One last note: The enclosed "bean bags" don't shoot all that well. We used ping pong balls and they fit into the cup nicely.

## Features

- CREATE WITH KEVA: Build your own authentic catapult with KEVA planks, a little glue and the help of easy, step-by-step instructions. Then let the fun and experimentation begin!
- BUILDING BRAIN POWER: Sharpen essential skills like measuring, following directions and turning two-dimensional information into three-dimensional reality with our high-flying, build-it-yourself Catapult.
- FAST-FLINGING FUN: Once the KEVA Catapult is assembled, introducing the fundamentals of physics is as simple as flinging colorful and squishy beanbag projectiles. Experiment with force, tension and angles to score big on the included target pad.
- TOYS THAT TEACH: Learning takes on a whole new trajectory with the KEVA Catapult!
- INCLUDES: Pre-drilled KEVA planks, wood glue, leather strap, ruler, rubber bands, cup, 2 balls, target mat, fasteners and instructions.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN | B0043AGA4S |
| Age Range Description | Kid |
| Best Sellers Rank | #676,181 in Toys & Games ( See Top 100 in Toys & Games ) #5,516 in Educational Science Kits |
| Brand Name | MindWare |
| Color | Tan |
| Customer Reviews | 4.0 out of 5 stars 139 Reviews |
| Educational Objective | stem |
| Global Trade Identification Number | 00736970481432 |
| Is Assembly Required | No |
| Item Dimensions | 8.25 x 2.75 x 8.1 inches |
| Item Type Name | Building Set |
| Item Weight | 635 Grams |
| Manufacturer | Rejects from Studios |
| Manufacturer Maximum Age (MONTHS) | 132.0 |
| Manufacturer Minimum Age (MONTHS) | 84.0 |
| Manufacturer Part Number | 48143 |
| Manufacturer Warranty Description | No Warranty |
| Material Type | Wood |
| Model Number | 48143W |
| Number of Players | 1-2 |
| Operation Mode | Manual |
| Power Source | manual |
| Set Name | KEVA Contraptions |
| Size | One Size |
| Sub Brand | (-) |
| Subject Character | (-) |
| Supported Battery Types | No batteries required |
| Theme | Buildings |
| UPC | 736970481432 086010385252 001910507771 787799706398 |
| Unit Count | 1.0 Count |

## Images

![MindWare Contraptions Catapult - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81th3+1fqlL.jpg)
![MindWare Contraptions Catapult - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61591sOm7rL.jpg)
![MindWare Contraptions Catapult - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61tyVajpcUL.jpg)
![MindWare Contraptions Catapult - Image 4](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71hoSuwTC9L.jpg)
![MindWare Contraptions Catapult - Image 5](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81i1s4-8V-L.jpg)

## Questions & Answers

**Q: How is the Contraptions Reactions set different from standard KEVA planks?**
A: Beyond 178 wooden planks, you get reaction pieces—bells, dowels, a bowling pin, string, balls, and more—to trigger chain-reaction events.

**Q: What will my child learn?**
A: Hands-on lessons in balance, leverage, geometry, force and motion while they experiment with cause-and-effect.

**Q: Do the planks require glue?**
A: No, precision-cut wood stacks perfectly—kids can redesign contraptions endlessly.

**Q: What ages is it for?**
A: Suggested for ages 7 +—challenging enough for tweens but still safe and open-ended.

**Q: Does it come with build ideas?**
A: Yes, a 16-page illustrated idea book jump-starts creative marble-run and chain-reaction challenges.

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This one is also pretty good.
*by E***G on November 16, 2013*

Bought this and catapult for my class. The glue that they use is awesome. It sets in minutes..and I mean minutes. I had a 12 year old making it and a 10 yr old and they made it in about 2-3 hours. They did make some mistakes so I think a competent adult should be present . :). It works pretty awesome. Its not cheap either. We were shooting marshmallows and marbles and it threw them approximately 6 feet. We've used it for 9 weeks and it hasn't busted. the rubber bands on this one has lost some of its power now.

