Preschool Boat Crafts
These preschool boat crafts are perfect for introducing young learners to both transportation and the letter “Bb”.
These hands-on activities not only unlock your child’s inner artist, but they serve as an engaging way to teach them about different modes of transportation and the alphabet.
So, prepare to set sail into a world of creativity, learning, and fun! Let’s dive right in and explore these exciting boat crafts.
These hands-on activities are an excellent way to familiarize your little ones with the transportation world and the alphabet’s letter “Bb”.
It’s more than just crafting; it’s a path to discovery, learning, and development. So, let’s set our compass and navigate through these fabulous boat crafting ideas!
How do these activities tie into the letter of the week?
As part of your “Letter of the Week” series, these boat crafts provide a fun and interactive way to familiarize children with the letter “Bb”.
When children make these crafts, the connection between boats and the letter “Bb” is an easy association for young minds to grasp.
Every time they see or think about a boat, they’ll be reminded of the letter “Bb”. This association can act as a powerful memory aid, helping children to recall and recognize the letter faster.
In turn, this promotes early literacy skills and paves the way for successful learning in the future.
Now that we've discussed how these boat crafts link the worlds of transportation, craft, and literacy, let's get into the exciting part — the crafts themselves!
Each of these projects is not only fun to create but is also skillfully designed to emphasize the core theme we're exploring: the letter "Bb".
Remember, the key objective is to make learning enjoyable and intuitive for our little ones. So, buckle up and get ready for some fun-filled crafting time ahead.
Fun Letter B Crafts
This preschool boat craft is perfect for your upcoming letter of the week lessons. You can also add it to your transportation and ocean units. Homeschool Preschool
Ivory Soap Boats
Add a little science to your crafting time when you make Ivory soap boats . The Joys of Boys
Sailing Away: Homemade Sailboats
Explore wind speeds and waves when foam boats sail away in a pan of water. What We Do All Day
Pool Noodle Boats
Don’t throw your noodles away at the end of summer. Use them to make pool noodle boats that can be used in the pool or the bathtub. The Best Ideas for Kids
How to Make a Twig Boat
Gather twigs, leaves, and flowers on your next nature walk. You won’t believe how easy it is to use those items to make a twig boat . Family Budgeting
BOAT KIDS CRAFTS
This boat kids craft makes a great card cover or a simple piece of artwork to display throughout the summer. Krokotak
Floating Popsicle Stick Boat Craft for Kids
These floating popsicle stick boats are another simple craft that uses supplies you can pick up at a local dollar store or craft store. Hunny, I’m Home!
Rocking Boat Paper Craft with Video Tutorial
The video tutorial makes this rocking boat paper craft easy to assemble. Then, kids will want to play with it for a while. Artsy Craftsy Mom
Rocking Paper Plate Boat
Here’s another fun rocking boat craft that uses a paper plate as its base. Red Ted Art
How to make a self propelled boat craft from a magerine tub!
Your kids can make a self-propelled boat craft from a margarine tub with this tutorial! Red Ted Art
Popsicle Stick Boat Craft for Kids
Preschoolers will love floating some peg dolls on these colorful craft stick boats . Rhythms of Play
Rocking Paper Plate Pirate Boat Craft
Ready for another rocking boat craft? How about this paper plate pirate boat craft for kids ! It’s so cute. Non-Toy Gifts
Cardboard Box Noah's Ark
Use a cardboard box to create a Noah’s ark that’s perfect for imaginary play. The Craft Train
Coffee Filter Sailboat Craft
Here’s an easy coffee filter sailboat craft that’s easy enough for even your toddlers to create. Look, We’re Learning
Let's Build Boats!
Add this boat building STEM challenge to your transportation theme. The kids will love it! Pink Stripey Socks
Apple Boats
Fall is a great time to add apples to your lessons. Your kids will love making these apple boats that really float! Here Come the Girls
Sailboat Craft
Whether your kids are dreaming of the beach or just need an afternoon craft to do, this summer sailboat craft is a great way to use old paper scraps and looks great on display. The Best Ideas for Kids
Easy Cork Boat Craft for Kids
These easy pirate cork boats are super cute and ridiculously easy to make! And, they really float! Red Ted Art
Paper Plate Boat Craft
This paper plate boat craft for kids is a great way to have kids work on their fine motor lacing skills as they whip up a fun craft. Non-Toy Gifts
Make a balloon powered sponge boat
Your kids will be so excited to create their very own balloon-powered sponge boats! The Craft Train
Make a sailboat out of a shampoo bottle
Make a sailboat out of an old shampoo bottle. It’s a great way to recycle some household items. Pink Stripey Sock
Cardboard Box Boats: Olympic Canoes
Cardboard canoes are another great recycling craft. These are made with old egg cartons and strips of cardboard. Here Come the Girls
And there you have it! An exciting exploration through the world of boat crafts, perfect for your preschooler’s exploration of the letter “Bb.”
These activities offer a unique blend of creativity, learning, and fun, transforming the way children perceive education.
Remember, it’s through such hands-on experiences that kids not only learn but also retain knowledge more effectively.
So turn those craft sessions into a voyage of discovery with these engaging boat crafts. Here’s to a world of learning that’s as vast and exciting as the ocean itself!
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
One Comment
So many adorable crafts!! Thanks for including me!
Sharing is Caring
Help spread the word. You're awesome for doing it!
- Skip to primary navigation
- Skip to main content
- Skip to primary sidebar
Playtivities
- Educational Activities
- Toddler Art Activities
- Toddler Motor Skills Activities
- Preschooler Art Activities
- Winter activities for kids
- Cooking Activities for Kids
- Traveling With Kids
- Christmas Crafts
- Motherhood Tips
- Acts of Kindness Ideas
- Kid Friendly Recipes
- Things We Love
- Easy Halloween Costume for Kids
- About/Contact
Published: Aug 23, 2022 by Birute Efe · This post may contain affiliate links · 3 Comments
40 Boat Crafts Kids Will Love To Do (Many upcycled crafts)
There are few things kids enjoy doing more than playing in the water, and boats take the fun up a notch. Whether building a boat that floats for the backyard kiddie pool or making one out of paper, boats are a fun part of every kid's summer play.
This summer, we have a great list of boat crafts for you to make with your children! These 40 boat crafts kids will love to do are simple and inexpensive, requiring only materials found around the house!
Kids will have a lot of fun building DIY boats and then seeing if they can keep them afloat on water.
Note: Add a little string to your boats so you can easily retrieve them without harming local wildlife, or avoid having sobbing children who want their boat back!
40 Fun Boat Craft Ideas For Kids
Make a boat from duct tape & sponges, origami paper boat, wax boat craft, pool noodle boats, shampoo bottle sailboat, diy cork sailboats, diy tug boat.
- Let's Build a Pirate Ship
Milk Carton Boat Craft
Walnut boat craft, popsicle stick boat crafts, tin pan boat crafts, mayflower ship, diy basket boat, egg carton boat, cereal box boat, soda bottle boats, bottle lid boats, easter egg boats, twig bundle raft, viking longboat, soap bar boats, balloon boat, happy sailing, me hearties.
Time for our favorite Summer boat crafts your kids will love to create and play with! Children can design their boats, make them, and then watch how well they float!
Kids are always looking for excuses to play in the water. These DIY sponge boats will keep your children entertained for hours. Kids will enjoy racing their boats and try tirelessly to sink them in the water. Making the boat is super easy! You will only need three things-- paper or duct tape for the sail, a kitchen sponge for the boat's base, and a skewer or a straw for the sail mast.
Cut the top two corners of the sponge. Push the skewer in the middle to make the sail mast. Make the sail from paper or duct tape. This boat is perfect for bathtime or outdoor play. Head over to The Craft Train to learn more about how to make these fun little sponge boats and many more summer crafts for kids!
Most paper boats are easy peasy and so much fun to make. You can create one with your toddlers during summer break and watch their eyes light up with joy! This boat craft only requires paper and paper folding skills!
Artsy Craftsy Mom has some great instructions on making paper origami boats and many other fun crafts for kids.
My kids love making wax boat craft . They are so much fun and easy to make! The best thing is they always float on water and never sink. You will need cheese wax, a toothpick, and paper to make the sails.
Sculpt your boat with the cheese wax. You can make little round boats. Stick the toothpick and make a sail out of paper. Your boat is ready to go on long adventurous voyages! Use your imagination and decorate your boat. This is a fun boat craft for younger and older kids.
This is a great boat crafts for kids. You can create your Pool Noodle boats with simple supplies you can easily get at the dollar store. You will need pool noodles, colorful straws, and foam sheets. Follow the fun instructions on making pool noodle boats by Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails.
Using a knife, cut the pool noodle into small round shapes. Insert the straw on the side of the pool noodle and make the sails out of foam sheets. Your super cool pool noodle boat is ready to float.
Note: Parents can help their little ones by cutting the pool noodle with a knife.
Bring out your creative spirit with these fun kids crafts. Make your own sailboat with a shampoo bottle. All you need is a bottle of shampoo, a straw, a stirrer, a piece of paper, elastic bands, and a wine cork or a piece of the pool noodle (to stick the stirrer in to use as a mast).
