Launch multiple stomp rockets at once
Make and launch several safe foam or paper stomp rockets together using plastic bottle launchers and tubing, learning about force, trajectory, and teamwork.
About this activity
Make and launch several safe foam or paper stomp rockets together using plastic bottle launchers and tubing, learning about force, trajectory, and teamwork.
What you need
Step by step
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Step 1
Choose a flat open outdoor area away from people pets and fragile things to set up your stomp rocket launch zone
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Step 2
Put on your safety glasses before you start building or launching
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Step 3
Make 3 to 5 paper or foam rockets by rolling paper into tight tubes adding a cone nose and taping a small straw sleeve at the base so each rocket can slide on a launch tube
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Step 4
Decorate your rockets with colouring materials so each team member can recognize their rocket
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Step 5
Attach a length of flexible tubing to the mouth of each plastic bottle and seal the connection tightly with strong tape so air won’t leak
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Step 6
Push a short drinking straw or stiff tube into the free end of each piece of tubing and tape it so the rocket sleeve can slide over the straw as the launch tube
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Step 7
Slide each rocket onto its launch tube sleeve so the rocket sits snugly on the straw and is ready to fly
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Step 8
Place the bottles on the ground with tubes straight and rockets pointing away from people and fragile things
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Step 9
Decide who stomps which bottle and agree on a loud countdown so everyone stomps at the same time
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Step 10
At the countdown stomp your bottle firmly and straight to send a burst of air down the tube and launch your rocket
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Step 11
Measure how far each rocket flew with the measuring tape and write down the distances to compare results
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Step 12
Change one thing like the stomp force or the launch tube angle then repeat your launches to see how force and angle affect trajectory
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Step 13
Share your finished rockets your launch setup and your results on DIY.org
Fun facts
How do I set up and launch multiple stomp rockets at once?
To set up multiple stomp rockets, build several lightweight foam or paper rockets and attach their noses to plastic bottle launchers linked with flexible tubing to a common air manifold or separate bottles. Position launchers upright on stable ground, insert rockets onto tubes, then each child takes a station or shares a big stomping mat. When everyone is ready, stomp simultaneously to push air through the tubing and launch rockets together. Test single launches first and adjust angle for trajec
What materials do I need to make safe foam or paper stomp rockets and launchers?
You'll need lightweight foam or paper rockets (foam pool noodles, foam rocket kits, or paper cones with tape), several plastic soda or water bottles as launchers, flexible tubing (vinyl or silicone) to connect bottles, optional T-connector manifold for simultaneous launches, duct tape, scissors, a bungie or elastic for nose cones, safety goggles, and a flat stomping pad or large tray. Also have markers and measuring tape for tracking distance and trajectory.
What ages is launching multiple stomp rockets suitable for?
This activity suits ages 5–12 with adult supervision; younger children (5–7) need hands-on help assembling rockets and launching, while older kids (8–12) can build tubing manifolds and experiment with angles and teamwork. Teens can lead design challenges and record data. Always supervise stomping and bottle handling, require goggles for everyone, and adapt materials—softer foam rockets for toddlers and more complex builds for older children.
What safety tips and learning benefits should I know when doing this stomp rocket activity?
Benefits include hands-on learning about force, air pressure, trajectory, teamwork, and basic engineering. Safety tips: use soft rockets, secure tubing and bottles, clear the launch zone, require safety goggles, one stomper at a time per bottle or coordinated stomps, and test outdoors or in a large indoor space. Variations: time trials, aiming challenges, payload races with lightweight streamers, or building a shared manifold to launch many rockets together for cooperative experiments.
Watch & Learn
Need help?
What can we use instead of flexible tubing or a drinking straw if those are hard to find?
If flexible tubing or a short drinking straw is unavailable, substitute a narrow garden hose or the neck of a deflated balloon securely taped to the plastic bottle mouth and follow the step to seal the connection tightly with strong tape so air won’t leak.
Why isn't our rocket flying far and how do we fix it?
If a rocket barely lifts, check for air leaks at the bottle-to-tubing seal and reseal with strong tape, make sure the rocket's straw sleeve fits snugly on the straw launch tube, and stomp the bottle firmly and straight as described so a full burst of air reaches the rocket.
How can we adapt this activity for different ages?
For preschoolers, have an adult pre-build and tape the paper or foam rockets and use smaller plastic bottles with gentler stomps and close supervision, while older kids can construct 3–5 rockets themselves, test different launch tube angles, and record distances to analyze results.
How can we extend or personalize the stomp rocket challenge?
Enhance the activity by adding fins or heavier cone noses to specific paper rockets to test stability, marking colored teams when decorating rockets, using a protractor to set and compare launch tube angles, or creating target landing zones to measure accuracy as well as distance.