10 Best Spaceship & Rockets Toys for Kids in 2024
Ana
Cassie Sheets
Three, two, one–-blast off! If you have a young science enthusiast, getting your child their own rocket to launch is the perfect toy for them! Your children can imagine flying into the sky and off into space, making them eager to learn what’s out there! Not only are these rockets exciting to use, but they also help introduce your science enthusiast to more scientific concepts in ways that are exciting and educational. These toys also help provide different ways for your child to experience flight. Some of these rockets launch with a jump onto a launch pad while others need a combination of water, air pressure, and other forces to help launch them into the sky. Using toys like these provides opportunities for your children to experience and explore aerodynamics, physics and an endless world of science.
In a Hurry? The test winner after 22 hrs of research
Foam rockets are safe for play inside and out
No batteries needed for operation
Glows in the dark for nighttime play
Shoots up to 100 feet into the air
10 Best Spaceship & Rocket Toys Reviewed
1. Stomp Jr. Glow Refill Pack
Foam rockets are safe for play inside and out
No batteries needed for operation
Glows in the dark for nighttime play
Shoots up to 100 feet into the air
The stand may come apart with use and need to be re-assembled
Help your little one shoot for the stars with this rocket launch set. They are entirely kid-powered--just stomp on the launch pad and you’re flying. Made of foam, they are soft and safe enough to even be used indoors.
Read moreEducational Value
Your children will benefit mentally and physically from playing with this toy. It introduces them to scientific concepts such as to cause and effect, aerodynamics, and propulsion. They will make the connection between how high and hard they jump and how high it flies. This lays the groundwork for scientific thinking, which will benefit your child as he learns about science in an educational setting.
Entertainment Value
Watch your kids run and jump to see how high they can launch--they can fly up to 100 feet into the air. They even glow in the dark, making them fun for evening play and easier to find.
Materials
No batteries or fuel are required to make them fly. They assemble quickly and easily, so you and your little ones will be shooting for the stars in no time. Your child will also benefit physically from running and jumping to make the rockets fly. Running provides cardiovascular benefits while jumping on the launchpad helps develop coordination and strengthen muscles.
2. Stomp Ultra 4 Pack
Has a foam tip for safety
Shoots up to 200 feet into the air
No batteries or fuel needed to launch
Strong and durable for repeated use
The stand may come apart with use and need to be re-assembled
Get your kid ready for take-off with this toy. Your kid will have all the fun of shooting a rocket without worrying about engines, batteries, or fuel. They simply run and jump on the launcher and watch it fly up to 200 feet into the air.
Read moreEducational Value
Playing with this toy is fun for your kids, but it also introduces them to scientific concepts and thinking. They will have to figure out the right force to get it to launch and experiment with different runs and jumps to get the best results. Running and jumping provides them with physical benefits as well, improving their cardiovascular health and strengthening muscles. Jumping on the launch pad also improves their coordination.
Entertainment Value
This award-winning toy can be played with solo, or with other kids for extra fun. Turn it into a contest to see who can shoot the highest. This portable toy is fun in the backyard or at a park. They are also safe with a soft, foam tip. This award-winning toy will provide hours of entertainment for your kids.
Materials
Though this toy can be played with alone, it’s also suitable for social play. Playing with others provides your child with opportunities to make friends and learn important social skills such as taking turns and assertiveness. This item is made with great materials for rocket launching.
3. Water Kit by 4M
Uses water and air pressure, so no fuel or batteries needed
Includes detailed instructions that are easy to follow
Can use with different bottles to experiment
Flies over 30 feet for a real rocket experience
Requires a bicycle pump, which is not included
Harness the power of water to shoot a rocket over 30 feet into the air! This kit helps your child transform a simple soda bottle into a high-flying missile. It’s powered by a combination of water and air pressure.
Read moreEducational Value
This hands-on toy will bring out your child’s inner scientist. It introduces your child to physics, flight mechanics, and propulsion with a rocket they make themselves. They’ll develop their scientific thinking while working out the best combination of water and air to get the most height and longest flight. They also develop problem-solving skills as they find the best bottle to use.
