Balloon-Powered Car and Rocket Creation

​Welcome to the 25 Days of Kindness Challenge! I have created 25 activities for your classroom and will release one each day. The first one is to celebrate the challenge!

Day 1 
Materials You'll Need (per group):

• 1 empty pop bottle (20 oz is great, but a 2 Liter bottle can work too!)
• 1 large 12" balloon (plus a spare, because balloons sometimes pop)
• Various types of tape (masking, scotch, or duct tape – duct tape is super strong!)
• Scissors
• A large paperclip
• A straw
• 4 plastic bottle tops (they'll be your car's wheels)
• Meter sticks or yardsticks
• 1 bamboo skewer, snapped in half
• Fishing Line

Introduction: Hey, curious minds! Ever thought about what makes cars go? They run on all sorts of things like gasoline, diesel, propane, electricity, and even air! Today, you’re going to harness the power of air with a balloon to power your very own car!
Balloon Car Challenge: Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to build a balloon-powered car that travels as far as it can. This isn’t just about putting things together; it’s about working as a team, being creative, and figuring out the best way to align your car's axles and wheels. Where does that paperclip fit in? That’s for you to find out!
Balloon Rocket Challenge: But wait, there's more! Can you also create a super-fast balloon rocket? It needs to race across a fishing line and beat the others. Think about the balloon shape and straw length – these could be your winning factors!
Make Predictions:

1. Balloon Shape: Which shape do you reckon will zoom the fastest? Why?
2. Straw Length: What's the ideal straw length for top speed? Share your thoughts!

Experiment Time: Test your ideas one by one. Try different balloons for your rocket, then play around with straw lengths. What works best?
Reflections and Discoveries:

1. Your Car's Journey: How did your balloon car do? If you could tweak something, what would it be?
2. Rocket Performance: And your rocket? Any changes you'd make for an extra burst of speed?
3. Science in Action: Newton’s 3rd Law says, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” How did this play out in your projects?

Beyond the Classroom: Space rockets use something other than balloons for thrust. Dive into some research and find out what fuels them. Get ready to share your cool findings tomorrow!