A summer tradition at Tydeman Park in Pocatello is giving Idaho families a hands-on introduction to physics — and the only thing getting soaked is a two-liter bottle.
Idaho State University’s Department of Physics is hosting its annual Water Rocket Festival this weekend, offering the first 100 children to arrive the chance to build and launch their own bottle rockets at no cost. The event takes place Saturday and Sunday at Tydeman Park, located at North 8th Avenue and East Young Street in Pocatello.
Science Disguised as Fun
The festival is the brainchild of ISU physics professor Steve Shropshire, who launched the event about 16 years ago and has spent nearly four decades running science outreach programs for young people. All basic materials are provided, and ISU students walk each child or group through the physics behind rocket-building in roughly 15-minute sessions before heading to the launch pad.
Once a rocket is assembled, students help fill it with water and carry it to the pad, where Shropshire handles the countdown and launch. Children are welcome to rebuild and relaunch their rockets as many times as they like throughout the day.
Shropshire said the underlying goal is straightforward. “The hope is to sneak some science into the summer,” he said. His approach leans on spectacle to hold young attention: “Rockets are really cool. It certainly captivates the kids’ interest.”
The format works precisely because it does not feel like a classroom. Children engage with concepts like thrust, pressure, and trajectory while watching — and launching — something they built themselves.
Competition and Community Pancakes
Beyond the builds and launches, both days feature a distance competition. The child whose rocket travels the farthest walks away with a water-rocket launcher of their own — a prize that keeps the science going long after the festival wraps up.
The event runs alongside the Kiwanis Club of Pocatello’s Bing Hong Pancake Breakfast fundraiser, making for a full morning of community activity at the park. Families can fuel up on breakfast while the kids line up for their turn at the launch pad.
Because participation is capped at the first 100 children each day, organizers encourage families to arrive early to secure a spot. All materials are provided at no charge, keeping the barrier to entry as low as possible for East Idaho families looking for meaningful summer programming.
A Decades-Long Commitment to Youth Science
Shropshire’s commitment to informal science education stretches back nearly four decades, well before the Water Rocket Festival took its current form. The annual event at Tydeman Park has become a fixture in the Pocatello community, drawing families who return year after year as children grow old enough to participate.
The festival reflects a broader philosophy in physics education: that curiosity, once sparked, is difficult to extinguish. Giving children a tangible, exciting experience with real scientific principles — rather than a lecture — tends to leave a more lasting impression.
For Bonneville County families willing to make the drive to Pocatello, the festival offers a rare combination of free admission, hands-on learning, and genuine excitement. Summer in East Idaho already brings no shortage of outdoor activity, from local celebrations like the Melaleuca Freedom Celebration in Idaho Falls to neighborhood events across the region, and the Water Rocket Festival adds another worthwhile option to the calendar.
What Comes Next
The ISU Water Rocket Festival continues through Sunday at Tydeman Park in Pocatello. Families are encouraged to arrive early, as the building and launching opportunity is limited to the first 100 children each day. No registration is required, and all materials are provided free of charge. The Kiwanis Club’s Bing Hong Pancake Breakfast runs concurrently, offering an additional community draw for attendees.