Make a hole in the wine cork, stick the stirrer in the middle, and use paper as a mast for the sailboat. Pink Stripey Socks has some great instructions on how to build a shampoo DIYtle sailboat , and you will also find other DIY boat ideas.
Cork sailboats are easy to make and float well on water. This kid-friendly craft is an ideal summer activity. These are the cutest and easiest boats you will ever make! You will find all the different materials you need around the house. You will need some corks, an elastic band, skewers, and paper.
Combine the corks with the elastic band and make a hole in the middle. Stick the skewer and make a pretty sail for your boat.
Go to Happy Hooligans to find out how to make a cork sailboat and other cool summer activities! Make as many as you want. Kids can share it with their best friend. These are great non toy gifts!
This boat craft is great for kids of all ages! Your kids will love building a boat that floats and moves. Make this simple self-propelled tug boat craft with materials around the house. You will need an empty butter box, popsicle sticks, a yoghurt container, and paint.
Place popsicle sticks around the sides of the butter box. Put the yoghurt container on top and tape it down. Paint your boat. Make a paddle out of a piece of plastic. Make slits in the paddle and inset the piece of plastic through them. Wind up your boat, and it's ready to float away!
Cardboard canoes are great entertainment for kids. Children can use the DIY canoes for a sailing role-playing game with friends and siblings. Kids can also load the canoes with their toys during pretend play and fly the canoe around the house.
Simply cut out a cardboard boat and use hot glue to stick the sides of the boat to the bottom piece and ends. Make oars of the boat out of toothpicks and paint your boat. You can add some extra decorations if you like. You can even put action figures inside the boat. Kids can race the boat around the house and have fun!
Let's Build a Pirate Ship
Ahoy, my maties! This is a fun-filled craft for all pirates fans. Sail away with this exciting pirate ship craft this summer. Kids will love making this exciting boat craft. You will need cardboard, masking tape, and a stick to make the ship's mast.
You can download a free pirate ship template from Red Ted Art here and start making your pirate ship today! Enjoy the day pretending to be pirates and explore the seven seas!
This is a fun summer activity for kids of all ages. Kids can engage in imaginative play with this easy-to-make DIY milk carton boat craft . It's cheap to make, and you can easily find what you need at home. Have your child engage in some exciting science facts about buoyancy while they make the boat.
Cut one side of the milk carton and paint it. Use a skewer for the sail mast and a cloth or paper to make the sail. Kids can even use their toy as a pretend sailor while putting it in a pond or a bathtub to make it float.
If you live near an area where walnuts grow, you're lucky! We have the perfect walnut boat craft for you. You can use this natural crafting material to create cute walnut boats with your friends. They are simple to make and will almost always float on water.
The fun thing is you can make two boats from one walnut! Divide a walnut into two and fill both with hot glue. Place a pipe cleaner in each to create a sail mast. Stick googly eyes to the sail and draw a smiley face with a marker. It's as simple as that! Your cute little walnut boat is ready!
Stay cool this summer with this fun popsicle stick boat craft. As a kid, I remember making these boats with rainbow-colored popsicle sticks. I now continue the same tradition with my children-- they really enjoy making popsicle stick boats.
Layer the popsicle sticks and glue them together. Stack popsicle sticks around the boat and use one as a sail mast. Throw your popsicle stick boats on a water table and have a boat race with all your friends!
Create a boat you will love floating in the river. This is a really easy boat craft that even toddlers can make without help from their parents. Don't worry about the mess kids will make. There won't be any!
Kids will only need a tin pan. I gave my kids one of my leftover baking tin pans, which was lying around the house. Kids will also need play dough and an ice cream stick for the sail mast.
Put glue inside the tin pan and stick a ball of playdough in it. Put your sail mast inside the play dough, and you are ready to take your tin pan boat out on a sailing trip!
How about a history lesson while you make these fun boat crafts for kids? Make a Mayflower ship , an English ship that brought the first pilgrims to America. Make an exciting little ship from paper plates, wooden dowels, and other materials.
Cut the paper plate in half, join it together, and use wooden dowels as sail mast and paper to make the sail of your Mayflower ship . This is a fun craft to make, and you can hang it in your kid's room.
Note: Parents can help their kids with the scissors to cut the paper plates.
This DIY basket boat is a classic for kids! They can create their basket boat all on their own with their endless imagination. My kids usually take turns sitting inside the boat and giving a push to each other as they sail away on an unknown adventure! Better yet, if you have two or more laundry baskets, kids can have an exciting boat race!
All you need is a small laundry basket and a brown paper bag to make the sail mast. Use party streamers to decorate your boat. Kids love playing with this real-life boat. All the kids can take turns giving each other boat rides.
This is a great idea for kids o,f all ages. Egg carton boats are easy to make, and you will only need a few things you can easily find in the kitchen. Take an egg carton and cut it in half. Insert one or two straws to make the sail mast, and you are done. Paint and decorate your boat.
The fantastic thing is they float effortlessly on the water.
Have a box of Cheerios lying around the house? We have a great boat craft idea and activities for kids that they can make from cereal boxes!
Cut out a rectangular shape from the cereal box and glue it together. Insert a skewer in the center and use newspaper to make the boat sail.
Kids will have a blast playing with their cereal box boats !
Create your soda bottle boat and show it to all your friends. I'm sure they will love it and want one too! Simply cut the bottom part of the bottle, cover it in beautiful wrapping paper, and use a straw or skewer for the sail mast and paper to make the sail.
Kids can make more than one soda bottle boat and race them against each other.
This is another great and simple summer crafts idea for kids. All you need is a bottle lid, playdough, and straw. Put some playdough into the lid and insert a straw. Use a colored sheet to make your sail.
Children will love making these cute little bottle lid boats .
This boat is a fun Easter activity for kids. Grab some plastic eggs, straws, play dough, and colored paper stock. Fill the eggs with play dough and insert the straw in the middle. Make a pretty sail out of bright-colored paper stock.
Kids can sail their easter egg boats on a pond or a tub of water.
Return to nature with these super simple twig bundle raft boat activities for kids. Plan a fun family day at the local park collecting sticks to make your boat. Once the sticks are collected, cut them to the same size, hem them together, and tie them up.
Make your sail out of a leaf and float it on water.
Kids can create their apple boats in seconds! It's super cool and easy to make. Just cut an apple in half, stick a skewer or ice cream stick into it and make a sail. Your apple boat is ready to float on water.
Note: Use clean water to float your apple boats so kids can have a delicious snack later!
Make a fun Viking dragon ship for kids to pretend play. To create your longboat, you will need rectangle and dragon-shaped cardboard cutouts. Glue them all together and make cardboard oars and seats. Decorate your Viking longboat and use it for role-playing with your friends.
Here's a cool idea, make dragon flames out of crepe paper and glue them to the dragon's mouth! Kids can also use their Viking toys as part of pretend play.
Soap bar boats are a great idea for a summer activity for kids. Children can make these easy boats by taking a soap bar, carving it into a boat shape, and inserting a small toothpick in the middle to make the sail mast.
Once your boat is ready, float it in a pond or pool. Head over to Teaching Mama to find out more about how to make awesome soap bar boats !
You can do much more with a balloon than just tying a string around it. To create your balloon boat, you will need a plastic container, balloon, straw, and rubber band. Punch a hole on one side of the plastic container, blow up your balloon and tie it to the straw. Insert the straw in the hole, and your boat is ready to float on water!
Read more about the balloon boat and how to make it on Life with Moore Babies.
Build boats and have fun with these boat craft activities for kids! Your child will have a great time creating and learning more about boats and how they float on water. Boat crafts are fun summer activities the whole family can enjoy!
Reader Interactions
Alyssa fowler says
August 25, 2022 at 4:33 am
Wowww i loved reading this the instructions were so simple. I tried many of these with my kids. Would live to read more posts like this one!!! It was fun and simple!!!! 🤗
Claudette says
October 09, 2023 at 1:20 pm
Great pictures and beautiful, fun projects to do. Thank you.
Csaba Nilgesz says
October 18, 2023 at 12:20 pm
Glad you like it Claudette!
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
- Skip to main content
- Skip to primary sidebar
Sailboat Craft - Easy Kids Activities
By Damjana Jakos • Updated on Aug 13, 2022
See how to make a styrofoam boat that floats. This easy sailboat craft is perfect for kids during the summer. An easy and fun summer craft project your kids will love to do, and might extend into hours of water play fun! Check it out here.
If you are looking for fun kids activities, check out these too:
- Making Bubble Snakes – So Much Fun!
- How to Make Easy Diy Paintbrushes - Quick!
- Diy Paper Bookmarks - Made By Kids!
- Water Walking Experiment For Kids
Check out this easy sailboat craft that kids can do to make diy sailboats out of styrofoam packaging. A great water play idea for the summer your kids will love!
Diy Sailboat Craft
To ensure these boats will float, we used some styrofoam packaging we got a few weeks ago. It's a great water play idea for the summer, and our kids love it. Yours will too! These DIY sailboats don't take a lot of time to make, and you probably have all the supplies at hand already:
Supplies For Sailboat crafts:
Gathering your supplies will be quick - you only need these:
- a few pieces of styrofoam packaging
- a few pieces of self adhesive vinyl-coated color paper (the vinyl coated type will last longer!)
