How to Make a Popsicle Raft With Sail

Make a raft with Popsicle sticks.

Popsicle stick rafts are an easy craft project for children. Help each child make their own raft and decorate their own flag to attach to the raft. Let your children have races with their rafts in a bathtub or swimming pool. Decorate the flags for a specific holiday and set the rafts loose in a nearby river, lake or stream.

Things You'll Need

• 16 Popsicle sticks
• Hot glue gun
• Clay
• Paper
• Scissors
• Crayons

Instructions

1. Lay four Popsicle sticks side by side on a flat surface. Position the sticks so they are resting vertically. Leave a 1-inch space between each one.

2. Use a hot glue gun to place a drop of hot glue on the top of each stick. Lay a fifth Popsicle stick across the top of, at right angles to and in the center of the first four sticks. Press the stick down until the glue dries. Glue another 10 sticks side by side across the lengths of the first four sticks to create the base of the raft.

3. Place a piece of clay on the center top of the raft. Place the bottom of a Popsicle stick into the clay. Position the stick so it is sticking upright out of the clay. Press the clay around the base of the stick to secure it in place.

4. Cut a 3-inch by 3-inch square from a piece of paper using a pair of scissors. Decorate the square of paper with crayons to create a flag for your raft. Cut a slit in the top and bottom of the square along one side.

5. Insert the top of the mast through the bottom slit in the paper. Push the paper down the mast. Insert the top of the mast through the top slit in the paper. Push the paper sail a little farther down the mast so it won't slide back out of the slits.

References

• Activity Village: Patriotic Raft Craft