Blast Off! Water Bottle Rocket Launch

Are you thinking of a productive activity that you can do with your children? Well you landed at the right spot. Water bottle rocket launch is definitely the answer you have been waiting for. As parents, there is no better way to feel fulfilled than seeing your kids’ minds blown by how a water bottle rocket reaches high up in the sky. As the most cliché saying goes, “to see is to believe”. Children are definitely drawn with the excitement they could experience from launching a water bottle rocket. Let me tell you how to conduct this amazing activity successfully.

TASK 1: The launcher making:

*Launcher made by PVC pipe. See the ends of the pipes, they were tightly closed with valves. Men would know. hahaha*

Thanks to my love, Chris, who is always eager to create this kind of things. Please see the image and its description, and leave comments if you have questions.

TASK 2: The water bottle rocket making:

Now we are going to create our water bottle rocket.

Can you imagine taking part in saving our planet by recycling a plastic water bottle? It feels great to contribute to this campaign, #savetheearth in our own little way. There are many ways ofcourse to create this water bottle rocket, but I will show you what we have done. It definitely will vary to your preferences and with the availability of your materials. Remember, we want to recycle, we don’t want to purchase more new materials for our activity. So here we go.

Materials needed:

2 the same water bottles that fits your launcher
Card stocks from shoe boxes, soda boxes, etc.
Box cutter or scissors that work with your water bottle and card stocks
Color tape, or scotch tape
1 A4 paper weighing 120 g ( color of your choice) – or anything that you can easily bend to create a cone shape tip for your rocket (optional)
5- 8 pieces of scrap papers or newspapers

STEP 1: Cutting the bottles

Cut one water bottle almost ¼ from it’s opening ( set aside )

STEP 2: The Fins

cut 3 or 4 of this

Cut out cardstock for your rocket’s fins. We have tried different numbers of fins, and we have concluded that having 4 fins works better. But again, please have fun and discover it yourself.

Tape those fins symmetrically around the un-cut water bottle, right side up.

check out both ends

Make it water proof by covering it with tape, so you can launch your rocket as much as you want.

STEP 3 : The cone

Before attaching the cut-water bottle cone to the other water bottle, we normally put weight inside of it. This will guide your rocket while it’s soaring high in the sky. This is where you are going to crumple those scrap papers you have and place it inside your cone. Attached this water bottle cone to it’s desired place and wrap it around with tape. Make sure you have strongly taped it on to avoid breaking your rocket into pieces. Believe me, this rocket is going to blast off, and making it intact is one of the keys to launch it successfully. Again, make it water proof.

Now you are ready to launch.

add weight inside the cone top

water bottle rocket ready to launch

TASK 3: Launch your rocket

STEP 1: Find a safe place for the launching activity. We had to go to a soccer field to make sure no one is hurt during this activity. Let’s be responsible! If you can not go to a soccer field, make sure you are in an open space and not in a busy street. Remember your space needs to be wide enough and away from breakable windows or walls of your place or of your neighbors. Stay safe!

safe place

STEP 2: Place your launcher in the middle of a field. Fill your water bottle rocket with almost ¾ amount of it full capacity.

STEP 3 : Position your water bottle rocket right side up. The opening of your water bottle rocket should fit exactly to the launcher, and it should be tight enough to create pressure when you pump.

STEP 4: Start pumping gradually and keep an eye on what’s going on inside your water bottle rocket. The launcher and your rocket will start creating little movements and that indicates pressure inside. And yes, pressure is what we need. Keep on pumping but make sure you are also watching out how it will blast off. You don’t want to miss seeing it, so be prepared. I remember my first launching, everybody else saw it, except me. I was busy watching the pump. What a bummer right?

slowly pump while you watch

STEP 5: Your rocket must have been launched, and hopefully it gets back to you. We have couple of rockets that lost their way. HAHAHA what a fun experience. You can launch your rocket again and again, as much as you want. Don’t forget to take down some discoveries you have and explain it to your children. Again, letting them know the Science behind every experiment is the best way to instill lifelong learning to our children.

Watch us on youtube!

https://youtu.be/LjgBurozPbE

I hope you will give it a try and experience this fun quality time with your family. Don’t hesitate to ask. Leave comments.

Have a wonderful day to all.

by: Teriz