- toothpicks or thin sticks
How To Make An Easy Sailboat - Tutorial:
1) Cut an equilateral triangle from the self-adhesive vinyl-coated paper in the desired color.
Fine motor skills task for kids: cutting. If kids will be cutting these triangles, you can first draw them on the backside of the paper sheet.
2) Peel off the backing and tape the color paper around the toothpick, leaving the bottom third of the toothpick exposed. Here's your sail.
3) Stick the toothpick into a piece of styrofoam and here's your sailboat for hours of water play!
Totally easy and quick. You can make tons of them, depending on the number of players and the number of styrofoam pieces.
A great way for kids to have races - either in a giant bucket or a water table, it will always mean tons of fun for the summer!
Not only are these styrofoam boats easy to make, they float, too!
It is not necessary to have a backyard for this kind of water play. At first, we simply used our kitchen sink, and it worked perfectly. one piece of advice, however: if you are about to set up the water play in your kitchen, make sure to have a towel at hand, to easily take care of any spills.
Hours of fun and play for your kids!
Once finished, they went to play with this diy masking tape racetrack we built on the floor a few days ago (again!)
Save For Later:
MORE POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE:
WANT MORE FREE TUTORIALS AND PATTERNS?
Get email updates and never miss out on new patterns, printables, and tutorials:
More Kids Crafts
Reader Interactions
Leave a reply cancel reply.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
Easy Paper Boat Craft for kids – Fun Summer Craft idea with Template
Have an afternoon full of adventure this summer by making this easy paper boat craft . Our printable template makes this sailboat craft super simple for preschoolers and kids of all ages to create.
If you are looking for a fun ocean themed summer crafts for kids to make, you are going to adore making some of these boats this year. The folded ocean waves adds awesome dimension to the paper craft and when mixed with the way the sail pops off the paper with a 3D effect, you are left with a stunning craft kids will love creating and displaying all summer long!
How to Make a Paper Boat Craft
This post contains affiliate links to the products mentioned. Read our disclosure policy for more information.
Supplies needed for making your paper craft
- sailboat craft template <—- Get your printable template here
- blue cardstock
- blue, brown and white construction paper
- craft stick
- extra strength glue stick
- pencil for tracing
Instructions for making this boat craft
Step 1: Begin by downloading and printing out the sailboa t template . Cut out the two pieces of the template.
Step 2: Using a pencil, trace the sail on white construction paper and the boat on brown construction paper with a pencil. Cut out each of the pieces.
Related: Paper Hot Air Balloon Craft
Step 3: Cut three pieces of blue construction paper the length of 1-inch x 12-inch.
Step 4: Add a line of extra strength glue stick near the bottom of your blue cardstock paper, along the entire length of the paper. Place the end of one of your blue construction paper strips at the edge of your paper on the glue. Every 1-2 inches along the construction paper strip, add a small bend in the paper. Continue until you reach the opposite end of your paper.
The folds in the construction paper add great texture and dimension to your paper craft looking like ocean waves.
Step 5: Add another line of glue above the blue construction paper strip you just added. Then complete step 4 again with another blue paper strip.
Step 6: Glue the brown boat piece of the template on your blue cardstock, above the second folded strip of construction paper. Then add glue along the bottom of the boat and add your third and final strip of blue construction paper.
Related: Paper Dragonfly Puppets
Step 7: Use a white crayon to color clouds around the top half of your paper craft. Then use a blue and white crayon to draw ocean wave marks along the folded strips of your blue construction paper ocean.
You can also add lines inside your sailboat with a brown crayon at this time.
Step 8: Add glue on the back of a wooden craft stick and glue just inside the top of your sailboat. Make sure to position it towards the left side of the boat to leave enough room for your sail. We definitely recommend using an extra strength glue stick for gluing down your craft stick, but as an alternative you can also use a hot glue gun.
Step 9: Add glue on the back of your paper sail, along the curved edge. Glue it onto your craft stick. Then add glue on your blue cardstock paper, behind the center of the sail. Bend the paper sail to create a curve popping off the page and attach the center of the sail down onto your glue.
Repeat step 9 again to create one more section of the sail popping off the page near the end of the sail. This creates a fun 3D effect to your sailboat craft. The texture of the blue construction paper and the 3D effect of the sail makes the craft like your boat has set sail deep in the ocean.
Related: Colorful Paper Birds
Video Tutorial: How to Make a Sailboat Craft
Watch the video below for a step by step guide on how to make this simple paper craft with our template.
Find more easy summer craft ideas, boat crafts for kids and summer activities for kids by browsing the categories at the top menu bar of our website. We are hoping to add some fun cork boats to our summer activities this year.
Check out our amazing list of over 100 fun and easy summer crafts for kids . Animal crafts, ocean crafts, space crafts and so much more…
Paper Hot Air Balloon -Easy, colorful summer kids craft!
Paper Plate Dinosaur Craft for Kids -Three Easy Templates for Dinosaurs
© 2024 iHeartCraftyThings
Categories Kids Crafts
Sail away with this amazing recycled boat craft for kids.
Most kids just love the water. They want to be in it or around it at all times. From pools and lakes to creeks and streams, there is just something magical about water.
Encourage little ones to play in the water with an amazing boat craft.
Not only will this activity engage children, but it will also give them an opportunity to learn a little about science.
A recycled boat craft is the perfect project to make with toddlers.
If they love the water, making a boat from objects around the house will be an ideal activity.
This boat craft, in particular, is super easy to make and kids will spend hours watching their boat float in the water.
This article contains affiliate links to products that you might like.
Crafting a Recycled Boat
It doesn’t take much to build a boat from recycled materials. Using a plastic bottle, construction paper, and a few more items, kids will be sailing away in no time.
Below is a complete list of materials needed to make a recycled boat craft.
- Empty Plastic Bottle
- Twig, Bamboo Skewer , or Straw
- Construction Paper
- Markers or Crayons
- Small Stones, Gravel, or Rice
- Screwdriver
Instructions:
- Take a full-size piece of construction paper and cut it in half.
- Use crayons or markers to draw a design on the piece of construction paper. This will be the sail. A few design ideas include a pirate hat, a happy face, a heart with an arrow, or maybe even a rainbow. Anything your imagination can come up with will be perfect.
- With the scissors, carefully cut two slits into the sail. One at the top and one at the bottom.
- After the construction paper sail is complete, take the twig, bamboo skewer, or straw and put it through both slits on the sail.
- This next step is a job for grown-ups… With the bottle lying on its side, poke a hole in the top side using a screwdriver, skewer, scissors, or something else that might work.
- Next, push the mast (construction paper sail on the stick) into the hole you just made.
- Lastly, remove the cap and add a few stones, gravel, or rice to the bottle to keep it from spinning in the water. Watch it, though; make it too heavy, and your boat will sink!
- Replace the cap.
- Take the boat outside to the creek or pool or inside to the sink or tub and see if it floats!
Playing With A Recycled Boat Craft
Now that the recycled boat craft is complete, there are many play opportunities to be had.
Turn this awesome boat project into an exciting learning lesson. See how far the boat can sail or maybe how wind affects the way a boat moves.
Make more than one boat and have a sailboat race.
Maybe even add pebbles one at a time to see how many stones it takes to sink a ship.
A Boat Craft for Kids
This boat craft for kids is an easy and engaging activity for toddlers and preschoolers.
By following these simple step-by-step instructions, you and your little ones will put together an awesome recycled boat for hours of sailing fun.
Happy sailing, everyone!
You May Also Like…
- Printable Pirate Ship Template {Kids Craft}
- Fun Transportation Crafts and Activities
- Kite Craft for Preschool
The Craft Train
Crafty ideas for kids and parents
Boat crafts and activities
July 15, 2023 By Kate Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post at no cost to you.
Kids are going to love this collection of boat crafts and activities ! There are STEM crafts, boats that GO, paper boat crafts, boats made from recyclables and nautical-themed art projects.
Whether you’re looking for a preschool boat craft or are crafting with tweens and teens, there’s something for everyone here.
You might also like these Summer crafts and activities
There’s nothing like a homemade boat to add fun to backyard water play. Kids love getting their hands and feet wet and DIY boats are a classic summer activity that everyone—adults included—can enjoy.
So, grab your imaginary sailor hat along with a hot glue gun, skewers, paper and recyclables and let’s dive into 20 DIY boat ideas that are sure to make a splash!
20 boat crafts and activities for kids
Boats made from recycled materials.
Got recycled materials on hand? Turn them into a boat. Plastic bottles, egg cartons, margarine containers and plastic trays all make a great boat base. And don’t forget about cardboard.
- A recycled cardboard box can become a Noah’s Ark for the stuffed animals to sail. Preschoolers will love this idea for imaginary play.
- These margarine tub paddle steamers by Red Ted Art are so cute. Wind them up and watch them go!
- Make a cardboard boat with a snazzy sail and mast, by Barley and Birch. This makes a great Summer decoration.
STEM boats that move and float
Combine the wonders of science, technology, engineering, and math with boat crafts that teach kids about buoyancy, propulsion, and design. Watch their eyes light up as they engineer boats that can move and float.