Entertainment Value
Your kids will enjoy experimenting with different combinations of water and air to get the highest flight. They can even try different bottles to see how that affects the trajectory. The kit is designed to be used repeatedly for maximum fun.
Materials
The kit includes detailed instructions, although it’s fairly easy to assemble. Adult supervision is recommended, and you might enjoy it as much as your kid does. Putting it all together will help develop their fine motor skills. Since adult supervision is recommended, it also provides an excellent opportunity for you to bond with your child and encourage their thinking.
4. As Seen On TV Slingshot LED Helicopters
Copters come fully assembled and ready for launch
Batteries are included and installed
LED lights make them bright and easy to find
They make a fun whistling sound as they fall
Lights may fail after use
Launch copters into the sky and watch them fall gently to the ground with this set. These copters are launched with a rubber band, which makes them easy to use.
Read moreEducational Value
They also have a scientific appeal. Kids will enjoy experimenting with different ways to shoot the copters. They’ll need to problem-solve to find the ideal trajectory to get the most height and flight from their copter.
Entertainment Value
It can be a challenge to get kids outside to play. These copters are appealing enough to do just that. Kids benefit from having time away from their screens and engaging in exercise. They’ll run to catch the copters they’ve launched, giving them exercise. Shooting the copters helps develop their coordination. They’re great toys to play with as a family, giving you an opportunity to bond.
Materials
They come assembled with batteries, so you can use them right out of the package. Although they’re fun any time, they are especially fun at night when you can enjoy the LED lights. They can launch over 100 feet into the air and are highly visible, making them easy to find. Kids (and adults) will enjoy seeing how far and how fast they can launch these copters into the air. They even make a whistling sound as they descend for extra fun.
5. Marky Sparky Blast Pad
Adjustable launch tube for higher flying rockets
Missiles have foam tips for safer play
Only launches when vertical to prevent accidental launches
All items can be stored in the base, making it portable for anywhere fun
The tubing may crack if left in sun or with repeated use
Get your kids running and jumping with this rocket launcher. It gets your kids engaged in outdoor play with a science element. The launcher neatly stores everything into its base, making it portable and easy to take to picnics or parties.
Read moreEducational Value
This toy also helps your children develop educationally. It gets them thinking about science and engineering as they try to figure out how to get things flying higher. It also encourages problem-solving as they try different methods of blasting off. This natural curiosity lays the groundwork for success in science and engineering, and maybe even a future career interest.
Entertainment Value
Running and jumping while using this toy will help your kids get the exercise they need. Running helps them develop stamina, and jumping while trying to hit the launch pad helps them develop coordination and strengthen muscles.
Materials
The missiles have foam tips for safety. The launch tube is adjustable and flex tube is designed not to kink so you get maximum airflow for higher launches. It’s also designed to only work when the launcher is in a vertical position, so your kids won’t accidentally launch in the wrong direction. Its durable design ensures that you’ll be able to launch over and over again.
6. Lego Ideas NASA Apollo
Provides a challenging but fun experience
Designed with realistic details that will educate your child on the Apollo
Stimulates the imagination
Rocket can be put on display once fully built
Some reviewers experienced their box being damaged
Get an up-close look at the spaceship that took humans to the moon with the Lego Nasa Apollo building set.
Read moreEducational Value
This set is loaded with realistic features that will increase your child’s knowledge of the Apollo. This rocket includes 3 removable rocket stages, a command/ service module, a launch escape system, a lunar orbiter and a lunar lander. Your child can recreate a splashdown landing using the lunar orbiter and lander. Along with the set, your child will receive a booklet that provides information about the Apollo missions and the designers who created the set.
Entertainment Value
With 1,969 pieces children ages fourteen and up are provided with challenging but fun experience. After your child has finished building the ship they can create fun space adventures and engage in pretend play.
Materials
Once fully built, this set is over 39 inches tall and 6 inches in diameter. Just like with other lego sets, the pieces are durable and will stay together until your ready to pull it a part. While the set is great for pretend play, it can also be set on display in your house.
