Easter Bunny Trap

For the celebration of Easter, our Principles of Technology class started the harmless bunny trap project. The groups were required to use at least 3 of the 6 simple machines that were discussed in our previous assignment. Specifically, our group decided to use a system made up of two pulleys, a lever, and a ramp to catch our stuffed animal bunny.

Cardboard box big enough to fit your bunny

Extra cardboard pieces

String

2 Small Wheels (Plastic or Wooden)

2 Small Magnets

Duct Tape

Hot Glue

2 Plastic Spoons

Popsicle Sticks

Spray Paint/Decorative Materials (Optional)

Scissors/Box Cutter

After grabbing a box that could fit a bunny (or whatever is being captured), grab a smaller piece of cardboard to fold into a triangular prism (3d triangle) as shown in the pictures above. Once folded into a tall triangular prism, tape ends together. 

Attach triangular prism made in previous step to the inside of the box with both ends facing the walls of the box. One can do this with either hot glue or tape. This will act as the pivot point for a seesaw. Next, find, cut, or assemble a slab piece out of cardboard that fills the inside of the box. 

Make sure the cardboard slab doesn’t stick outside the box and then attach it to the triangular prism using tape or hot glue. It should now be able to work like a seesaw. Next, poke two holes on the backside of the seesaw in both corners and two more holes in the box above it. Then, cut two long pieces of string to tie in either corner and string up into the holes above the seesaw.

Once you have your string laying on the top, poke two more holes on the other end of the box’s top and in the corners of the bottom flap on the outside of the box (the ramp) and put the string through, do not tie and make sure there is still excess. 

Before continuing with the pulley system, you have the option to spray paint the box any color of your choosing. You can also draw a picture of a bunny or get artsy another way.

After this, begin building the pulley system and its supports. Take four flexible plastic spoons and bend them backwards to near ninety degrees. Hot glue and or tape two spoons in between each of the spaces between the back and front holes. Next hot glue a popsicle stick across the spoons' handles - try to make them even. After that, take two rubber bands, intertwine them with each other, and loop them on the spoon handles opposite of each other - make sure they don't pull the spoons too tightly (do this twice - one for both ends). Lastly, take a popsicle stick and put pulley wheels on it then lay it across the gap.

Lastly, tape one small at the beginning of the ramp and another small magnet on the upper flap towards the bottom, so that after the bunny goes inside and pulls the ramp up with the pulley and lever system, the bunny will be trapped inside the box through the usage of the magnets on the "doors."

Don't forget to put some lettuce or carrots towards the deepest part of the box to lure your bunny in!!