Print out our free rocket printable and have fun making some straw rockets! The kids loved designing their own rockets and then launching them using straws- such a great way for kids to explore science.
Here’s an easy way to make straw rockets using just a few materials. This project makes a great addition to a unit on physics, space, the night sky, or things that fly and is also just fun to do on a rainy day. You can also use them for patriotic activities and color them based on the colors of your country.
(A reader, Lisa, suggested a great children’s book to go with this activity: The Darkest Dark by Chris Hadfield. Be sure to check it out!)
How to Make Straw Rockets
The kids and I designed our own rockets and launched them using straws. This activity was definitely a hit with both Lucy (age 7) and Theo (age 3 1/2). I’ve also done this activity with my students (1st and 2nd grade) and my husband’s students (4th and 5th grade) in elementary school. They loved designing all kinds of versions to take home.
The kids enjoyed seeing how far they could get their straw rockets to go and had fun trying them out at all different angles.
This activity makes a great science exploration and is perfect for the classroom. Kids can compare how different angles of the straw affect the distance the rocket travels or how adding fins or folding the rocket in different ways can affect its flight. Many students went outside and had flight competitions!
See the straw rockets in action!
Straw Rocket Science Activity for Kids with Free Printable
Materials for Making Straw Rockets
- Straws
- Tape or glue dots
- Plastic pipettes (or straws with a larger diameter than the other set of straws)
- Markers, crayons, or colored pencils
- Scissors
- Free Rocket Template
Directions for Making Straw Rockets
1. Print out the free rocket template. Color the rockets and cut them out.
2. Cut the bottom off a plastic pipette and attach it to the back of a rocket using tape or glue dots. (We love having a stash of plastic pipettes at home. They’re so fun to use with painting and often come in handy for various science activities- like with our color arrays. And they’re super inexpensive!)
If you don’t have any plastic pipettes handy, you can use a straw instead. (Just make sure this straw is wider than the other straw you’ll be using for launching.) Cut the straw to fit the length of the rocket and tape one end shut so it’s completely sealed. Attach it to your rocket with glue dots or tape.
3. Slip a straw into your pipette, and you’re ready to launch!
4. Give your straw a big puff of air, and watch it take off!
Extending the Straw Rockets Science Activity
- How does the angle you launch your rocket affect the distance it travels? Try out different angles and record the results.
- Can you design your own rockets to attach to the pipette or straw? Which designs work better?
- Try adding another fin to your rocket with tape. How does it affect the flight of your rocket?
