One of the best things about living back on the East coast is the nice weather. It is January and right now my kids are running around outside in the dark with lights strapped to their foreheads having a blast. It’s not that cold out in January so we’re doing messy, outside fun things here still, like bottle rockets. This was a fun addition to our homeschool.
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This experiment was fun, and the excitement of not knowing how long it was going to take before the reaction happens and the bottle takes off into the sky. And boy do they take off!
What you need:
- 2L pop bottles
- vinegar
- baking soda
- paper towels
- corks
- launch pad
- toilet paper – optional
Launch Pad Construction
Are you kids as crazy about Lego as mine? These are great for building a launch pad. You are going to need some to set your bottle rocket on, and letting your kids create a launch pad out of Lego is just another why to include learning… I love Lego, my kids are crazy about it.
How to Make a Bottle Rocket
This is easier than I expected. And a lot of fun.
I wish I had removed the label from our pop bottle so we could see the reaction better. Which my kids thought of while they continued to make their own bottle rockets.
Take a piece of paper towel, add some baking soda, and roll it up. Make sure that it will fit into the bottle opening, even if you have to push it in a bit.
Try to keep it out of the vinegar.
Push a cork in, only in a little or it won’t be able to pop out. This happened with our first attempt.
Flip the bottle over into/onto the launch pad.
Stand back and watch, it can take a minute, so while it seems like a long time, stay back so you don’t get hurt.
Bottle Rocket
Simple vinegar and baking soda can turn into a fun time with these bottle rockets.
Materials
- vinegar
- baking soda
Tools
- 2L pop bottles
- corks
- launch pad
- paper towel
- toilet paper - optional
Instructions
- Take a piece of paper towel, add some baking soda, and roll it up. Make sure that it will fit into the bottle opening, even if you have to push it in a bit.
- Try to keep it out of the vinegar.
- Push a cork in, only in a little or it won't be able to pop out.
- Flip the bottle over into/onto the launch pad.
- Stand back and watch, it can take a minute, so while it seems like a long time, stay back so you don't get hurt.
Notes
Launch Pad:
Are you kids as crazy about Lego as mine? These are great for building a launch pad. You are going to need some to set your bottle rocket on, and letting your kids create a launch pad out of Lego is just another why to include learning... I love Lego, my kids are crazy about it.
