When your kid asks you if they can make their own boat, you imagine something seriously technical lol! However it doesn’t have to be difficult or complicated. These little DIY boats & rafts are not only quick and simple to make, they are so fun to experiment with.
For our Sailboats all you need are some corks and some elastic bands (rubber bands) Also some foam sheets and toothpicks if you have them lying around 😉
Making Your Sailboat
Start by wrapping your band around two corks. My son decided to use three for his sailboat.
This part can be a little tricky for smaller hands so they may need help. My 4 year old daughter struggled a little.
When your done putting your bands on you will have your floating base done!
For your sail, cut out a small square shape like the one on the picture.
You don’t want it to be too big as your boat will have a struggle floating. We know as we tested the theory lol!
Attaching you’re sail to your boat is simple enough but little hands again may need help. Prod a hole at the end of the foam square and another hole in the opposite end so that the holes are diagonal from each other. Then push your ready made sail into one of the corks.
Ready to sail
Your sailboat is done and ready to sail! My kids made a finish line for our race and we set our boats off in the water. The kids had lots of fun. You can take your water outside and try getting the wind to blow your boats. We just blew our boats to get them moving which works just as well.
DIY Cork Rafts
For another twist on DIY boats we made these rafts. My son came up with the idea of putting his lego characters on the boat so we needed it to be wide and more secure than our sailboats.
Have fun experimenting and playing with your boats. If you are doing a sink and float experiment you can check out our post and FREE print outs. Click on the link below!
https://crafty-mummy.com/sink-or-float/
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