Easy DIY Stomp Rocket

This DIY stomp rocket is one of the simplest things I've ever made and works amazingly well! Even our heavy kitchen roll and cardboard rocket flew high up into the air.

All you need to make your own stomp rocket is an empty 2-litre plastic bottle, plastic tubing and paper. It's that simple!

Once the stomp launcher is made, children can experiment with rockets made from different materials to see which fly the furthest.

How to make the easiest stomp rocket ever!

You'll need

An empty 2L plastic bottle
Plastic tubing
Tape
Paper/card
Felt tip pens

Simple homemade stomp rocket science experiment

Instructions - DIY Stomp Rocket

Attach the plastic tubing to the end of the plastic bottle. My tubing is screwed on tightly, but if it's loose, you might need to tape it to keep air from escaping.

Make a rocket from either a kitchen roll/paper towel tube or a roll of paper.

Seal one end of the rocket with paper or tape.

Decorate the rocket - optional.

Place the rocket on the end of the tubing and squeeze the bottle hard. The rocket will shoot up into the air.

top of a cardboard tube rocket for a stomp rocket

We also experimented with a piece of paper folded over and sealed at the side and top, which worked really well.

child about the jump on a DIY stomp rocket

child jumping on a homemade stomp rocket

If you have any different designs for a homemade stomp rocket, I would love to see them!

How does a stomp rocket work?

When you jump onto the plastic bottle, the air is forced out through the plastic tubing. The force of the air hitting the rocket propels it upward.

Homemade Stomp Rocket Instructions

DIY Stomp Rocket - Extension Ideas

Set up an investigation to determine whether increasing a rocket's mass causes it to travel a shorter distance.

Change the length of the plastic tubing to investigate how the rocket's flight changes.

Try pointing the end of the stomp rocket straight up, then forward, to see how the rocket's trajectory changes.

Buy a stomp rocket launcher and compare it to your homemade version.

More rocket science ideas for kids

A water-powered bottle rocket is the most powerful rocket we've made. This type of rocket shoots upwards very quickly, so remember to stand well back!

My straw rockets are very easy to make and a brilliant, simple rocket STEM challenge.

A squeezy bottle rocket is a fun indoor rocket activity.

Watch a video of a real rocket launch! This one below is amazing as the boosters come back to Earth and land in a specific place!