Lots of kids like playing in the water, whether its a small bathroom tub or a big backyard pool. While store-bought toys can be fun, anyone who has kids knows that handmade toys are sometimes more enticing. Before your child takes his next bath or jumps in the pool, help him make this fun boat that will make water play a little more fun. Read on to learn how to make a toy boat.
Use a piece of cardboard to create a stencil for your child to use to make sails. Draw a right triangle with a ruler. Make the height 3 inches and the base 2 inches. Connect the lines to form your hypotenuse.
2
Give your child the stencil and have her trace several triangles on a large sheet of fun foam to create sails for the boat. Instruct her to cut out each triangle when she's finished drawing.
3
Punch two holes in each triangle. One hole is placed in the corner of the right angle, while the other whole is placed in the corner at the top of the longest side.
4
Cut several straws down to 4 inches long. The straws are the mast for your sail. Poke the straw through the two holes of the triangle to make the boat's sail.
5
Stick the bottom of the straw into the sponge to connect your sail to the boat.
6
Place your handmade toy boat in water and watch it float around.
Tips & Warnings
Use different colored sponges and fun foam to make a variety of toy boats.
Decorate your sail with stickers or markers.
Let older children create their own stencils, varying the size of the triangles.
Turn the activity into a math lesson, teaching your kids about angles and even the Pythagorean Theorem.
