Create a stomp rocket
Build and launch a stomp rocket using cardboard, plastic bottle, and simple materials; learn about air pressure, energy transfer, and safe outdoor launching.
Step-by-step guide to build and launch a stomp rocket
Step 1
Gather all materials on a table so everything is easy to reach.
Step 2
Take your materials outside to a flat open area for safe launching.
Step 3
Make sure the plastic bottle is empty and dry before you use it.
Step 4
Push the paper towel tube into the bottle neck until it fits straight and snug.
Step 5
Wrap tape around the bottle neck and tube to make an airtight seal.
Step 6
Cut a large semicircle from cardboard to use for the rocket nose.
Step 7
Roll the semicircle into a cone shape and tape the seam so it holds its point.
Step 8
Cut three or four small triangular fins from cardboard.
Step 9
Tape or glue the fins evenly near one end of the paper towel tube so they stand straight out.
Step 10
Attach the nose cone to the finned end of the tube with tape so it looks like a rocket.
Step 11
Decorate your rocket using colouring materials to make it bright and fun.
Step 12
Check the launch area and make sure no people pets or breakable objects are nearby.
Step 13
Place the bottle on a flat surface with the launch tube pointing straight up.
Step 14
Slide your finished rocket onto the launch tube so the nose points upward then stomp the bottle firmly once to launch the rocket.
Step 15
Take a picture of your stomp rocket and share your finished creation 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 we use if we don't have a paper towel tube to make the launch tube?
If you don't have a paper towel tube, use a reinforced toilet-paper roll or roll thin cardboard into a snug tube or a short length of 1-inch PVC pipe and then wrap tape around the bottle neck and tube to make an airtight seal.
My rocket doesn't fly high — what should I check or fix?
If the rocket doesn't launch or flies weakly, make sure the paper towel tube is pushed straight and snug into the plastic bottle neck, that you wrapped tape tightly for an airtight seal, the bottle is on a flat surface pointing straight up, and that you stomp the bottle firmly once.
How can I change this activity for younger or older kids?
For younger children, have an adult preassemble the taped bottle-and-tube launch and let them decorate and place the rocket before you gently stomp, while older kids can design and test different fin shapes, nose cones, and record flight distances for comparisons.
What are some ways to extend or personalize the stomp rocket project?
Enhance the project by experimenting with three versus four cardboard fins, adding a lightweight paper parachute to the nose cone for safe recovery, decorating with durable colours, and measuring flight distance to compare designs before photographing and sharing on DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to build and launch a stomp rocket
Make your own Stomp Rocket! 🚀 | Space Crafts | Learn to Read | @officialalphablocks
4 Videos
Make your own Stomp Rocket! 🚀 | Space Crafts | Learn to Read | @officialalphablocks
How to Make a Stomp Rocket | Home Science Experiments | Science Max
Science Sundays: How to make a stomp rocket
Air Powered Rockets Part 1: Easy Stomp Rocket Launcher
Facts about air pressure and simple rocketry
⚖️ Newton's third law: when air rushes down out of the launcher, the rocket is pushed up with an equal and opposite force.
🚀 A stomp rocket turns a stomp into compressed air that can fling a lightweight rocket tens of meters on a calm day.
💨 Air pressure at sea level is about 101 kPa — increasing pressure inside a bottle forces air out to launch the rocket.
📐 In ideal physics the maximum range happens at a 45° launch angle, but wind and air resistance usually change the best angle outdoors.
🌬️ Lighter rockets accelerate faster but are more affected by wind; simple fins or a heavier nose help them fly straighter.
How do I build and launch a stomp rocket at home?
What materials do I need to make a stomp rocket?
What ages is this stomp rocket activity suitable for?
What safety precautions should I follow when launching a stomp rocket?
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