- Get out the hot glue gun to make straw boats that go with the power of wind.
- This simple DIY paddle boat is a great way to show propulsion in the water, by Little Bins for Little Hands
- Supply basic materials like foil and popsicle sticks and get kids to design their own boats with this Loveboat Engineering Challenge by The Preschool Toolbox
- Use a balloon to propel your boar through the water like we’ve done with our balloon-powered sponge boat
- Here’s another paddle boat design that works using elastic band power and a recycled plastic tray—genius! By Science Sparks
DIY Toy Boats
You guys know I love nothing more than DIY toy crafts—a fun activity that leads to hours of play afterwards. These DIY toy boats are no exception.
- Sponge boats with a waterproof duct tape sail are fun for water play. Perfect for preschoolers and kindergarteners
- How easy do these soap boats look? Love the LEGO man sailor! By Fireflies and Mudpies
- Nature is the key material used in these Rad Rafts from sticks. The leaf sail makes the perfect finishing touch. by Kidminds
- Love this super cute and easy pirate boat made from wine corks, by Red Ted Art
- You can’t go past twigs as a raft-building material! These twig boats with a paper sail are by Easy Peasy & Fun
Paper boat craft ideas
Almost everyone has paper at home! Here are some boats that use paper as the key material.
- Create a paper mosaic sunset boat scene using our printable template.
- This Margarine tub boat has been decorated with paper to make a cute summer decoration, by Crafts By Amanda
- Kids are going to love making a paper boat that rocks like this one from Artsy Craftsy Mom
- This freestanding paper boat is by Kids Love Craft
- Here are some classic origami boats to add a splash of colour to your day, by Easy Peasy & Fun
Arty boat ideas
Here are some nautical ideas for getting arty!
- Love the handprint sails on this Mayflower boat craft , by Simple Everyday Mom
- Make a paper plate boat craft that rocks and have your little artist decorate it, like this one from J Daniel 4’s Mom
- These clay sailboats are super cute and give kids plenty of creative licence
- Use geometric shapes to make a boat . This fun idea is by Mama Smiles
- Learn how to create a silhouette boat scene with this art tutorial by Arty Crafty Kids
I hope you’re feeling inspired to get boat-building! Which idea are you going to try first?
You might also like
- Here are over 50 DIY toys for kids
- Celebrate summer by making one of these Ocean Craft ideas
- Learn about snakes and lizards with these 20 Reptile Crafts
- Keep kids entertained outside with these Outdoor Crafts and Activities
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
I’m basically a big kid who never grew up and still loves to muck around with paint, glitter, glue and toilet rolls. With the crafts shared here on this website I’m hoping to give other parents and carers inspiration to get crafty with their kids at home – make our projects, or use them as a source of inspiration to spark ideas of your own. When it comes to crafting no rules apply!
NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTION
- Skip to main content
- Skip to primary sidebar
Easy Sailboat Craft and Science Project for Preschoolers
This easy sailboat craft is the perfect activity for preschoolers learning about the science of air currents, wind and water.
Most young children love water play and this small scale boat activity is excellent for indoor water play . As part of a science lesson, preschoolers will make the boats, fill the "lake," and create wind currents to move their sailboats across the water.
Note: this post contains affiliate links.
Wood skewers, pointy ends removed, about 6 inches long
Paper, cut into approximately 3x4 inch rectangles.
Thin foam shapes
Deep baking tray
Drinking straws
Instructions
After reading a few preschool picture books about wind and sailboats (see suggestions below), it's time to make the sailboats.
Push the skewer through the paper rectangle so that it enters the paper about half an inch from the top and exits half an inch from the bottom. Adjust the paper so that it is slightly pushed outward to make the sail shape.
If needed, an adult can facilitate the insertion of the skewer by pre-making small holes in the paper sail.
Push the skewer into the foam shape so that it just goes through, but does not extend out the other side.
Fill the baking tray with water.
Float the sailboat on the water.
Blow through the straw directing the "wind" towards the concave side of the sail to move the sailboat around the water!
For extra fun, kids will enjoy making ripples on the surface of the water by blowing at the water.
Picture Books about Wind and Sailboats
Use these delightful preschool books about wind and sailboats to accompany the homemade sailboat activity.
I Am the Wind by Michael Karg, illustrated by Sophie Diao
Like a Windy Day by Frank Asch, illustrated by Devin Asch
The Wind Blew by Pat Hutchins
Lily Leads the Way by Margi Preus, illustrated by Matt Myers
Sheep on a Ship by Nancy Shaw
Three Bears in a Boat by David Soman
MORE PRESCHOOL WATER SCIENCE IDEAS:
- Preschool Science Lab
- Water Refraction Science Experiment
- 3 Preschool Science Resources
First published 2008, updated 2023.
Reader Interactions
Stephanie says
April 16, 2008 at 1:39 am
I will file this one away... sounds like it just might be a successful activity around here.
Melissa says
April 16, 2008 at 2:57 am
Looks like fun! I used to let O play with water like this inside. Then one day she poured the whole thing on the floor and it quickly traveled to the lowest place in the floor (behind the refrigerator) and leaked through the ceiling. So now we have a water spot on our ceiling. Grrr. But maybe we'll try this using a little less water 🙂
August 07, 2012 at 3:04 am
Yay I'm filing it away too. Mine is just turning 1 and I get like 20 min out of giving him a ripe peach 😀
steuern und versicherung berechnen says
October 22, 2016 at 12:58 pm
Wonderful post!!! I love how you combine food and history, filling both my tummy and my mind. Great Combo!!! We have an organic butcher across the street from where I live and they make all their own sausages. I’ll have to ask them if they clean the bowels or buy them cleaned. I suspect they will be surprised by my questions or many not??? I also love the photos!!!
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .
- Skip to primary navigation
- Skip to main content
- Skip to primary sidebar
Teaching Expertise
- Classroom Ideas
- Teacher’s Life
- Deals & Shopping
- Privacy Policy
25 Crafts & Activities For Boat-Loving Kids
January 11, 2023 // by Rebecca Przy
Some children will come up with almost any excuse to play in, or near, water. By engaging them in a host of unique boat crafts and STEM activities, you give them an opportunity to do so, as well as develop their fine motor skills along the way! Indulge your little ones in a few of our favorite crafts and activities; perfectly suited to any boat-loving, water-mad child!
1. Nature Boats
Nature is full of great crafting material; children just have to look for it! It doesn’t take long to stumble through your local park and find assorted materials that can be used to build a nature boat. These nature boats were made of big leaves, sticks, and seed pods, and then pieced together using hot glue.
Learn More: Mother Natured
2. Easter Egg Boat
These colorful plastic eggs can be used in many awesome boat crafts. You only need plastic eggs, foam sheets, drinking straws, and hot glue to bring them to life and float the day away.
Learn More: Happy Toddler Playtime
3. Water Bottle Boat
This fun craft is easy enough for your kids to make on their own. All they need are water bottles, cardboard, and pieces of duct tape to make a funky floating contraption. Feel free to add a toy sailor to steer the ship once it’s constructed!
Learn More: PBS
4. Juice Box Boat
Don’t throw away those empty juice boxes! You can turn these recyclables into reusable boats. You can make the sail mast using colorful straws and paper and then let your kids paint their boats to make them even fancier.
Learn More: Made With Happy
5. Sardine Can Boat
I love that many of these crafts can be made out of recycled materials. This one is made using a sardine can, wine cork, tape, and some other household materials. Taping a heavy nail to the bottom can help keep the boat upright and afloat.
Learn More: Artists Helping Children
6. Boat in a Nutshell
Check out these adorable walnut boats! You can make these using half of a shell and filling it with clay or any other moldable material. Stick a toothpick with a paper flag into the boat and place it into a body of water to float about.
Learn More: Crafts Ü Print
7. Sponge Bath Boat Toy
This isn’t your ordinary kitchen sponge boat. Using different colored sponges you can make this deluxe sponge boat with a googly-eyed crew. Consider using leftover sponges as icebergs in your tub of water.
Learn More: Handmade Charlotte
8. Sponge Pirate Ship
You can make a specialized pirate ship out of sponges for a fun bathtime toy. This tutorial walks you through just how to do this; from cutting up the sponges to putting it all together using a BBQ skewer.
Learn More: Pirate Pete
9. Clothespin Pirate Ship
This sweet pirate ship craft is cute and simple to make. However, they won’t be the best option if you want a pirate boat that will actually float. You can make these using clothespins, craft sticks, cardstock, and a skull paper punch.
Learn More: Crafting A Fun Life
10. Craft Stick Peg Doll Boat
Here’s a creative popsicle stick and foam fusion boat that your kids could have fun personalizing. They can glue the foam blocks and popsicle sticks together, and then paint the peg doll as their favorite character.
Learn More: Rhythms of Play
11. Layered Popsicle Stick Boat
This isn’t just an ordinary popsicle stick boat! Your kids stack popsicle sticks in a diamond shape to make a canoe-style boat. They can use any extra popsicle sticks as oars.
