For our first winter break project, we have an engineering challenge with endless possibilities. What looks like a simple rocket is actually an experiment in aerodynamics and energy, and every part of it can be made with materials found around the house!
Materials:
– Cylindrical object (such as a straw, roll of paper, or cardboard tube)
– Stiff paper (such as card stock paper or index cards) for fins and nose cone
– Tape
– Paperclips
– Craft stick or pencil
– Rubber band
Instructions:
1. Begin with a cylindrical base for your rocket. This can be a straw, a cardboard tube, or even a tube made from paper.
2. Cut out small triangles of card stock to add fins. Tape these evenly and securely.
3. For a nose cone, cut out a circle and then carefully cut along its radius. Then slide one cut edge under the other to form the desired size of cone. If your rocket is small (like a straw), an eraser cap makes a great nose cone.
4. Shape a paperclip into a single loop and tape it near the nose of your rocket.
5. Finally, make your slingshot by taping a rubber band onto the end of a popsicle stick or pencil. You’re ready to launch!
To launch your rocket, hold your slingshot with the rubber band on top. Put the paperclip loop into the rubber band and pull the rocket towards your body:
Aim carefully and when you’re ready, let go of your rocket!
These rockets fly far, we recommend finding a long open space to test just how far they can actually go! Challenge yourself further to create rockets of different lengths and weights. Which ones fly the farthest?
