A water bottle rocket is one of the easiest rockets to create. Water bottle rockets come in different designs and functions. There are simple ones and there are complex ones, as well. Some water bottle rockets only require a few materials while some may need a lot. The most basic water bottle rocket design only consists of a body made from a soda or pop bottle, and fins made from cardboard. However, more complex designs may include recovery systems which will allow the water bottle rocket to land softly, avoiding damage. This includes gravity controlled, wind flap controlled, or even electronic controlled recovery systems.
Water bottle rockets are easy to make, but it can be tricky as well. You can also buy DIY kits, but if you’re on a budget, you can use materials found at home, too. If you and your children want to experience launching a water bottle rocket, it can be more fun if you can create on your own. There are lots of resources available online where you can find tips and instructions on how to assemble your own water bottle rockets. Here are some we’ve gathered which might be helpful for you.
Science Sparks
This website is made for kids who love science projects and experiments. It features a blog post which tackles creating a simple water bottle rocket, as well as an explanation of its functions and how it works. Though the instructions here are pretty easy, make sure to still supervise the children when making a water bottle rocket.
Bang Goes the Theory
This website shares in a blog post detailed instructions for making a water bottle rocket. It even contains a video guide as well as some safety tips while making one. It also provides an explanation of what should happen after you create the launcher. And there are some tips on what to check if ever it does not work.
Ask a Scientist
This website is owned by a scientist named Andrew Hanson. He answers different science questions and one question he answered is how to make a water bottle rocket. In his post, he provided a list of the materials needed and explained the process step by step. And to be clearer, he even included an instructional video.
Instructables
This site includes instructions on creating a large variety of things and one of those things is the water bottle rocket. Aside from the cool illustrations provided with the instructions, there are also PDF files included which contain templates which might be helpful in creating the fins.
Water Bottle Rockets
This site, as the name suggests, is all about water bottle rockets. Aside from the instructions they provide, it also includes some tips on how to make the launch of the rocket better.
US Water Rockets
Since water bottle rockets come in different styles, this website provides an 18-step instruction on how to build a cable tie style water rocket launcher. The instructions here are detailed. However, it will need adult supervision to create this style of a water bottle rocket.
The Art of Manliness
This website features different manly skills and activities and one of the many things they featured is building a water bottle rocket as a weekend dad DIY activity. The instructions provided are simple but very detailed. There are clear photos of the materials needed.
Tim Hesterberg
This is a simple website and it includes a post about making a water bottle rocket. It also includes an introduction to the parts of a water bottle rocket. The instructions are easy to read and to understand, and the photos are helpful, too.
These resources are just simple ones which are easy to follow. Most of them involve easy to find materials and most are often found around the house. There are many other resources like blogs and instructional videos you can find online. You can also combine some of the instructions they provide to be able to create your own version of a water bottle rocket.
Creating your own water bottle rocket is a fun and educational activity which will not cost you a lot. And it’s not just for kids, because creating and launching one may also involve the whole family.