Learn More: Crafty Sticks
12. Simple Preschool Boat Craft
Here’s a nice and easy boat craft for your preschoolers to enjoy. It requires only a handful of simple supplies; an egg carton, a paper towel roll, tissue paper, glue, and tape. You can let your kids paint and decorate their boats as they, please!
Learn More: No Time For Flash Cards
13. Easy Paper Boat Craft
Boat crafts that you can float in the water are great, but classic paper boat crafts that can be used as décor, are just as lovely! All you need is some paper, popsicle sticks, and crayons to get started!
Learn More: I Heart Crafty Things
14. Footprint Boat
Here’s a fun and creative idea! Your kids can dip their feet in paint and stomp their colorful footprints all over a piece of cardstock. Attach a craft stick mast and cut-up grocery bag for the sail and voilà- you will have a one-of-a-kind boat.
Learn More: Craftulate
15. Boat Collage
Pick up a few sailing magazines at your local used bookshop. Browsing these magazines can be an exciting experience for your kids to discover all the different boats in the real world. They can cut and glue their favorites onto a tissue paper sea.
16. Cardboard Oil Powered Sailboat Craft
This simple sailboat is made of cardboard, paper, and tape. The cool STEM component is how you get the boat to move. By dropping oil into the notch, the oil and water will repel each other and cause the boat to move.
17. Baking Soda Powered Boat
Here’s another science-powered boat project for your learners to try out. Add vinegar and baking soda to a bottle with a straw poking out the end to make this soda bottle boat. Once the ingredients mix, learners will enjoy marveling at an exciting chemical reaction that causes the boat to move!
Learn More: Science Sparks
18. Wind-Powered Boat Eggsperiment
Tape a blown-up balloon to a plastic egg to try this experiment. When your kid releases the balloon, the air will shoot out and the boat will move.
Learn More: Theresa A
19. Elastic Band Paddle Boat
This advanced boat craft is a good choice for your middle school students. Building it requires cutting up craft sticks, drilling small holes, and using lots of hot glue. The cool part about this boat is winding up the rubber band to make the boat propel itself.
Learn More: DaveHax
20. DIY Boat From Popsicle Sticks
Some of your older kids may be looking for a bigger building challenge. This advanced popsicle stick boat could be just that! They can try to create their own complex and unique popsicle stick boat.
Learn More: AM Channel Rp
21. Tin Foil Boat Science Experiment
Boats can be great for teaching buoyancy; the tendency of an object to float in water. Your kids can use the video instructions to fold together a tin foil boat. Then, they can test how many pennies it will take to sink the ship.
Learn More: KSU iTeach
22. Simple Boat Science Experiment
Buoyancy can be tested on different types of boats. Your learners can design their own boat or follow this simple popsicle stick craft in the web link below. How many rocks will it take to sink this boat?
Learn More: East Coast Mommy
23. Duct Tape Boat Races
Duct tape comes in so many exciting patterns. It can be awesome for making colorful boat crafts. Your kids can follow the folding instructions to make these duct tape-covered paper boats. When complete, they can use straws to race their boats across a body of water.
Learn More: Mess For Less
24. Read “Busy Boats”
Here’s an awesome preschool boat book that can be used to teach students all about real-life boats. It talks about sailboats, rowboats, motorboats, and more!
Learn More: Amazon
25. Boating
Nothing beats taking a trip on a real boat! With so many options for boat trips, perhaps you could take your kids to the lake and paddle around on a row boat.
Learn More: Get My Boat
Sponge Sailboat Craft for Kids
Temperatures sure are rising so if you are in a search of a fun activity to cool with this sponge sailboat craft is just a thing to do with the kids.
These are not only fun to make, they are also extremely fun to play with. Your kids will be able to play with them in a tub of water or have a sailboat race in the nearby stream.
What you need Sponges -Used Ocelo brand, and they were 4.5″ x 3″ x 1/2″ Wood Skewers -used 8″ skewers but 12″ is fine construction paper scissors wire cutters glue
Trim your sponges with scissors. Green was trimmed in thirds Pink & Yellow cut in half Purple cut in half lengthwise (see notes)
For the Green sponges, I cut the skewer with the wire cutter to about 5.5″ in length. For all other sponges, I used the full size, 8″ skewer.
Create sails buy cutting triangles out of construction paper. If desired, Fold a small piece of construction paper in half and cut a triangle out on the fold. Glue the fold together on the top of the skewer.
Poke the skewer into the sponge so that it goes through the other side at least 1″. Remove the skewer. Poke a hole at the top of the construction paper triangle, along the long edge, and poke the skewer through the paper. Keep the skewer about 1/2″ to 3/8″ from the edge of the paper. Your sail does not have to be taunt on the skewer, it can bend.
Push the skewer with the sail through the hole in your sponge. Adjust the sail as necessary and sail away.
To sail. Place the boat into the water and let the sponge absorb water before letting go. You’ll need to adjust the skewer up and down through the sponge and adjust the sail for optimal sailing.
Note: They all tipped over at some point. And the sails got wet. But they still worked fine. It works best if the skewer pokes through the bottom of the sponge about 1-2″. Clearly you can experiment with this! The purple boat was the worst. Two masts and it never did officially stand up! It kept toppling over. You may want to omit, unless you have a determined child in the group.
Want instant access to all of our printable crafts, activities, and resources?
With thousands of crafts, activities, worksheets, coloring pages, and drawing tutorials to print, you will always have just the resource you need at your disposal. Perfect for parents and teachers alike!
Sign Up Now and Start Printing!
Related posts.
I just love the warm spring temperatures and all the colorful flowers that come with…
Bring out your craft sticks and pipe cleaners as we're making a craft stick crocodile…
Sponge painting is such a fun activity for kids (the messier the more fun) so…
Bring out your craft sticks or popsicle sticks you have been saving up through summer…
There's still plenty of leaves outside so we decided to make this adorable leaf ladybug…
This sweet project will make a fun gift for family and friends. This penguin footprint craft is…
1 thought on “Sponge Sailboat Craft for Kids”
Great idea! Fun and easy. Using for my Toddler Sunday School class in telling the story of Paul and his ship wreck…so I hope the boat tips or sinks!
Comments are closed.
10 Fun and Easy Boat Preschool Crafts
Boats are vessels used on water. There are many different types, and these can be made from various materials. Children will love making these crafts to enrich their knowledge of the different modes of transportation.
Let children explore the different ways of making a boat that can be used as toys or for experiments.
1. Sponge Boat Craft
These sponge boats are easy to make, reusable, and can last a long time. Children will enjoy making them, especially the colorful sails. This will help improve their fine motor skills and provide a fantastic sensory activity when playing with it.
Make this craft more challenging for older children by turning it into a STEM challenge. Have children find out how much weight it can carry before sinking. Use small toys for this. They can also race with their boats.
To make the boat, use a marker and ruler to draw an inverted V on the sponge. Cut this out using scissors. Next, use the craft knife to cut a slit in the middle of the sponge.
Make the sail by laying the different duct tapes alternately and overlapping. Cut the edges and make slits in the bottom and top. Insert the craft stick. Finally, insert this into the sponge.
For this activity, you will need:
- Kitchen sponge
- Craft sticks
- Craft knife
- Duct tape in different colors
For more information on this activity, go to TheCraftTrain.com .
2. Halves Boat Shapes Craft
This boat craft is wonderful to help children with shape recognition skills. It is also a great introduction to symmetry and the concept of one-half. Their fine motor skills will improve as they cut, color, and paste the boat pieces.
Download and print the shape template from the site. Have children color the shapes and cut these out. Ask the children to name the different shapes needed to make the boat.
Next, have them fold the shape in the middle. Use the dotted line as the guide. Inform children that the names of the shapes are half-circle and half-triangle. Glue the shapes together.
Another option is to cut the shapes on the dotted line to form two sets of boats to teach fractions.
Assemble the pieces and glue them on construction paper. The site suggests making a water scene by adding cotton balls to resemble clouds and scrunched-up blue tissue paper for the water.
- Printed shape template
- Construction paper
- Crayons or markers
For more information on this activity, go to DTLK-Kids.com .
3. Popsicle Sticks Boat
A perfect craft for the summer season, this colorful sailboat can help children improve their color recognition skills and learn about the colors of the rainbow.
The site suggests using this craft to go with the book “Maisy’s Sailboat” by Lucy Cousins . It is about a mouse named Maisy going on a boat adventure with her friends.
Start by laying the colored craft sticks. Follow the order of rainbow colors if desired. Next, cut two plain-colored craft sticks and use the hot glue gun to attach three of these to the back of the colored craft sticks to make the base.
Reinforce the base by attaching two craft sticks lengthwise. Next, make the sail by cutting a right triangle from scrapbook paper. Use a hole puncher to make two holes on the bottom and top of the triangle.
Next, insert the drinking straw and secure it using the hot glue gun.
- Craft sticks
- Hot glue gun
- Scrap book paper
- Drinking straws
- Hole puncher
For more information on this activity, go to TheInspirationEdit.com .
4. Twig Boat Craft
Collecting the twigs for this boat craft is a perfect activity during nature walks. Doing this provides a wonderful sensory experience for children. Tying the twigs one at a time will help improve children’s eye-hand coordination and control.
