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3-2-1 Blast Off! Film Canister Rockets

May 19, 2009 by notjustcute Filed Under: Learning through Play and Experience 8 Comments

dscn1615

 If you haven’t done film canister rockets yet, boy are you missing out!  I’ll give you a quick run down on the old favorite and then let you in on a colorful little twist I’ve recently discovered!

 For your rocket, you need this rare antique called a film canister.  In this digital age, you may think these don’t exist anymore, but there are still some purists out there.  Go somewhere where film is developed and ask for empty canisters.  They always seem happy to oblige.  (In my experience, the white ones like the one above, with the lids that fit inside rather than outside, seem to make better rockets.)

 If you like, you can add wings and what-not to your rocket, but it’s not necessary.  Fill your canister about 1/2 way full with water, and drop 1/3-1/2 of an Alka-Seltzer tablet in.  Snap the cap on and place the canister lid side down onto the ground.  Then get back a few feet and start your countdown.  After a few seconds, the pressure builds up in the canister, shooting it up into the air a good 10 feet or more! 

If you haven’t guessed on your own, this is an outside activity.  And of course, you want to keep yourself and your kiddos a safe 10 or more feet away.  Sometimes, you’ll get “duds” that simply foam out of an opening in the lid and never explode, but don’t be too anxious to scoop these ones up.  Some have gone off after foaming out like this.  So give them a few minutes to decompress before rushing in.DSCN0638

For a fun spin on an old classic, my kiddos and I added some watercolor powder to each canister and let it blast off on a large piece of art paper.  It resulted in some lovely abstract art!  This also gave the little hands something more to do as they shook the color into the water before I added the “fuel tablet”.

DSCN0635

 This activity is a great tie-in to any space, motion, or transportation theme.  It is a fantastic science activity as the questions naturally flow while the children discuss how the rockets move.  So round up those little astronauts and start your own shuttle launch today!

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Comments

  1. 6

    Scott says

    July 3, 2013 at 11:32 am

    A substitute for film canisters are the conisters that hold diabetic test strips. They are a flip lid. If you desperate the small hinge, they work well. Since they are for medical use the bottles are water and air tight.

    Reply
  2. 7

    Scott says

    July 3, 2013 at 11:34 am

    *seperate. (Autocorrect)

    Reply
  3. 8

    Lizzie Boos says

    May 11, 2016 at 10:22 am

    Love This! Best Idea! Works Great!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Safe Fire-Free Ways to Have a Blast With Your Children This Fourth of July « Not Just Cute says:
    July 2, 2010 at 9:20 am

    […] yet to meet a child who doesn’t love film canister rockets!  Check out my instructions on how to construct them.  You’ll also find how to make this extra special by adding a little […]

    Reply
  2. Thematic Unit: On the Move with Transportation « Not Just Cute says:
    November 10, 2010 at 2:54 am

    […] Rockets by Tony Mitton: Film Canister Rockets (With some experimenting, we discovered that less water = higher blast […]

    Reply
  3. Reactions! Fun Science Activities that Fizz, Foam, and Pop! | Not Just Cute says:
    July 22, 2011 at 12:02 pm

    […] When my four year-old asked if I could “make” any more fireworks for the Fourth of July, I pulled out one of my favorite activities, Film Canister Rockets.  These are safe enough you could launch them from the palm of your hand, yet they’re exciting enough to keep a crowd of about six kids content on the Fourth of July at our house.  Experiment with quantities to see what makes them launch higher.  Find the details for your launch here. […]

    Reply
  4. Reactions! Five Fun Science Activities that Fizz, Foam, and Pop! | Not Just Cute says:
    May 10, 2012 at 12:04 am

    […] When my four year-old asked if I could “make” any more fireworks for the Fourth of July, I pulled out one of my favorite activities, Film Canister Rockets.  These are safe enough you could launch them from the palm of your hand, yet they’re exciting enough to keep a crowd of about six kids content on the Fourth of July at our house.  Experiment with quantities to see what makes them launch higher.  Find the details for your launch here. […]

    Reply
  5. Safe Hands-On Fun for the Kids on the Fourth | Not Just CuteNot Just Cute says:
    July 2, 2013 at 2:05 am

    […] traditional fire-free favorite around here is the age-old Alka-Seltzer rocket.  The kids love it, and it couldn’t get much […]

    Reply

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In early education, there is too much distance between what we know and what we do. I bridge the gaps that exist between academia, decision-makers, educators, and parents so that together, we can improve the quality of early education while also respecting and protecting the childhood experience.

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