Send rockets into outer space at your next birthday party. Have a contest to see whose rocket can fly the farthest, play rocket tag, or make rocket targets for prizes! You’ll only need two things for this activity, paper and straws, which is what makes it so inexpensive, accessible, and RAD!

The rocket I made for this post is very simple. Some rockets made from paper can get pretty complicated and use a lot of tape. Easier rocket making = LOTS of rockets and LOADS of fun. Depending on what materials you have available, you can make your rockets as fast and colorful as you want. To make this rocket, take a long strip of paper (I cut a piece of printer paper into threes) and roll it up. Make sure the hole in the middle is big enough for a straw. I had some markers lying around so I colored my piece of paper before I rolled it. Once it’s rolled up, roll one end up about a third of the way and that’s it – your rocket is ready to launch. To launch, simply slide the rocket over the straw and blow!

What can you do with your rocket?

• Tag – the classic game of tag is really fun with rockets. It makes tagging harder and you can use the bendy part of the straw to bend around corners of the house for sneak attacks! The rockets I made above are perfect for tag because they aren’t sharp and won’t poke any eyeballs out!
• Shoot the moon – Make moons out of paper and lay them on the ground. Have guests send their rockets to the moon and whoever gets closest wins a prize!
• Rocket launch – have every guest line up and launch their rockets to see who can launch theirs the farthest. The furthest launch, wins a prize!

These are just a few, fun ideas for your next rad rocket straw party. If you don’t have straws, don’t worry! All these activities can be done by making a simple paper airplane (http://www.diynetwork.com/made-and-remade/learn-it/5-basic-paper-airplanes). We want to make parties fun and exciting – for everyone and every budget. So, party on and happy birthday to you!