Easy Toilet Paper Roll Rocket Craft for Kids & Preschoolers

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With Bonfire Night and Diwali just around the corner, I thought it was about time to share this golden oldie – the Toilet Paper Roll Rocket Craft – as it doubles up ever so nicely as a Toilet Paper Roll FIREWORK Rocket – don’t you think? Perfect for any big celebrations that include fireworks – be it 4th of July, New Year’s Eve, Bonfire night or Diwali. This Rocket Craft is of course also perfect for little space explores ANY time of year.. I just thought it would be extra fun to share it now!

Fun Toilet Roll Rocket Craft

This craft was first made for The Clangers as part of their space exploration crafts for preschoolers. You can find a handy downloadable instruction sheet on their website!

How do you make a rocket out of a toilet roll? or Cardboard Tube?

You will see that the steps are super easy and do NOT require any special templates. Kids of all ages will love following the 3 simple steps (full details below!) to make a toilet roll spaceship or firework rocket:

1. Decorate the body of your rocket craft

2. Add the rocket’s top and stabilisers (no template needed)

3. Add the rocket’s fire

BUT.. How do you make a rocket top? / How do you make a cone shape for a rocket?

…I hear you say! As mentioned, you really don’t need a rocket template to do this. A circle of paper is plenty. Hop on down and follow the rocket top instructions below!

How do you make a real rocket at home? How to make a rocket fly?

How to make a rocket fly

You want to make your rocket fly? Like for real… well why didn’t you say so.. don’t make our Toilet Paper Roll Rocket.. taht is just for playing with or hanging up. If you want a FLYING rocket.. do visit my good friend Emma over on Science Sparks!

To make a Toilet Paper Roll Rocket you will need:

This list of materials LOOKS long, but actually, you only really need a toilet paper roll and some bits and bobs to decorate it with. As always, I encourage you to work with what you have, rather than go out and buy stuff! We used some lovely chalk pens to colour our toilet roll blue.. but you can also paint it, or if you want a non messy option, you can wrap it in paper (or even just leave it grey!!). I know I used some aluminium foil here… but that was a few years ago and I am trying to be more eco friendly going foward. So maybe use some milk bottle top lids instead? Or metallic sweety wrappers as a recycled craft? Waffle over..

The list of materials is:

  • Cardboard tube/ Toilet paper roll
  • Sticky tape or glue sticks (or both!)
  • Coloured paper
  • A little paint/ or paper for the base colour of the toy rocket
  • Crayons, pens, stickers*, aluminium foil
  • Red and gold parcel ribbon or left over tissued paper – all our tissue paper is recycled – it is surprising how much of it you accumlate from gifts and packaging!
  • A pair of scissors
  • String for hanging if you wish
  • A photo of you! **

* if you are adding stickers, this is a great way to customise this rocket craft to suit different celebrations – e.g. you could add some Diwali stickers or 4th of July stars

**the original post for the lovely clangers included a photo of Pip Squeak in the rocket cockpit! This is a super fun way to personalise this Toilet Roll Rocket and really engage your preschooler. I have however “taken” this out for this post, as I wanted to kind of make this Toilet Roll Rocket, more of a toilet roll FIREWORK rocket.. and it would be a bit weird to suggest that you blow your child up! Ha.

How to make a Toilet Roll Rocket for kids of all ages

The process for making these recycled rockets really is easy! Make it as recycled as possible to make them extra eco friendly too!

Begin by decorating the main body of your Rocket Craft

paint the tp roll in spaceship colours

1. Start with a short piece of cardboard tube (about 12cm long). Colour and decorate it using crayons or pens and stickers (could be pictures on the activity sheet to cut out and stick on?). You can decorate the rocket anyway you want – aluminium foil makes for great details.

Now make the rocket’s top and stabilisers

firework top

2. Cut out a circle of coloured paper about 10cm across – you can use a small plate to do this (this could be part of the activity sheet).

fold the rocket cone top

Cut a slit in your paper circle and wrap it into a cone shape for your rocket/ spaceship. This is the rocket “nose” or rocket cone top. I am not really sure what it is call! Ha. Use sticky tape or glue to fix it to the end of your rocket.

3. Find a picture of yourself if you wish! Cut it out in a circle, stick it on some foil and cut another larger circle – like a window frame and stick it to the side of the rocket.

add the spaceship details

4. Cut a triangle out. Fold the edges and glue to the side of the rocket!

Finally add your rocket or firework’s FIRE using recycled tissue paper!

fireworks tissue paper

5. Cut some lengths of parcel ribbon (adult could curl it using scissors) or tissue paper strips – this is a great fine motor activity for preschoolers. Stick the ‘fire’ to the other end of your firework rocket using tape or glue.

toilet roll firework rocket

6. Finally, make a hole along the top of the rocket (towards the ‘nose’ end) , then thread with string so you can hang it in the window.

More firework crafts for kids coming SOON!!

In the meantime, why not check out our New Year’s Eve Countdown activities?

Countdown activities for kids