Exploding Boomerangs

Exploding boomerangs are like nerf with sticks. You weave the sticks together with just enough tension that they stay together until they hit something. Like your friends. Then they spring apart with force.

We've had parties where we buy a box of a thousand sticks and everyone spends the night throwing boomerangs at each other and watching them explode. Fun.

Step 1: Video

Step 2: All You Need Is Sticks

Craft sticks or reclaimed popsicle sticks are perfect.

The only thing to know is that some brands of craft sticks are too flimsy to get the right tension for an explosion. The colored sticks shown are like that. They don't explode. We only used them to demonstrate the construction.

Step 3: Why Boomerang?

They curve when you throw them (making it really hard to aim!) Some people can get them to come back.

The trick is that they glide. And the more sticks you use, the better they glide. You have to throw them like a boomerang or frisbee and when you get the hang of it, you can get a really smooth curve.

Step 4: Start Building

Right stick.

Left stick over.

Center stick over both side sticks.

Overlap the sticks as close to the edges as possible for the best exploding action!

Step 5: Cross Bars

Weave a stick (orange) perpendicular to the center stick (red).

Under-over-under. Hold the 3 top sticks in place until you get the next stick on.

Then weave the next stick (purple).

Over-under-over.

All 5 sticks should hold together now.

Step 6: Choose Your Weapon

Keep the last stick (purple) close to the 4th stick for a tight tension. Good for throwing fast and hard.

OR

Keep the last stick (purple) as close to the close to the ends of the 3 perpendicular sticks as possible. They can even hang off the edges as long as they're still holding. The closer to the edges, the more hair-trigger the action.

Step 7: Video of Construction

Step 8: Bigger Explosions!

Hook boomerangs together by weaving in the open spaces. Don't add extra sticks. Here are the boomerangs woven together. Too many and they won't stay together because of the weight. BUT, the more boomerangs hooked together, the bigger the crash!

Step 9: Variation 1

The additional stick (blue) adds more tension. Throw hard!

Step 10: Variation 2

This looks more like a boomerang and uses only 4 sticks.

Lay down the first 3 sticks as shown.

Step 11: Variation 2 (cont.)

Here's the tricky part. Hold the first 3 sticks in the formation you just set up. Then weave the fourth stick (orange) under-over-under, start with the first stick (blue). If they don't hold together, check your sticks against the pictures. They have to be in the exact order shown to work.

Step 12: Variation 2 (cont.)

Again, keep the overlaps very close to the edges.

Step 13: Variation 3

Same as variation1, with crossed middle sticks. Looks more dangerous.

Step 14: Boom

It's really throwing them at one another that makes these so much fun. Especially since it takes time to "reload" while your being attacked. Hope you enjoy them as much as we do!