7. Hape Discovery Space Center
Composed of a durable wood & non-toxic finishes
Equipped with 37 different pieces that will stimulate the imagination
Designed with four levels
Features a working elevator
Maybe too expensive for some families
Hape’s Discovery Space Center takes space play to a whole new level.
Read moreEducational Value
This four-level spaceship will give your child the chance to see inside a rocket. Amongst the levels are an onboard lab, living quarters, an exercise room, and an area for mission control.
Entertainment Value
With 37 different pieces the opportunities for play is practically endless. While this toy does feature an open floor place, it also features a working elevator which makes it easy for your child to move the pieces from floor to floor. Children ages three and up will have a blast moving the included aliens and astronauts throughout the ship.
Materials
Composed of durable wood with non-toxic finishes your child is safe to enjoy this space center for years to come.
8. Wooden Stacker Space Rocket
Increase fine motor and problem-solving skills
Magnets keep pieces together
Composed of durable wood with non-toxic paint
Stimulates cognitive development
Paint chips quickly
With the wooden stacker space rocket, your child can build, explore, and discover while also playing.
Read moreEducational Value
Designed with six different stackable pieces, your child will increase their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. This set will also stimulate your child’s cognitive development and improve their ability to problem solve as they work to match the correct pieces.
Entertainment Value
The pieces are held together by magnets, thus allowing your child to play with the rocket once fully built. The astronaut included will further enhance the fun and your child's pretend space adventures.
Materials
Svan has made this toy using an all natural wood and non-toxic paint. Not only is this rocket super durable but it is also safe.
9. Stomp Dueling 4 Pack
Can shoot two rockets at once
Foam-tipped for safety to prevent injury
Can fly up to 200 feet
Durable enough to be used again and again
The tubing may not stay connected with repeated use
What’s better than one rocket? Two! This set gives your kids the opportunity for some competition while learning about the basics of flight mechanics and propulsion.
Read moreEducational Value
The toy also subtly introduces children to scientific concepts. They experiment with physics as they run and jump. They learn about propulsion and flight. Exposing children to scientific concepts when they’re young can help spark an interest in science and engineering. Children also develop important skills such as critical thinking and problem solving as they figure out how to get their rocket to “win.”
Entertainment Value
Since two kids can use this toy at the same time, it’s perfect for social play. Children benefit from social play. It helps them develop skills like sharing and negotiation. Since the play can be competitive, they also learn how to compete fairly and win (or lose) gracefully.
Materials
They can fly up to 20 stories high without any batteries or engines--they’re powered entirely by your kids. They run, jump, then land on the launch pad to send the rockets flying. The dual design allows two kids to shoot at once, seeing which one can fly the farthest and the highest. It’s a great toy for outdoor play in your backyard or at a park. They are durable and have a foam tip for safety.
Criteria Used for Evaluation
Educational Value
Toys like rockets provide a fun experience and they’re also educational. They help introduce your child to important scientific ideas and the inner workings of a rocket. These toys will help your child exercise their reasoning and problem-solving skills as they try to find the best way to get the most height out of each launch. STEM toys like rockets teach children science in a way that doesn’t feel “educational.” Hands-on learning is the best way to learn and retain information. Exposing your child to science at a young age will help them academically and it might even get them interested in either a scientific or engineering career.
Entertainment Value
First, the toys need to be fun and engaging so that they will appeal to children. Second, we considered kid-friendly use, determining if it was something that a child could assemble easily on their own, or if it was something more complex with detailed directions that they might need some assistance with.
Materials
We also included traditional model rocket kits. These special kits include detailed, step-by-step directions and even diagrams for older children to follow. They still might need some assistance but depending on their age, might also be able to follow along on their own. When launching a rocket, it is recommended that adult supervision is provided for safety purposes.
Educational Value Entertainment Value Materials 
These toys also help provide different ways for your child to experience flight. Some of these rockets launch with a jump onto a launch pad while others need a combination of water, air pressure, and other forces to help launch them into the sky. Using toys like these provides opportunities for your children to experience and explore aerodynamics, physics and an endless world of science. Your child will also learn life skills such as trial and error as they determine the best way to get their rocket flying high into the sky. Toys like these fall into the category of STEM toys, which is a short term for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. STEM toys foster scientific thinking, including reasoning and problem-solving skills. Having skills like these will help your child’s success when learning about science in school and it may even help spark an interest in these fields as a future career.
