Sink or Float Boat Craft Activity for the Family is a fun way to get everyone involved. Ingenuity, creativity and a little healthy competition is involved for this one. If you don’t have water near you at a park for example, use a kiddie pool or even the bathtub. I like this activity because it can span across age groups from little ones to teens and adults. It is inexpensive. It has a set schedule and rules. It promotes individuality and camaraderie.
Here is what you do:
1. Gather a bunch of recycled materials and craft supplies. Things like:
- Tape
- Glue Stick (not hot glue)
- Scissors
- Paper cups
- Straws
- Corks
- plastic lids
- Paper
- Toothpicks
- Paper plates
- Empty plastic bottles
- Paper towel tubes
- Pipe cleaners
- String
2. Read the rules of the game to the children:
- Each person may use any of the craft supplies provided in the pile.
- Each person is to construct a boat that will float on water.
- Each boat must have a sail to be counted.
- We will have 5 minutes to construct our boats.
- Each person will be allowed a 2 minute test run in a sink filled with water. If the boat does not float you will have a 3 minute time period to make adjustments.
- Once that time is up it is time to sink or float!
3. Lay out the craft supplies in the center of the group, set the timer and say GO!
4. When 5 minutes is up have each person test their boat out in some water and allow time to make one-time adjustments.
5. All family members and boats go outside to pool or pond and on the count of three each person puts their boat in the water.
This part is up to you, whether you want to propel them with air for a bit of a race, or watch them float along the currents.
Perhaps they’ll just drift awhile like ours did until they come to dock again on their own.
After we watched our boat race across the pond, we played together at the park. Bring some treats to celebrate together and enjoy your family!
TIP: Bring something (like a pool net or lightweight pole) to retrieve your boats from the water when you are finished.
What ways do you get the family together for fun?
