Creating Rocket Scientists

It's really not all that complicated. Take a 2-liter plastic pop bottle, tape some fins and a nose cone to it, fill it with 1/3 water, and 2/3 air pressurized to 50 psi. That's what it takes to make a rocket - albeit a very simple one.

I had each of my students this year make rockets. Some of them got to build Estes rockets, but most built 2-liter "water" rockets.

We had a "launch pad" and a "countdown". Most students talked about being nervous as their test flight approached and they worried that their spacecraft might not fly. They also had the opportunity to troubleshoot and fix any problems, and were given the opportunity for a second attempt.
You don't have to have expensive or complicated equipment for this experiment. The simplest instructions come from http://quest.nasa.gov/space/teachers/rockets/act11.html . You can get a good reusable rocket launcher from http://www.freyscientific.com/ . I used a small air compressor I picked up from Lowe's a few months back. But really, you just need a bicycle pump. There are lots of ideas and suggestions on the web if you need help.

Do this at home, with your kids, or the neighbor kids, or family. Heck, have a "launch" party on July 4 instead of actual fireworks (banned in most of Colorado this year). Winner gets their own apple pie.

You don't have to wait until school starts to teach science.