Okay… I admit it hardly qualifies as an “explosion”… but since we’ve always called these Popsicle Stick ‘bombs’ — a politically incorrect word these days… I decided I’d better come up with a different word for my subject line.
Regardless of what you call them… they are simple fun and I’ve seen them played with in a variety of ways by kids of all ages.
The biggest challenge here is finding 5 Popsicle sticks – and since summer time and Popsicles go together like bread and butter… that shouldn’t be a major challenge. (Not to mention you can buy a box of 1000 for a mere $2.49 over at S&S Worldwide)
Here’s How-To create them:
Pick up 2 sticks and create a V
Grab a third stick and set it onto the center of the V – It’s important to pay attention to this placement as the whole ‘bomb’ is held together just by pressure.
Now you hold these three sticks in your left hand (if right handed – notice I am left-handed so I’m doing the reverse:) and you pick up a fourth stick, inserting it so that it goes on top of the middle stick but under the two outsid
e sticks that form the V (like weaving, but you slip it down from the top) note: you’ll find you must keep a bit of pressure in the spot where you’re holding those first three sticks forming that V shape.
And finally, you pick up the fifth stick, sliding it over the three but woven in the opposite way from that fourth stick. In other words, with the fifth stick you will insert it under the middle stick and it will be over the tw
o outside sticks.
It should look something like this:
That’s it! You have your Popsicle Stick Bomb ready and loaded…
for your kids to do what they will! 
When you toss one of these they fly apart. The best part is that even if you get hit with a flying popsicle stick it doesn’t hurt. They’re a novel way to play tag. Today I had 14 month old twins giggling simply when I dropped these ‘bombs’ in front of their stroller!
Here are a few things to be aware of:
These are a bit unpredictable… that’s part of the fun! Some are really touchy and fragment quickly even when gently bumped… some surprise you and even survive the first toss.
If you have a LOT of sticks, it’s fun to make many, many of these, carefully lay them down in a pattern of your choosing (they’re triangles, after all, kids will come up with amazing geometric patterns… then create one that you’re going to use to toss at the pattern and ‘explode’ them ALL. It’s almost guaranteed to produce giggles! (I say almost because if a brother or friend comes and bombs your pattern unexpectedly it’s not quite so delightful)
Sometimes before creating them kids will color their sticks… one color for all five sticks and a different color for each child. That way they can create some competitive games and easily keep score.
Sometimes we’ll draw a circle in a patch of dirt or sand and everyone aims for the circle. The one with the most sticks inside the perimeter WINS!
Have Fun and PLAY WELL TOGETHER!!!
