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Home » Primary Science » Key Stage 1 Science » How to make a Squeezy Bottle Rocket

How to make a Squeezy Bottle Rocket

Modified: May 6, 2020 · Published: Feb 26, 2016 by Emma Vanstone · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

These easy squeezy bottle rockets are great fun to make and a brilliant introduction to forces, in particular Newton’s Third Law of motion, which sounds complicated but actually makes a lot of sense.

What is Newton’s Third Law?

For every action there is always an opposite and equal reaction.

Think about a space rocket taking off. The rocket’s action is to push down on the ground with the force of it’s engines, the equal upwards force pushes the rocket up or if you think about air coming out of a balloon, the air is being forced downwards yet the balloon flies upwards.

In the case of our squeezy bottle rockets, as you squeeze the bottle, air is forced out of the straw and pushes against whatever you have sealing the top of the larger straw, this force causes the straw to “fly” through the air.

Squeezy Bottle rocket craft for kids
Image taken from This IS Rocket Science

How to make a squeezy bottle rocket

Materials

  • Empty Squeezy water bottles
  • Cardboard
  • Straws
  • Scissors
  • Glue/sellotape
  • Blue tack
  • Plasticine

Challenge 1

To build a mini rocket which can be launched from the water bottle.

Instructions

For the bottle

Lift up the sports cap and push in half a straw, seal around it with blu tack.

Squeeze the bottle and make sure air is coming out of the top of the straw, not the sides.

For the rocket

Draw and cut out a cardboard rocket.

Seal one end of a larger straw than the one in the bottle with sellotape.

Attach the rocket onto one side of the straw.

Place the rocket on the bottle and squeeze the bottle hard, the rocket should fly into the air.

Squeezy sauce bottles can be used instead of water bottles to make this activity a little easier.

Challenge 2

What happens if the rocket is made bigger/heavier, does it fly as far?

Challenge 3

How do you think using a smaller bottle will affect how the rocket flies?

squeezy bottle rocket

When experimenting remember to only change one factor at once, so either change the size of the bottle or the weight of the rocker, not both!

More space science experiments for kids

If you enjoyed this activity you might like our DIY Space Camp!

Learn about Galileo and Issac Newton with these simple gravity experiments, including film canister rockets, straw rockets and a magnet trick where you can defy gravity!

Learning Objectives

Key Stage 1 Working Scientifically

Key Stage 2 – Forces/Working Scientifically

Fun squeezy bottle rocket activity for kids - explore forces with this fab science craft #scienceforkids  #spacescienceforkids

Contains affiliate links

Last Updated on May 6, 2020 by Emma Vanstone

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Safety Notice

Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources.

These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rohit Shitole

    March 10, 2016 at 9:52 am

    Wow nice experiment. I love how simply you performed this experiment. Kids will really love this.
    Thumbs up 🙂

    Reply
  2. Burgess

    April 20, 2017 at 8:53 am

    Looks great, I will have to try this!

    I’m afraid, though, your explanation is wrong. Rockets don’t push against the ground (they still fly in space!) and in the case of the bottle rocket the rocket is being directly pushed by the air. The equal and opposite force will be trying to push the squeezy bottle backwards!

    Sorry to be pedantic!

    Reply

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