Make Your Own Boomerang

What You Need:

• One approximately 11" x 17" piece of cardboard, upcycled packaging, craft wood, or other soft yet sturdy flat material
• Pencil
• Cutting mat
• Markers, paints, or other drawing materials
• Utility knife or scissors
• Tarp or newspaper, to protect surfaces when painting

What You Do:

1. Draw or trace a boomerang shape onto your chosen material. It should look like a thick V-shape, widest in the middle with two sides of equal length. The tips and corners should be rounded. (Look up boomerangs online for inspiration!)
2. Carefully cut out your boomerang. Ask an adult for assistance if you are using a utility knife, and be sure to use a cutting mat to protect any surfaces. The edges of your boomerang should not be sharp.
3. Place your boomerang over a tarp or newspapers to protect surfaces. Decorate the boomerang with markers or paints. Make sure the first side is dry before decorating the other side.
4. Find a space outdoors with a wide clearance where you can safely throw the boomerang without hitting anyone or anything. 
5. Practice throwing your boomerang. Observe its movement. Does it spin? Return to you when thrown? How far does it go?

Throwing Tips:

• Throw your boomerang in a counter-clockwise spin.
• Throw the boomerang in the same way that you would throw a flying disc.
• Throw the boomerang with a twist-and-flick motion of the wrist.
• Bend the end tips down slightly (then try bending them up!). Notice if this improves the return.
• Want to keep going? Experiment! Try designing boomerangs in different shapes and sizes. Compare how they throw, return, and spin.