Steal the Football
Build a simple grabbing tool using cardboard, string, and rubber bands to pick up and 'steal' a football from a cone during friendly engineering games.
Step-by-step guide to Steal the Football
Step 1
Gather all the materials on a clear table so you can see everything.
Step 2
Use the ruler and marker to draw two long strips about 25 cm by 4 cm and one short handle strip about 10 cm by 4 cm on the cardboard.
Step 3
Cut out the two long strips and the short handle strip with scissors.
Step 4
Lay the two long strips across each other so their ends overlap by about 3 cm near one end.
Step 5
Wrap a rubber band tightly around the overlapped area to make a hinge point.
Step 6
Stick tape over the hinge area to hold the rubber band and the two strips in place.
Step 7
Cut a small semicircle from the free end of each long strip to make scooped gripping tips.
Step 8
Poke a small hole near each scooped tip using the tip of the scissors or a pencil.
Step 9
Thread a piece of string through one hole and then through the other so the string runs between the two scooped tips.
Step 10
Tie the two loose string ends together and leave a small loop in the middle so you can pull it with one finger.
Step 11
Tape the short handle strip across the middle of the two long strips to make a comfortable hand grip.
Step 12
Practice using your grabber by pulling the loop to close the tips and letting go to open the tips.
Step 13
If the tips do not meet when you pull adjust the string length or move the knot until the tips touch when pulled.
Step 14
Put the toy football on top of the cone then use your grabber by pulling the loop to close the tips around the football and lift it off the cone.
Step 15
Share your finished grabbing tool and a photo or story about your game on DIY.org.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can I use instead of a rubber band, string, or cardboard if I can't find them?
If you don't have a rubber band for the hinge you can use a short twist-tie or a tight strip of strong tape wrapped around the overlapped strips as in the 'wrap a rubber band tightly' step, use yarn or dental floss in place of string for threading through the scooped tips, and substitute a cereal box or a thin plastic lid for the cardboard when drawing and cutting the strips (step 2–3 and 8).
The grabber tips don't meet or the tool is floppy—what should I check and fix?
If the tips don't meet or the tool feels floppy, make sure the holes near the scooped tips are aligned and not too large, shorten or re-tie the string loop (step 11–12), and reinforce the hinge by adding more tape over the rubber band so the overlapped strips don't slide (step 5).
How can I adapt this activity for different ages and skill levels?
For younger kids have an adult cut the cardboard strips and pre-poke the holes and tape the handle (steps 2–6 and 9), while older children can use thicker corrugated cardboard, trim smaller semicircles for finer scooped tips, and experiment with string length and knot placement themselves (steps 3, 6, 11–12).
How can we improve or personalize the grabber to make the game more fun or stronger?
To enhance the tool decorate the strips with marker, add small foam or folded tape pads to the scooped gripping tips for better grip, and consider using two parallel strings or a stronger cord to make the tips close more evenly so you can lift larger toy footballs off the cone (steps 6, 8, 11 and 13).
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Facts about simple machines and engineering for kids
🪢 A single string threaded through pivoting parts can act like a control cable — pull one end to make a jaw close like a puppet.
🏈 An official American football weighs about 14–15 ounces (400–430 g), light enough for a homemade gripper to lift.
📦 Cardboard became widely used for packaging in the 19th century and is super strong when layered — perfect for kid-built grabbers!
🤖 Robotic grippers borrow ideas from simple tools and puppetry — your cardboard claw is basically a tiny robot hand in training!
🪄 Rubber bands store elastic energy and can stretch many times their length, giving your grabber a snapping or lifting boost.
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