Balloon Rocket Experiment for Kids
I love it when a cool summer experiment is so easy it only takes a couple minutes! This balloon rocket experiment is such a fun balloon activity for kids that teaches some simply physics while having fun. All you need for this balloon straw rocket are a few simple materials and you are ready to start learning, exploring, and having fun with balloon science! This balloon experiment is fun for preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, and 4th graders too.
Balloon Rocket
3, 2, 1 BLASTOFF! Whose balloon rocket will go the furthest? Does it matter if the rocket path goes uphill or winds? Find out in this super simple balloon rocket experiment for kids! This balloon rocket activity can be done outside for a fun summer science or indoors to bring some excitement to a dreary rainy day or cold winter day. Either wy, this balloon activity for kids is quick with just a few simple materials you probabaly already have on hand. This physics experiment for kids is fun for preschoolers, kindergartners, grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3 students.
Balloon Rocket Experiment
All you need for this simple physics activity for young children is a few simple materials you probably already have laying around your house:
- 2 or more balloons
- string
- 2 or more straws (extra large work best)
- clothespin (optional, but helpful)
- tape
- sharpie (optional)
Balloon Experiment
Attach a string from two object seperated by about 7-15 feet. You will need to remove one of the sides easily to land your rocket in a couple minutes.
- If you are outside consider two trees, fence, swing set, etc.
- Inside? Go betwee two chairs or parallel door handles.
Balloon Rocket Activity
This first step is optional, but decorating your balloon to look like a rocket just makes it more fun! So start by inflating your balloon and using a clothespin or holding it so the air doesn’t escape.
Balloon Activity for Kids
Use a sharpie to draw a rocket. Careful with sharpie markers as they are permanent and will not come off clothes.
Balloon Science
Tape a straw on the top. We found it helpful to use extra large straws for easier threading!
Balloon Straw Rocket
Insert string from your rocket path into the straw. Re tie the end of the string. Repeat the entire process in an adjacent space so that the rockets can race!
Physics Experiment for Kids
Count down 3….2…….1…… Lift off and remove the clothespin to send your rocketship soaring. They go super fast, don’t they! THis is such a simple summer science experiment with such a great WOW moment! Kids will excitedly want to try it again and again and again!
Extension Ideas:
- Try going uphill
- Go at a downward incline
- Start with balloon inflated to a different size – which one will go further? Which one will go fastest?
Summer Experiment
This is fun, but how is it science? When you blow up the balloon you are filling it up with air that is under pressure. (Another word for that is potential energy.) When the air escapes from the balloon when you let go of it (kinetic energy) the escaping air exerts thrust or force on the balloon which propels it forward. The air escapes backward – the balloon races forward. Action – reaction.
Summer worksheets for Preschoolers
Looking for more fun, summer theme educational activities for prek and kinders? Check out these free summer printables!
- Summer Letter Matching Alphabet Puzzles
- Marshmallow Ten Frame Activity
- Learn about life cycles with these ladybug life cycle worksheet
- Garden Kindergarten sight Word Activities
- Pail and Shovel Matching Letter Game for Summer
- Counting to 20 – Sticker Activity for Preschoolers
- Camping Preschool Math Worksheets
- Bug Math Worksheets for Preschool
- I Spy Pirate Game
- Summer Handwriting Worksheets
- Hands-on Ice Cream Compound Word Activity
- Garden theme Telling Time Worksheets
- Seed FInd the Letter Summer Worksheets for Kindergarten
- Summer Lego Challenge
- Water Gun Parts of Speach Game
- Playdough Counting Mat Activity with Watermelon Seed Printable
- Summertime Dot Art Printables
- Free Printable Beach Worksheets
- Cute Flip Flip Letter Matching
- Bubble Math Worksheets
- Strawberry Picking Summer Rhyming Activity
- Playdough Ice Cream Pattern Printable Activity
Preschool Summer Worksheets
- Smores Kindergarten Math Worksheets
- Smore complete sentence game
- Cute Summer Worksheets for Preschoolers
- Fun Summer Color by Number pages to work on number recognition and hand muscles
- Work on writing with these June Writing Prompts
- Seachell Color Playdough Mats – fun summer activities for preschoolers
- Convenient Summer Writing Prompts with ruled lines and pictures to color
- Counting to 20 – Sticker Summer Worksheets for Preschoolers
- Pool Summer Worksheets for Preschoolers
- HUGE pack of Garden Worksheets to practice a variety of math and literacy skills
- Summer Number Recognition Coloring Worksheets
- Cute Watermelon Seed Counting Worksheet
- Skip Counting Summer Worksheets
- Simple, Free Beach Coloring Pages
- Summer Activity Pages
- Seashell Alphabet Matching Activity
- Firefly Math Printable Counting Game
- Free Summer Worksheets for Kindergarten
- Sight Word Mazes – Summer Worksheets for Kindergarten
- Sun Summer Tracing Worksheets
- Pool Count and Trace Summer Activities for Kindergarten
- Sandcastle Letter Tracing Summer Activities for Kindergarten
Beach Theme
- Disolving Seashell Activities – a Summer Science Experiment
- Free Beach Worksheets for Preschoolers, kindergartners, and grade 1
- FREE Ocean Coloring Pages
- Super Simple Sand Slime
- Fun to play with Ocean Slime
- Huge Ocean Unit (250+ pages)
- Ocean Color by Number Worksheets
- Crack the Code Worksheets with ocean themed pages
- Under the Sea Lego Challenge Printables
- more ocean activities for kids
- Sandcastle Subtraction Craft
- Fun Sandcastle Letter Matching – Summer Activities for Kindergarten
- Hands-on Sandcastle Colour Matching Activities
- Sandcastle Letter tracing Activity
- Summer Sandcastle Count and Trace Numbers 1-10 Printable Activity
- Sandcastle Number Playdough Mats to count and trace
- Summer STEAM – Sandcastle engineering with tp rolls
- Ice Cream Sandcastle Summer Snack Idea
- Sand Bucket & Shovel Letter Matching – Summer Activities for Kindergarten
- Sand Volcano – EASY Summer Science Experiment for Kids
- Beach Summer Experiment with a Density Tower
Summer Activities for Preschoolers
In between reading a good book, sneak in some epic fun with these summer activities for kids of all ages:
- 107 Fun Summer Activities
- How to Make a Lava Lamp
- Frozen Rainbow Science Activities for Preschoolers
- Water Balls Summer Activity
- Name Recognition Ice Cream Craft
- Pipe Cleaner Constellations
- Bleeding Tissue Paper Fireworks Craft
- Summer STEM Activity Guide
- Summer Math Activities for Preschoolers
- June Activity Calendar
- Exploding Watermelon Science
- Homemade Bubble Solution for GIANT Bubbles
- How to Make Chalk for Summer FUN
- Silly Grass Craft for Kids
- Printable SUmmer Crafts for Preschoolers