Begin with choosing the right kind of twigs for this craft. Choose straight, not rotting, and unbroken twigs to make a sturdy boat. Cut the twigs in uniform sizes.
Tie yarn on the end part of the first twig. Wrap it around and add a second twig. Wrap the yarn on both and add the third twig. Repeat this process until the desired width of the boat is achieved. Do the same steps on the other side to complete.
Add twigs under the boat. Refer to the picture on the site for this step. Next, use a hot glue gun to attach a twig in the middle and add the cutout paper sail.
For this activity, you will need the following:
- Hot glue gun
For more information on this activity, go to EasyPeasyAndFun.com .
5. Juice Box Boat
Here’s a simple boat craft that requires minimal assistance from adults. It teaches children about recycling and can be used for STEM activities. Introduce children to the concept of buoyancy through a science lesson.
Start by using an empty box of juice. If desired, clean the empty box before using it. Add sticky tape on the hole where the straw used to be to prevent the water from getting inside.
Next, have the children cut out a triangle for the sail from colored cardstock. Bend the straw and use the sticky tape to attach the triangle. Refer to the picture on the site for this step.
Lay the box down and poke a hole in the middle. Insert the sail. Fill a tub with water to sail the boats.
Extend the activity by using a timer to race their boats. Modify the sail’s shape to find out whether it affects the boat’s speed.
- Small juice box with straw
- Sticky tape
For more information on this activity, go to HandsOnAsWeGrow.com .
6. Rocking Paper Boat
This rocking paper boat craft uses different types of paper. The corrugated paper has a texture that provides a wonderful sensory experience for children. Use this boat craft to teach children shapes and color recognition skills.
Start with tracing a circle on colored craft paper using a small bowl. Cut this out and fold it in the middle. Cut out other shapes, such as a strip of yellow, two small circles, and a red rectangle. Use corrugated paper to cut out the funnels.
Assemble the pieces. Take the red rectangle and fold it in half. Stick this on the folded part of the circle. Add the yellow strip and the small circles. Stick the funnels on the folded part of the circle. Add a cutout anchor if desired.
Use markers to add designs and details to the boat. Make the boat stand and tip to make it rock back and forth.
- Craft paper
- Corrugated paper
- Chalk marker
For more information on this activity, go to ArtsyCraftsyMom.com .
7. Margarine Tub Tug Boat
Here’s another boat craft that you can add to your recycling activities . This tugboat, in action, can move on its own through a propeller. Painting and assembling the craft will help improve their fine motor skills.
Older children can use this craft for a STEM activity by finding out how far the tugboat can go or how long it can last before the propeller stops moving.
Start by using clean and dry margarine and yogurt containers. Use duct tape to attach the craft sticks on the sides of the container. Add the lid and flip the yogurt container on the lid. Use the glue gun for it to adhere.
Let the children paint the tugboat. Allow the paint to dry, and add washi tape for decoration. Cut out a square shape from the extra plastic lid to make the propeller. Cut two slits on it so it can be inserted.
Tie a rubber band on the craft sticks and insert the propeller. Refer to the pictures on the site for this step.
- Rectangular container of margarine
- Empty cup of yogurt
- Acrylic paint
- Paintbrush
- Plastic lid for the propeller
- Rubber band
For more information on this activity, go to RedTedArt.com .
8. Paper Plate Sailboat
These cute and colorful sailboats are perfect for young children to make. Teach children the essential parts of the sailboat: the mast, sail, and hull. Discuss precautions when riding a watercraft with a lesson on safety.
Children will improve their fine motor skills when they make this boat craft. These can be used as place markers or to hold candies and other small objects.
To make the sailboat, cut the paper plate in half and stack them together. Trim off the edge. Refer to the picture on the site for this step and the exact measurement. Next, position them to make a pocket and attach using a stapler. Paint the boat.
Cut out a triangle from cardstock or decorative paper. Attach this on the craft stick. Make a small slit in the toilet paper roll using the craft knife. Insert the sail in it and place it inside the paper plate boat.
- Paper plate
- Craft stick
- Toilet paper roll
- Paint brush
- Embellishments
For more information on this activity, go to FirstPalette.com .
9. Paper Plate Love Boat Craft
This paper plate love boat is an excellent craft for Valentine’s Day. It can be used to help children with shape recognition skills. Assembling this craft will help improve their fine motor skills.
With the different kinds of hearts, children may learn to compare them based on color, texture, and size. Doing this will help improve children’s oral language skills and help them think critically. Let them also practice counting the hearts and windows.
Start by cutting the paper plate in half and painting it with the preferred color. Make three circle cutouts from white cardstock. Add a cross in the middle to make the boat’s windows using a marker. Glue this on the paper plate once the paint dries.
Use brown cardstock for the boat’s mast. Attach the heart doily on the mast to make a heart-shaped sail using a stapler. Add the heart sticker and other available embellishments, such as glitters or sequins for decorations.
- Mini paper plate
- Small heart paper doilies
- Large heart stickers
For more information on this activity, go to GluedToMyCraftsBlog.com .
10. Mayflower Craft
This watercraft is perfect for Thanksgiving Day and for teaching history and geography. For older children, use a map with this craft to help track its course.
Introduce children to the concept of texture in painting. The site recommends using a paper towel, but other objects can be used as well to create a different texture.
Cut the paper plate in half to make the Mayflower, then trim off the sides. Refer to the picture on the site for this step. Next, have the children paint the paper plate brown.
Cut the remaining half of the paper plate into three pieces to make the sails. Use a craft knife to cut slits on the sails’ top and bottom.
Carefully insert the drinking straws in the sails and glue these to the back of the paper plate. Add colors on blue construction paper to resemble the waves in the ocean and glue the Mayflower on it.
- Paper plates
- Paper towels
- Cotton balls
For more information on this activity, go to KidsActivitiesBlog.com .
Conclusion
Children will have a blast making these boat crafts to display and test different hypotheses. These crafts are easily modifiable based on the children’s skills and are engaging. Allow children to explore the fun of traveling on water.
Thank you for reading. Come back and check out our other craft articles soon.
You might also like:
- Ocean Crafts for Preschool
- Preschool Transportation Worksheets
- Bus Crafts for Preschoolers
- Fire Truck Crafts for Preschool
Home » Preschool » Preschool Arts and Crafts » 10 Fun and Easy Boat Preschool Crafts
Hi, I'm Amanda! Welcome to Education Outside! Im passionate about educating young minds and helping parents/teachers by providing easy and effective teaching resources. Check out all of my teaching resources on my Teachers Pay Teachers store .
Be the first to know
Subscribe to our newsletter and receive updates about new products, promotions, bundles, and more.
Copyright © Education Outside
Privacy Policy | Return Policy
Shop Worksheets
- Long Vowels
- Short Vowels
- Sight Words
Classroom Activities
- Alphabet Tracing
- Kindergarten Activities
- Number Tracing
- Long Vowel Practice
- Short Vowel Practice
- Sight Word Practice
- Fry Sight Word List
- Pre-primer Sight Word List
- Primer Sight Word List
- 1st Grade Sight Word List
- 2nd Grade Sight Word List
- 3rd Grade Sight Word List
- Amazon Books
- No products in the cart.
Check out our LADYBUG POM POM MATS !
Easy Boat Crafts For Kids To Make
Boat crafts are great for many different reasons. You can use them to teach about sinking and floating, to teach the letter B, and to work on following directions.
I am an Amazon Associate, I can earn from qualifying purchases.
Easy Boat Crafts
Whether you are looking for something educational, a way to build fine motor skills, or just a fun craft to do, these boat crafts are fun and easy for kids of all ages.
Preschool Boat Craft
The Inspiration Edit
The cool thing about this boat craft is that kids can actually watch it float. Be sure to use cold water as warm water will make the glue melt.
Twig Boat Craft s
Easy Peasy And Fun
Nothing beats a real homemade boat. But, if you can’t go full-scale, you can start out small scale with this twig boat craft.
Pool Noodle Boats
Our Family Of Seven
Pool noodles float which means these pool noodle boats are perfect to make for pool time fun. So make these boats and watch them float.
Kids Craft Milk Carton Boat
Raising Whasians
This is an old school milk carton boat. I remember making these back when I was a kid. The best thing is that they really float.
Egg Carton Boat
from Wu Jur
If you use a cardboard egg carton, keep in mind it won’t be able to float. If you want to be able to use it in the water, consider the styrofoam cartons.
Easy Pirate Cork Boat Craft
Red Ted Art
There is never a need to feel any kind of way about drinking wine. This is because you can use those wine corks to create a fun boat craft with your kiddos.
Juice Box Boats
The Joy Of Boys
Kids love juice boxes, but instead of throwing them in the trash, you can recycle them into boats. You won’t want to put these bad boys in the water, though.
Milk Carton Boat Craft s
Fun Crafts Kids
Here is another milk carton boat craft idea. I love how kids can add little sailors to their boats.
Handmade Boats
Using real wooden sticks to create this boat is a great way to teach real life survival skills. It may not be exactly what you would do in real life, but it can give kids an idea.
Margarine Tub Tug Boat
Not ever sure what to do with those margarine tubs? Other than turn them into Tupperware bowls, you can make them into boats that actually float.
