Making a homemade rocket out of a juice pouch is one of our all-time favorite student activities! It’s a simple and entertaining STEAM project for kids that is always met with excitement, especially at launch time! This DIY rocket utilizes the power of compressed air to launch into the sky. For this purpose, these rockets are suitable for a multi-age group project for camps, classes, and families! So just don’t throw that juice pouch from your child’s next snack time. With just a few upgradations, your kid will have him- or herself their very own rocket launcher.
About Juice-Pouch Stomp Rocket Activity
This simple and engaging activity can be done using the empty juice pouch and straw. All those flexible juice boxes, pouches, and bottles contain a little science within them. You just need to give them a squeeze, force the air out, and shoot the straw. So take out a few straws, some modeling clay, and an empty juice pouch to make a rocket launcher that will shoot that straw across the room while illustrating Newton’s Third Law of Motion. Moreover, if you’re bored of searching for straws, just stop by a local cafe to enjoy a drink and pick up a few straws.
Supplies Required To Get Started
- Empty juice pouch
- One Flexible Straw (that comes with the pouch)
- One Standard Straw
- Colored Cardstock
- Washi Tape (optional)
- Modeling Clay
Steps Involved In The Juice-Pouch Stomp Rocket Activity
1. Firstly, Cut off the end of the flexible straw at an angle.
2. Now enter the pointed end of the straw into the straw hole of the juice pouch.
3. Then cut the second straw in half. This will be your rocket.
4. Create three trapezoids from cardstock, in the following dimensions: 3 inches (base) x 1 inch (height) x ¾ inches (top). Set two aside to be full fins. Now cut the last one in half vertically.
5. After this, tape the full fins on each side of the straw. Don’t squash the straw.
6. Now tape one half-fin perpendicularly to each full fin as shown. Then add washi tape to decorate the straw if wanted.
7. Then roll a small bit of clay into a ball. Add this to the top to seal the straw entirely.
8. To launch the rocket, inflate the pouch by blowing into the flexible straw. Turn the flexible straw to aim and place the rocket straw over the end. Stomp down hard for liftoff!
Note: If after some use, one of the straws breaks, just replace it with a new one.
You just need to be a bit careful while doing this activity. Ask your kids to never point the straw rocket at anyone. The goal here is to launch the rocket up in the air, not at someone else. You have to make sure to cover the plugged end of the straw with something soft and round to protect someone from unwittingly getting hurt by a sharp point. Just take care of these little safety points and this activity will help to teach your little explorer how this DIY project works because of compressed air from the juice pouch.
