Rubber Band Rocket Launcher

 

• Rubber Band Rocket Launcher … we’ll be adding these spring-loaded rockets from Family Fun to our Rocket Day!
1. Need 2 plastic cups, 2 rubber bands and tape.
2. Make four evenly spaced, half-inch snips in the rim of one cup.
3. Cut two rubber bands, knot them, and place them in the slits so that they are taut.
4. Tape inside each slit to keep them from splitting.
5. Draw a rocket, cut it out and tape it to the cup.
6. To launch, press the rocket cup down over the other cup.
7. Quickly let go and watch the cup blast off!

Stomp Rockets

 

I just added a new activity to our R is for Rockets unit!

Stomp Rockets.

Have you heard of them?!

My kids played with them at the school’s field day last spring and had a blast. So I ordered one from Amazon for under $15. (They’re on sale for $13 right now!)

What I love:

1. Easy to set up … took us less than five minutes.
2. Comes with 4 foam rockets. They’re like nerf foam so very durable.
3. The kids could do it all by themselves. Load. Jump. Chase!
   • NOTE: My 2-year-old couldn’t jump hard enough to launch the rocket. My 3 and 6-year-olds had no problem.
4. Gets them moving and kept their interest for almost an hour! Lots and lots of running to chase those rockets
5. You can change the angle to shoot any direction you want. Just watch out for the big trees nearby. We lost one rocket in the top of a tree

See the rest of the R is for Rockets ideas here.

Rockets

Of course, with boys, we had to do Rockets during R week.

• Balloon Rocket Experiment
  1. We did a little rocket experiment outside. You can click on the link for instructions but basically you put vinegar (I only had apple cider vinegar that's why the funny color) in the bottom of a pop bottle.
  2. Then fill a deflated balloon with baking soda.
  3. Attach the balloon to the top of the bottle, then dump in the baking soda.
  4. The bubbles start to fill the balloon and inflate it. I wish it would have blown up the balloon a little more, but it was still fun to watch.
• Then for a fun treat, we made Rolo Rockets.
  1. I cut a circle with a slit and rolled it up for the tip (hot glue works great to attach it)
  2. Then cut out three fins and glue them to the bottom. Simple, easy, cute ... and tasty.

• Rocket Puzzles
  1. You could easily make these by hand. I copied them as reproducibles from A to Z Early Childhood Curriculum. (see the Resource tab at the top of my blog).

   

• Stomp Rockets … so much fun to get out and get moving! My kids played with these at the school’s field day. I decided to order one here ($15 on Amazon). We took it to the park, put it together in two minutes and the kids loved it. They jump on the air bubble (does it have a real name?!) and the rockets shoot waaaaay up in the air. So much fun! I got the Stomp Rocket Jr. Glow Kit and the four rockets are all foam and very durable. We did get one stuck in the top of a tree. A GREAT addition or wrap-up to your rocket day!