A Rubber-Band Rifle

By William J. Krumbein, Jr.

Sometimes winter's weather leaves children little choice but to busy themselves indoors. Here's a way to make a stay-at-home plaything that's amusing and instructive as well.

When your youngsters are forced to stay inside—either by subzero temperatures that make outdoor play a "minutes at a time" venture, or by unseasonably warm days that leave every snowsuit in the house soaked before noon—the old homestead can get to feeling pretty danged small. However, this simple project (which could be used to teach a few shop skills to the children) will produce a toy that'll keep the most restless tads enthusiastically occupied.

Of course, some people don't cotton to firearms themselves, and—understandably—don't want their children to have toys that simulate such weapons. But if you're one of the many who do keep a gun or two around the house, you probably know that it's never too early to teach your youngsters to respect such tools and to treat them safely. This little rubber-band rifle can go a long way toward instilling good, safe shooting habits at an early age. And when Mom and Dad see how much fun their offspring are having—knocking down paper cups or making balloons dance along the floor—chances are the big folks will be eager to get into the games themselves!