### ⭐⭐⭐ Not a terrible kit-but directions are not going to allow 100% success
*by H***N on January 5, 2013*

Overall this is a not a terrible kit. However, although there has been some care taken in the creation of the directions, they are not going to allow the average user to be 100 percent successful. And there are some issues with parts. There is a big sheet of directions meant to look somewhat like "blueprints" and it's a good start. They are clear about how to assemble the smaller sub-assemblies needed before putting those together to make the final product- and the drawings are pretty clear. However, when you get to the end and are trying to assemble the whole thing you realize that small errors made along the way make the final product "iffy". The manufacturer needs another round of real-world testing and editing of the directions. That being said, here's my advice for success. (I say this as a carpenter AND architect) Use your own wood glue, like a good yellow carpenters glue. You will need some spring clamps. Jorgensen "Pony" clamps, with the orange rubbery tips, are perfect. (they are like giant clothespins). A couple "small" and a couple of "medium" one will be fine. Check your local hardware store if you don't have these. You really cannot adequately glue up the "sticks" without clamps. We assembled two or three "stick" assemblies with glue and clamps, and left them to dry overnight. If you had a lot more clamps you could do more work in each session. As it was, it took us about 6 sessions. They don't say anything about clamping of course, but there's no way to ensure that the pieces remain tight and aligned while the glue sets up if you do not have clamps. In Step 6, make user that the "upright supports" are perpendicular to the base. Use a square if necessary. Make sure that the holes at the top of the "upright supports" are level with each other! This is where small variations in the length of various sticks you made in the first steps can become problematic. When you get to Step 8 you are assembling the "sticks" you put together before into the final assembly. If you do not get this right, the holes for the central "axle" will not align and the whole thing won't work. I advise when you are assembling everything in Step 8, you put the "medium bamboo shaft" through all the holes (the two support holes and the two holes on the "sling arm"...and make sure the thing is all aligned and the shaft is level BEFORE you glue up the components. You can glue up the parts, clamp everything, and then adjust the parts while the glue is still wet so everything is just right- then allow the glue to dry. Pay attention the the 1 3/4" to 2" spacing required BETWEEN the "upright supports" in Step 8. (More on that later) When assembling/gluing the "uprights" onto "horizontal base beams", assemble on a flat table and use some bricks or books to apply downward weight on each side. Clamps won't work well for that particular step of the process. Lastly, and this is frustrating, the "medium bamboo shaft" and "long bamboo shaft" are too small. If you follow the directions carefully (including that 1 3/4"-2" dimension I mentioned before), the sticks will not be long enough and then you're really out of luck. I would actually recommend using a dimension of 1 1/4" BETWEEN the upright supports- otherwise your shafts will be too short. We are heading out to the hardware store to find some replacement dowels or nuts and bolts. We ended up using the long one where the medium one was supposed to go and need to have a new "long" one. Also, there are supposed to be two elastic bands to power the catapult. One is long, the other is tiny. No good. They both have to be the same size so again, the manufacturer messed up. If you have two different sized bands, you'll need to go hunt down a matching pair. The "rubber washers" do not hold the shafts in place the way they are supposed to; they just don't work. We glued in the elastic band "small shaft" and the central axle (medium shaft). Again, frustrating due to manufacturer's lack of attention to detail. And pay attention to where the holes are supposed to be on the various sticks when you are making the sub-assemblies. it's easy to get one or two backwards. If you have no experience working with wood, glue, clamps or a tape measure, you might be challenged by this. Most kids will need help of an adult. Many adults will need the help of another adult! Plan on this being an extrapolated process and an exercise in delaying of gratification! Have fun! Will post more feedback when we see how it shoots and how it holds up after play. UPDATE: The unit works pretty well now. No issues after a couple of hours of play. I'm glad we used good wood glue and clamped this up when we were gluing because the frame does take some stress when firing. Someone (an adult) has to hold it down to the floor while the child "loads and fires"...otherwise it just tips over. We might get a heavy wood base (perhaps two layers of 3/4" plywood) and make a base for this to bolt to. I would think something about 1'6" x 2'-6" would stabilize the unit pretty well. One last note: The enclosed "bean bags" don't shoot all that well. We used ping pong balls and they fit into the cup nicely.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great for Academic Fair!
*by A***H on July 21, 2013*

I read other reviewers and purchased this kit for my son to assemble for his Catapult project for his school's Academic Fair. It is a wonderful kit that a child really can put together! He spent hours playing with it. My only sore point is that the red bean bag that fit the catapult was lost at the Academic Fair and Mindware does not offer replacements for sale. So he left only with the green and blue. Too bad!

## Frequently Bought Together

- MindWare Contraptions Catapult
- MindWare KEVA Contraptions Reactions Planks Building Toy - 178 KEVA Building Planks (191 Piece Set) - Free-Form Wood Building Set for Kids to Create Their Own Ball Maze – Ages 7 & Up
- KEVA Contraptions 50 Plank Set

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*Product available on Desertcart United Arab Emirates*
*Store origin: AE*
*Last updated: 2026-09-16*