Vinegar and Baking Soda Rocket Science Experiment for Kids

This vinegar and baking soda rocket is an out-of-this-world fun AND educational summer activity for kids! Preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, and 6th grade students will enjoy making the baking soda rocket. This how to make a bottle rocket project is one of those really cool science projects your kids will remember forever! So grab a couple simple materials you have laying around your house and make these rocket science experiments.

Baking soda and vinegar rocket

We are diving into a solar system unit so we are exploring all things space including rockets for kids! Preschoolers, kindergartners, grade 1, grade 2, grade 3, grade 4, grade 5, and grade 6 students will love this STEM activity for kids where they will design their own rocket, lego launch pad, and observe a baking soda and vinegar reaction. This homemade rocket is a memorable summer science experiment for kids of all ages. Plus this baking soda and vinegar rocket is a fun solar system project.  Let’s get started  with this super simple rocket science experiment with a big WOW at the end!

Rocket experiment

All you need to make this really cool, summer fun idea are a few simple materials you probably already have on hand:

Supplies:

• 2 liter soda bottle that is both empty and rinced
• decorations for rocket – ideas may include construction paper, paint, sharpies, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, circle stickers, bingo markers, etc
• buiding toys to build the launch pad such as Lego bricks, tinker toys, blocks, Duplo, etc)
• 1-2 cups vinegar
• paper towel
• 1-2 Tablespoons Baking Soda
• wine cork or similar to quickly cover the opening of soda bottle

Rocket Science experiment

The first part of this rocket project for kids is to decorate your own rocket. Kids will love this artistic part of this STEAM Project for kids! They can use construction paper to give it a quick color boost, paint, sharpies, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, circle stickers, bingo markers, etc. Let their imaginations run wild as they decide how they want their rocket to look. I suggest showing them books, NASA pictures, and videos so they have an idea of what rockets can look like and to give them a little more background for this educational space activity for kids.

how to make a rocket for a science project

Now it’s time to build a launch pad. This is the engineering part of this STEAM challenge for kids! Children can use duplo blocks, lego, lincoln logs, etc. They just need a way to hold the bottle rocket upside down steadily for it to launch.

Rocket Science Project

Next up is preparing the rocket fuel – the science part of the STEAM challenge. You will fuel up the rocket with a very simple solution of 1 – 2 cups of vinegar in the bottle. When the baking soda and vinegar mix they will form a chemical recation that will result in extra carbon dioxide being produced which will push out the cork and force the bottle to go up into the air.

Now take a piece of paper towel and cut it to about 4 inches square. Place about HEAPING tablespoon of baking soda in the centre of the paper towel. Fold up the paper towel so the baking soda is wrapped up inside and it fits snugly inside the mouth of the bottle. Insert a wine cork into the mouth of the pop bottle, make sure it is in there tightly.

Rocket experiment preschool

Now take it outside with open space – Our rockets hit anywhere from 30 to 50 feet in height.

Baking soda rocket

You need to move quickly for this next part. Flip the bottle over, and QUICKLY place it in the launchpad!  Hurry back as the countdown begins as soon as the baking soda and vinegar touch.

Easy rocket experiment

With this fun summer science project you will learn about

• Engineering, measurements (math) as you
• physics to create a base that is functional, strong and stable. Then we learned about physics and how when you trap that gas from the chemical reaction pressure builds up and when finally released it has enough force to cause thrust, therefore launching our rocket “into the clouds!”
• Chemical reactions with our all time favorite reaction: baking soda and vinegar (base and acid). We learned about how this particular chemical reaction has one important product: Carbon Dioxide Gas.
• Clean Up After you are done setting off your rockets, make sure you rinse everything with lots of water so it doesn’t damage anything. Including all your Lego or Tinker Toys (or whatever you used to engineer your base), plus the area where you set off your reaction.

Vinegar and baking soda rocket

Safety Note: Make sure there is always adult supervision. I highly an adult launch the rocket while younger children cheer for this project from a distance. Remember there is vinegar in the bottle and when it launches the vinegar will spray. So arm your rocket and place it immediately into the launchpad and move away quickly!