Popsicle Stick Boat
Crafty Sticks
Popsicle sticks are literally my go to for any craft. You can pretty much make anything out of them including this super cute boat.
Easy Origami Boats
One Little Project
Origami projects are great at helping kids learn to follow directions and build their fine motor skills. Just don’t put them in water.
Paper Plate Boat Craft s
Arty Crafty Kids
A paper plate can make some fabulous ocean waves. This is a craft you can do after a story or with the song, “ A Sailor Went to Sea .” This interactive sailboat can actually move to the tune of the song.
Avocado Boat Craft
Kids Craft Room
Who knew the shell of an avocado could make such a super cute boat? It can even sail in the water.
Egg Carton Boat Crafts
Gingerbread House
Here is another egg carton boat. This would be a great one to do with the cardboard egg carton and then do the other one with the styrofoam carton. Then, you could do a sink or float challenge.
Paper Submarine
Crafty Morning
Get out those toilet paper rolls for this cute little submarine. Obviously this one will sink, so it’s just for decorations.
Cork Sailboat
Premeditated Left Overs
Cork floats so this would be another fun boat to make and play in the water with. Kids love making things they can put in water.
Balloon Powered Sponge Boat
The Craft Train
This is not only a boat, but a really cool science experiment. Get this boat going with balloon power! Kids will love this. Try different types of balloons to see which one works the best.
Easy Twig Boat
Family Budgeting
I don’t know about you, but kids always want to bring you weeds and twigs as gifts. Now you can have them make a fun little boat they can sail with their gifts.
These boat crafts are super great ideas to use as a sink or float lesson. You could make a couple different boats from this list and then have kids guess which ones will sink or float. Then, test them out.
Busy now? Why not pin this fantastic resource for later? Pinning supports my blog and allows me to create more content to help little ones learn. I’m truly grateful for any social shares.
About Angela Milnes
Angela Milnes is a Qualified Early Years Teacher who specialised in Preschool and Kindergarten teaching. She has a wealth of experience teaching young children and is passionate about kids crafts, preschool music and reading with kids. Don’t forget to follow our fun crafts and creative ideas over on Facebook .
Similar Posts
Easy thanksgiving crafts for kids, easy apple crafts for preschoolers, paper pilgrim craft for kids, indigenous people craft: native americans, easy paper turkey craft for kids, the best paper flower crafts for kids, one comment.
👍 👍👍! Ideas I found about different kinds of boats for my toddlers group. Thanks 🙏
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
- ELEMENTARY AND BEYOND
- FAMILY – ALL AGES
- KINDERGARTEN
18 Boat Crafts for Kids to Make
Row, row, row your boat, and see if you can make it float with these boat crafts for kids.
What child doesn’t love designing, decorating and trying to float a boat a that they’ve made from scratch? It’s just one of those classic summer activities that every kid has to try!
I’ve rounded up a collection of 18 boat crafts for kids to make this summer! They’re easy and inexpensive, using materials you have around the home!
Your kids will love building these boats, and then the best part – seeing if they can set them afloat in a sink, pool or pond!
16 Ways To Craft A Boat
How to make a boat.
Duct tape and sponge boats – the kids will love floating these around the bathtub!
How To Make A Paper Boat That Floats
Float a juice-box boat around the kiddy pool! What a fun, little upcycling project!
Craft Boats
You won’t believe what these sweet little wax boats are made from!
How To Make A Paper Boat
Send the owl and the pussy cat off to sea in this cute, little pea green boat.
How To Make A Boat Out Of Paper
A childhood just isn’t complete without making a simple but classic paper boat craft.
These sparkly cork boats are so easy to make, and they look so pretty!
Boat Crafts For Kids
A simple sailboat is fun to decorate, and makes good use of your recyclables.
Mayflower Craft
These mini-Mayflowers are the perfect for floating around in the water-table.
Make a self-propelled tug boat with a plastic container and a few simple supplies.
Older kids will love making and decorating these tiny cardboard canoes.
DIY Pirate Ship
Arrrr, Matey! A sponge pirate ship makes bath-time fun.
Milk Carton Boat
Milk or juice carton boats are perfect for small stuffies to sail away in!
Walnut Boat
These adorable walnut boats would be fun for racing down a stream.
How To Make A Boat Out Of Popsicle Sticks
Personalize a simple paper row-boat complete with oars and all.
Homemade Boat
Make a tin-pan sailboat and watch it float down a tin-foil river!
How To Make A Cardboard Boat
This cardboard sailboat can be made in miniature or large enough for a little one to play in.
Basket Boat
A laundry basket sailboat provides endless pretend-play opportunities.
Pilgrim Boat
A paper plate ship can be easily decorated to suit any nautical theme.
Love These Boat Crafts? We Have Other Fun Summer Activities To Try!
Making paper boats are fun, but we also have other summer activities for kids!
Stay cool with these fizzing ice science experiments.
Looking for simple things to do in the summer? We got you covered!
We have 25 summer activities for preschoolers!
Wondering what to do when your kids are bored this summer? You’ll want to check out Camp Mom!
We have over 50 fun camp inspired activities for kids.
Sharks are a fun summer animal! We always think about them when we are out in the ocean and shark week! So enjoy these shark crafts for preschool kids.
You’ll love these cool crafts! They all involve ice!
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
Related Stories
20 Books for Kids about America’s Birthday
Hamilton Coloring Pages
You may have missed
Top 20 Super Simple Dress Up Ideas
Felt Button Chain Quiet Activity for Kids
Fireworks Art for Kids
Make Watercolor Art with Markers
Visit Our Recipe Site EAT YOUR BEETS!
Preschool Boat Craft Using Popsicle Sticks
Sharing is caring!
Preschool aged kids are my favorite kids to work with. They are so curious, get excited about little things, and still have a joy of learning.
What I love about this preschool boat craft is you can use it to go along with stories like Maisy’s Sailboat or teach kids the letters of the alphabet using this b is for boat craft. There are so many directions you could take it.
Not only is this a great educational tool that incorporates learning and engineering, but kids love watching their little sail boats float on top of the water. It’s an accomplishment they can hold with them all their life.
And, it is super easy to make! Check it out, below!
Summer Crafts for Preschoolers
We all know preschoolers can’t stay busy for long. If they don’t have something to do, they are dumping the trash into the toilet, putting toothpaste in their hair, or just plain driving you insane.
If you like this boat craft for preschoolers, check out some of our other summer crafts to keep your preschooler busy:
- Preschool Paper Weave Ocean Sea Turtle Craft
- Beaver Skunk and Owl Craft
- DIY Rabbit, Bear and Hedgehog Craft
- Dog Crafts Kids will Love to Make
- Paper Plate Unicorn Craft
Supplies Needed for This Preschool Boat Craft
- Rainbow Boat Craft
- Rainbow craft sticks
- Plain craft sticks
- Hot glue gun
- Scrap book paper
- Paper straws
RELATED POST: DRAGONFLY CRAFT USING POPSICLE STICKS
How to Make a Boat Craft for Kids
Lay a row of colored craft sticks side by side to make a rainbow.
Cut two plain craft sticks in half and glue three of the halves to the back of the rainbow boat base.
Add another two craft sticks to the back of the boat going lengthwise.
Cut a triangle out of scrapbook paper and punch a hole in the top and bottom.
Cut a paper straw in half and slide the paper triangle onto the straw.
Place a mound of hot glue on the top of the boat and stick the straw into the center of the mound. Hold the straw in place until the glue dries.
Your boat craft is now ready to enjoy!
Tip: Use cold water when playing with the boats. Hot water will melt the glue, causing the boat to fall apart.
This is a tutorial on how to make a boat craft using popsicle sticks.
Instructions
20+ SAILBOAT CRAFTS FOR SUMMER
OCEAN THEMED ELMER’S SLIME RECIPE
Angela Milnes is a Qualified Early Years Teacher who has specialised in Preschool and Kindergarten teaching. She has a wealth of experience teaching young children and is passionate about kids crafts and having fun as a family. Angela has also taught cooking skills and loves to share both family recipes and easy crafts here on The Inspiration Edit. Follow her on Pinterest !
Similar Posts
How to Protect Your Rights After an Injury That Demands Serious Care
How to Choose the Right Decking for Your Yard
Planning Bariatric Friendly Recipes After Weight Loss Surgery
10 Health Benefits of Gastric Bypass Surgery
4 Tips for Working as an Entrepreneur From Home
Everything You Need to Know About Wrongful Death Lawsuits
Leave a reply cancel reply.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Weeping, weak and soaked, dozens of Rohingya refugees rescued after night on hull of capsized boat
M EULABOH, Indonesia (AP) — An Indonesian search and rescue ship on Thursday located a capsized wooden boat that had been carrying dozens of Rohingya Muslim refugees, and began pulling survivors who had been standing on its hull to safety.
An AP photographer aboard the rescue ship said 10 people had been taken aboard local fishing boats and another 59 were being saved by the Indonesian craft.
Men, women and children, weak and soaked from the night’s rain, wept as the rescue operation got underway and people were taken aboard a rubber dinghy to the rescue boat.
