How to use this Page

Here is a fun activity for you to do with your preschoolers. Make three boat crafts and do some science experiments with them.

Here are the instructions for making three types of boats.

Milk Carton Boat

You will need:

• Milk carton
• Scissors
• Soap bar box
• Paint and paintbrush
• String
• Glue
• Straw
• Sharp pencil

Cut the milk carton in half lengthwise. You can use your fingers to make the square end of the box more pointy. Paint the soap bar box and let dry. Use the sharp pencil to make a hole in the middle of the soap bar box. Now glue the soap bar box in the middle of the milk carton, with the hole facing up.

Make a sail from a square piece of paper. It should be about half the length of the straw. Use a pencil to make a hole at the top and the bottom of the sail. Put the straw through the holes. Put the straw through the hole in the soap box. Wrap the piece of string around the top of the straw and tape the ends to the ends of the boat.

Foam Sailboat

You will need:

• Styrofoam lid or container (not one that has held raw meat)
• Paint and paintbrush
• Construction paper
• Sharp pencil
• Tape
• Scissors
• Straw

Cut a triangle out of the construction paper. This will be the boat’s sail. Use the pencil to make a couple of holes along one side of it. Put the straw through the holes in the paper and decorate your sail. Paint the inside of the Styrofoam tray. This will be the boat. Tape the sail onto the boat.

Plastic Sailboat

You will need:

• Plastic soda bottle or water bottle
• Scissors
• Paint and paintbrush
• Straws
• Glue
• Construction paper

Cut the bottle in half lengthwise. Cut one straw so it is a few inches taller than the depth of the boat. Glue it down so it stands up in the center of the boat. Glue another straw perpendicular to the first one, about three inches down from the top.

Cut a paper sail to fit the mast you have just made. Glue the sail onto the mast. Decorate the inside of your boat.

Now that you have three boats, it’s time to experiment with them. Here are some activities you can try:

• Which boat floats best? Fill a basin or sink with water and set sail. See boat which stays upright the longest.

• When left in the water, which boat lasts the longest?

• Which boat goes the fastest? Blow on the sails and see which boat is the speediest.

• Which boat sinks first? Try adding pennies to each of your boats and see which can hold the most.

Making boats is a fun way to spend a day with your child. Experimenting with the boats gets your child asking questions about his world and thinking about things in a whole new way.