GS Journeys with Water Rockets

Our Troop has been learning about water and which of course includes how important it is. Our Daisy learned how nature needs water to live while the Brownies are doing the journey WOW. The Juniors are learning that as a team, their power to change things is greater. The Cadettes are working on their Breathe Journey. But we also wanted the girls to learn how fun water can be. During a first time troop camping trip, we decided to show the girls how to have fun with water. They built their own water rockets and got to launch them.

In order to use resources wisely, we had the girls look for things on our nature hike that they thought they could use as a paint brush to paint their rockets. They found a lot of interesting things to use including many different kinds of  leaves, moss, acorns, sticks and one scout even used a few different size rocks.

You’re troop may be interested in doing this with your troop as part of a journey, badge or for fun, so we’re including the directions for how the water rockets are built and how to launch them below.

Items needed for Rockets 

• 2-liter soda bottle
• Foam Board
• Packing tape
• Tennis Ball
• Nail
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Utility Knife

Launching items needed

• Bicycle Tire Pump
• Cork Stopper
• Measuring Cup
• Water

Your water rocket needs four wings. Using the foam board, measure and cut out two rectangles that are 8 1/2 inches by 13 inches. Cut each square diagonally to make two triangles from each rectangle.

Use your packing tape to tape each wing on the bottle making sure the opening of the bottle in facing down and not touching the ground. Your wings will hold the bottle up once all wings are on.

Once your wings are taped on you will then place your tennis ball on top and tape it in place.

For launching you will need to put a hole through your cork so the bicycle pump end will fit snug in the cork and air can go through (This will stay in place). Fill the bottle with 3/4 cups of water and put the cork snug in the opening of the bottle before you place the bottle on the ground. Pump air into it until it launches the rocket. I suggest that only adults launch the rockets as they come off releasing the water but most of all because they come down hard and can hurt a child. My troop loved making and launching their rockets, in fact they can’t wait to do it again. We hope your girls like it too.

  10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1, take off!!!

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