This fun activity puts children’s arts and crafts skills to the test and lets them explore their creativity. It’s also a great way to introduce children to the properties of different materials, and the science behind why some objects float on water and others sink.
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Adults must supervise with this activity as it requires the use of sharp objects and water.
Equipment needed
- Corks (three for each boat)
- Elastic bands
- Tooth picks
- String
- Coloured card
- Scissors
- Crayons or coloured pencils
- Stickers
- Sticky tape
Steps
1
Wrap two elastic bands around three wine corks to form the foundations of the boat. Then attach a long piece of cotton string around one of the bands –– this will stop the boat floating away!
2
Make a sail for the boat out of card. Cut out the size and shape you want, then give the sail a cool design using crayons, coloured pencils and stickers. Stick a tooth pick into the middle cork of the boat to form a mast. Then attach the sail –– you can either attach it with sticky tape, or carefully stick the tooth pick through the card as shown.
3
Supervising your kids, take the cork boat to a local pond or river and set sail! Don't want to leave the house? Set sail in the bath or sink instead! How well will your boat take to the water? Don’t forget to hold onto the end of the string so you can bring it back to shore!