There were contradictory reports about whether anyone had died in the accident, with survivors saying many who had been aboard when the boat departed from Bangladesh were still unaccounted for, but authorities insisted everyone had been rescued.
“We have examined all 69 Rohingya that we rescued and from our examination, there was no information from them about any deaths," Fathur, a rescue officer who gave only one name, told reporters. "We managed to evacuate all 69 people and no one stated that anyone had died.”
With the addition of six Rohingya who were rescued by private fishing boats that were at the scene well before authorities launched the official rescue mission, a total of 75 people from the boat were saved.
But Samira, a 17-year-old who was among the refugees from the Kutupalong camp in Bangladesh who had been traveling to Malaysia, said there had been 146 people on board, raising the prospect that 71 could still be missing at sea.
She said the boat began foundering three days ago and then capsized on Wednesday, adding that her nephew was among those unaccounted for.
“All of us are very sad," she said. “We are very hungry and weak.”
When fishing vessels reached the scene on Wednesday, desperate refugees clamored aboard one of the boats, overloading it and causing it to also capsize. It was not immediately clear what happened to the crew on board.
After being informed about the refugees in need of help by the fishermen Wednesday morning, an official search and rescue team set off from Banda Aceh city on Wednesday evening. They didn't reach the area of the accident until early in the morning and could not initially locate the capsized boat.
When they came upon it midday Thursday, they found the refugees on its hull, desperate for help.
They rescued 42 men, 18 women and nine children and took some to a temporary shelter in the Aceh Besar district and others to a local hospital for treatment.
Amiruddin, a tribal fishing community leader in Aceh Barat district, said those rescued indicated that the boat was sailing east when it started leaking and then strong currents pushed it toward the west of Aceh.
About 740,000 Rohingya fled earlier to Bangladesh to escape a brutal counterinsurgency campaign by security forces in their homeland of Myanmar.
Thousands have been trying to flee overcrowded camps in Bangladesh to neighboring countries, with Indonesia seeing a spike in refugee numbers since November which prompted it to call on the international community for help. Rohingya arriving in Aceh face some hostility from some fellow Muslims.
Indonesia, like Thailand and Malaysia, is not a signatory to the United Nations’ 1951 Refugee Convention outlining their legal protections, and so is not obligated to accept them. However, they have so far provided temporary shelter to refugees in distress.
Last year, nearly 4,500 Rohingya — two-thirds of them women and children — fled their homeland of Myanmar and the refugee camps in neighboring Bangladesh by boat, the United Nations refugee agency reported. Of those, 569 died or went missing while crossing the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea, the highest death toll since 2014.
Returning safely to Myanmar is virtually impossible because the military that attacked them overthrew Myanmar’s democratically elected government in 2021 . No country has offered them any large-scale resettlement opportunities.
Tarigan reported from Jakarta. AP journalist David Rising contributed to this story from Bangkok.
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Preschool Boat Crafts. August 22, 2023. These preschool boat crafts are perfect for introducing young learners to both transportation and the letter "Bb". These hands-on activities not only unlock your child's inner artist, but they serve as an engaging way to teach them about different modes of transportation and the alphabet.
Making the boat is super easy! You will only need three things-- paper or duct tape for the sail, a kitchen sponge for the boat's base, and a skewer or a straw for the sail mast. Cut the top two corners of the sponge. Push the skewer in the middle to make the sail mast. Make the sail from paper or duct tape.
Allow the boats to drift and hold friendly races to see whose boat arrives first at the finish line. 2. Build wooden sailboats with your children as a hands-on activity. Use this kit to make your own designs out of materials such as wood or your own craft items. 3.
Making boats with your own hands is a fun and creative activity for kids. You can find 25 easy DIY boat crafts for kids in our helpful guide, which will inspire you to make amazing boats with different materials and designs. You can choose from simple boat crafts for preschoolers, like a twig boat or a milk carton boat, or more advanced boat projects for older kids, like a self-propelled boat ...
Sailboat Craft - Summer Craft for Kids. This easy sailboat and ocean craft for kids is really fun to put together! Kids can have fun creating their own sailboats and making the ocean out of paper strips. This would look great in a classroom too if every child created their own unique suns and boats.
What a fun, little upcycling project! 3. Craft Boats Made with Wax. This traditional wax boat craft for kids start from a favorite snack! You won't believe what these sweet little wax boats are made from! 4. Build a Paper Boat Today. What a cute paper boat craft for kids with nursery rhyme characters made of cork.
How To Make An Easy Sailboat - Tutorial: 1) Cut an equilateral triangle from the self-adhesive vinyl-coated paper in the desired color. Fine motor skills task for kids: cutting. If kids will be cutting these triangles, you can first draw them on the backside of the paper sheet. 2) Peel off the backing and tape the color paper around the ...
How to Make this Sailboat Craft. This preschool craft for kids includes an adorable sailboat template to make this sailboat craft easier for toddlers to complete. Simply follow my instructions below to make this construction paper craft for kids. Cut one long strip of white paper, one long strip of light blue and two long strips of dark blue.
Instructions for making this boat craft. Step 1: Begin by downloading and printing out the sailboat template. Cut out the two pieces of the template. Step 2: Using a pencil, trace the sail on white construction paper and the boat on brown construction paper with a pencil. Cut out each of the pieces.
A Boat Craft for Kids. This boat craft for kids is an easy and engaging activity for toddlers and preschoolers. By following these simple step-by-step instructions, you and your little ones will put together an awesome recycled boat for hours of sailing fun. Happy sailing, everyone!
Combine the wonders of science, technology, engineering, and math with boat crafts that teach kids about buoyancy, propulsion, and design. Watch their eyes light up as they engineer boats that can move and float. Get out the hot glue gun to make straw boats that go with the power of wind. This simple DIY paddle boat is a great way to show ...
More Ways to Play With Your DIY Secret Message Sailboat Craft 1. Pair your mini sailboats with a picture book. Boost your little sailors' knowledge of nautical codes with colorful and captivating picture books like Alpha, Bravo, Charlie: The Complete Book of Nautical Codes (for older kids), or Boats are Busy (for younger kids). 2.
This easy sailboat craft is the perfect activity for preschoolers learning about the science of air currents, wind and water. Most young children love water play and this small scale boat activity is excellent for indoor water play.As part of a science lesson, preschoolers will make the boats, fill the "lake," and create wind currents to move their sailboats across the water.
Preschool Sailboat Crafts For Summer. Well today I wanted to share a fun an creative list of ideas in the form of Sailboat crafts.. Making new things with the kids can be really fun. Sylvia and I love to make little, new and interesting crafts and we have been visiting the internet for sail boat inspiration.
These nature boats were made of big leaves, sticks, and seed pods, and then pieced together using hot glue. 2. Easter Egg Boat. These colorful plastic eggs can be used in many awesome boat crafts. You only need plastic eggs, foam sheets, drinking straws, and hot glue to bring them to life and float the day away. 3.
Glue the fold together on the top of the skewer. Poke the skewer into the sponge so that it goes through the other side at least 1″. Remove the skewer. Poke a hole at the top of the construction paper triangle, along the long edge, and poke the skewer through the paper. Keep the skewer about 1/2″ to 3/8″ from the edge of the paper.
Use this boat craft to teach children shapes and color recognition skills. Start with tracing a circle on colored craft paper using a small bowl. Cut this out and fold it in the middle. Cut out other shapes, such as a strip of yellow, two small circles, and a red rectangle. Use corrugated paper to cut out the funnels.
Easy Boat Crafts. Whether you are looking for something educational, a way to build fine motor skills, or just a fun craft to do, these boat crafts are fun and easy for kids of all ages. Preschool Boat Craft. The Inspiration Edit. The cool thing about this boat craft is that kids can actually watch it float.
These sparkly cork boats are so easy to make, and they look so pretty! Boat Crafts For Kids. A simple sailboat is fun to decorate, and makes good use of your recyclables. Mayflower Craft. These mini-Mayflowers are the perfect for floating around in the water-table. Tug Boat. Make a self-propelled tug boat with a plastic container and a few ...
Instructions. Lay a row of colored craft sticks side by side to make a rainbow. Cut two plain craft sticks in half and glue three of the halves to the back of the rainbow boat base. Add another two craft sticks to the back of the boat going lengthwise. Cut a triangle out of scrapbook paper and punch a hole in the top and bottom.
You may find basic instructions for making an origami paper boat craft that children may easily follow. Prepare a tub of water, then have a sailboat racing game once the kids have made their own paper craft boats! 3. Water Transportation. This printable sailboat template could be the first step in learning about water transportation.
A boat craft that really floats and can be submerged in water and will still stay intact! A great learning activity for summer, your toddler or preschooler will enjoy making these with you and will love playing with them in the water afterwards. Please note that adult help and supervision will be needed whilst making…
An AP photographer aboard the rescue ship said 10 people had been taken aboard local fishing boats and another 59 were being saved by the Indonesian craft. Men, women and children, weak and soaked ...
This printable sailboat craft template is a fun and easy project for kids! Kids will love making their sailboat crafts since they have an easy, step-by-step guide to follow. We also created two sailboat templates so that children could choose what they would like to work on. Grab a copy of the printable sailboat craft template now if you want ...