The toys we suggested on this list are also very easy to use. The simplest ones just attach to a tube and all your child has to do is stomp on the launch pad and it will send them flying into the sky. These toys can be assembled quickly and can be used by your child with minimal supervision, which helps give your child a sense of independence. That being said, there are some rockets on our list that require a combination of water pressure and air. These ones, in particular, are a little more complex and your child might need your assistance setting up. These kits do come with clear directions, easy enough for you and your child to follow along with.
Other Factors to Consider
Safety
Safety, of course, is also critical. The rockets on this list are safe to use, though some recommend adult supervision. The simplest ones that launch by jumping on an air pad, can be used with minimal supervision.
Age Range
They are either made of foam or have a foam tip, which protects your child in the case of an accidental launch. Other ones that launch with water pressure or with an engine require more supervision and are geared for older children. Model rockets are designed to be launched from a distance, so your children are safely away from the small engine blast. The amount of supervision depends on the age and maturity of your child; a good rule of thumb would be to work with them through their initial launch, and once your child has a good grasp of the fundamentals, let them work with less supervision.
Frequently Asked Questions
q: Which rockets are best for young children?
The best rockets for young children are the ones that are easiest to use and assemble. Ones that launch with just a simple launch pad that the child jumps on would be most appropriate. They are easy to use and fun. The toys on this list that utilize jumping for launch include the Original Stomp Rocket Jr. Glow, the Original Stomp Rocket Ultra, the Original Stomp Rocket Dueling, the Blast Pad Missile Launcher, and the Original Geospace Jump Rocket.
q: Which rockets are best for older children?
Older children, depending on their maturity, can try using a more complex method for launching their rockets. There are water rocket kits, which utilize water and air pressure for a higher blast off. Children age 10 and older might be ready for a model rocket kit. These need to be assembled and require an engine for lift-off. Supervision is recommended for children up to the age of 12. Water rockets on the list include the 4M Water Rocket Kit and the Hands-On Lab Fly-High Rocket. Model rockets include the Estes Tandem-X Flying Model Rocket Launch Set, and the Estes Alpha III Flying Model Rocket Kit.
q: Does the kit include everything I need?
Rockets that launch with just air pressure comes with everything you need right out of the box. These kits include a launcher, rocket(s), and a launchpad. Ones that launch with air and water pressure require a bicycle pump, which is not included. They may also require a recycled soda bottle, which may not be included. Model rockets require an engine, which is sold separately, as well as batteries for the launcher.
q: Which rockets fly the highest?
Model rockets fly the highest because they require an engine. Once assembled, they can often fly as high as 1,000 feet or more. Water rockets can also fly relatively high, due to being powered by a combination of water and air pressure.
q: Can the rockets be used indoors?
The rockets on this list can all be used outdoors, and that’s typically the best way to really experience their height. A couple are suitable for indoor use as well, especially if you have high ceilings. The Original Stomp Rocket Jr. Glow is made of soft foam, making it safe for indoor launches. The Geospace Jump Rocket Mini Set has foam tips, which also make it safe for indoor play.
q: How difficult is the rocket to assemble?
Rockets that launch with just air pressure from a launchpad are the simplest to assemble. You can just put together the launch pad and you’ll be ready for launch. Water rockets are a bit more complex, as they require a launch pad and a bicycle pump to provide air pressure. The most difficult to assemble are the model rockets. With those kits, the rockets need to be put together, then the launch pad needs to be set up in order to fire them. All kits come with clear, detailed directions, though.
Sources
- , 5 Ways Your Kids' Favorite Toys Actually Have Scientific Benefits, Parenting Article
- , The Benefits of Educational Toys and Play, Blog Article
- , STEM Toys and their Benefits - Making Kids Smarter , Blog Article
- , How Do STEM Toys Help Kids? The Impact Could Be Great, Informative Article
- , STEM Education: What is STEM and Why Does It Matter?, Informative Article
