PLAYSTEM Outdoor Water Powered Rocket Physics Learning Set-with Rocket Tail, Body and Pump DIY Rocket Science Experiment Kit- Space STEM Outdoor Toys Gift for Kids,Teens, Boys & Girls

I purchased this water rocket for use in a STEM event for grade school children (ages 8 - 12). I owned a water model rocket decades ago when I was a child, and while it was fun to launch, it was always a mild disappointment in terms of its maximum height. I have to say this PLAYSTEM rocket far exceeded my expectations established by that old rocket. By carefully managing the amount of water in the rocket (there is a sweet spot with just a bit of water, to allow a significant amount of air pressure), we were able to get the rocket to go up to ~ 100 - 150 feet. The kids has a blast, even when the rocket wasn't locked in to its base and misfired, or when it didn't get much above their heads. The assembly for the kit is very easy, and should take only 15 - 30 minutes. The rocket itself is safe enough that even middle school children should be able to use this kit safely without any major worries. The only real drawback of the kit is the lack of a properly weighted launch pad. The launch pad provided is lightweight plastic, and needs to be balanced by the snap-on of several large water bottles. The water bottles get disconnected after every launch, so it's an inconvenience (albeit a minor one) to reassemble it again. Overall a great value, and a great gift for science-minded children. It's a lot of fun to play with, so it's also a great present for kids who will have a blast launching the rocket, and perhaps might just be excited enough to learn more about the science afterwards.

Overall, a really great toy, it looks cool, and works well. Doesn't really fly that high, but for young kids it's great. It's fun to play with various amounts of water and pressure. There is some setup time, you need to fill the rocket with water, then put it on the launch pad, then pump it up......then launch it. But it is all fun. There is no parachute, so this comes down quite fast. While the nose cone is soft to protect the rocket, it is very flimsy, and we added some foam rubber inside the nose cone to give the rocket more protection. If it doesn't land on grass, I suspect the rocket would break. If your child has less patience, a stomp rocket is much quicker to the launch.

The kids enjoyed it for weeks. Not as good as the same type when i was a kid but they were impressed.

Very easy to use. Comes with everything but the water bottles and water. Remember to have three water bottles to anchor the launch pad. Will travel 100 feet up and has adjustable azimuth. I suggest the yellow nose cone be filled with foam or some type of filler and glued or zip tied on. If not.... the bottle will crush but remain usable if landing on a hard surface. The nose cone repeatedly detaches upon landing. Fun toy with my 3 year old grandson. Excellent learning booklet supplied.

Kids love it

Doesn't work. I bought 2 of these and the air line keeps popping out on both of them. Doesn't do anything.

Pretty fun lil rocket. Certainly the 2 O-Ring setup is the only way to go. Wouldn't say the quality or QC is very high as im on my 2nd one, and that one arrived with a failing extension tube, but I just send it anyway from the short lil pump line. Rocket is pretty darn tuff though and bounces of roof eves, and concrete driveway with easy. You can add a 3rd oring for super height but pump certainly wont last long with that preassure.

This is a great little rocket. The whole setup was really easy to put together. I did it with my 2-1/2 year old daughter. It was easy enough for her to slide on the find and nose cone. The stand sits very solidly and we've had no problems on the trigger mechanism after many pills by the kiddo. I set it up, she launches it. Be warned, the little ones love it so much that you end up making many trips to the drinking fountain unless you bring a bottle to fill it from or your child can do it. My daughter tries but is just a bit too short to work the fountain. The whole thing works much better than the handheld water rocket I used to use as a child and you don't get water all over yourself. An interesting thing I learned was to not over pump it. The manual claims it has an over pressure vent, but this doesn't seem to be the case. I did notice that the sound changed as the pressure got a bit higher. Getting the pressure correct had a pretty big effect. The higher pressure really let this rocket fly, but the extra thrust caused pretty erratic flight. Keeping the pressure lower gives much more stable flight and it gets plenty high enough to entertain. This is also a great way to make a book like "Rocket Science for Babies" come to life. My little one is much more engaged with the book when a live demo backs it up.