Balloon Rocket Blastoff
Prep time:
15 Minutes
Total time:
15 Minutes
Ages:
6-12
While Lucky’s magical balloon helps him float, your kids can use the magic of science to help launch a balloon across the room! This fun experiment brings the power of propulsion to life through a simple and easy-to-make experiment. How many breaths do you think it will take to reach the other side?
Supplies
- Red balloon
- Straw
- Scissors
- Thing string or fishing line (at least 20-25ft)
- Tape
- Measuring tape or ruler
- Clothespin or binder clip
- Two chairs
- Optional: Balloon hand pump
Steps
- Thread the string or fishing line through the straw.
- Attach each end of the string to the back of a chair..
- Pull the chairs apart until the string is straight and tight.
- After you’ve set up the activity area, inflate a balloon using three big breaths (or pumps from a hand pump).
- Use a clothespin or binder clip to keep the balloon tightly closed.
- Attach the balloon to the straw using tape.
- Unclip the clothespin or binder clip and let the balloon fly!
- When the balloon has stopped moving, use a piece of tape to mark on the floor where the balloon stopped.
- Use the measuring tape or ruler to measure the distance and record the number on a piece of paper.
- Repeat steps 4-9 three times using four, five, and six big breaths.
- On the same piece of paper you recorded all your measurements, create a graph to visualize your results.