Our summer has been filled with trips to coastal locations- Hawaii, North Carolina, Virginia, and Big Sur. My toddler and preschooler have spent a lot of time in the water and have been really excited by all of the boats they’ve seen.
Today I wanted to share a simple paper boat craft we created based on their enthusiasm. Related: How to Fold a Paper Boat [Columbus Day Activities]Make A Paper Boat Craft
The boats use very few materials and can be adapted for a variety of ages. Materials needed to make a paper boat:- paper (we used cardstock)
- stapler
- scissors
- stickers
- crayons/markers
- popsicle sticks
- tape
The paper boat templates are pretty simple to create using paper, scissors, and a stapler.
- Fold your paper in half.
- Fold the paper to make an M (center fold inward and then two folded humps on either side.
- Draw the angled sides of your boat.
- Trim the sides/top to make the boat the length/height that you want.
- Staple the sides together using one or two staples. Your boat should then be able to stand on it’s own. *Cut extra holes in the sides of the boat for the oars if you want.
Once the boat is created you can give your kids a variety of materials and have them start designing their boats!
We also designed popsicle stick people to stick inside our paper boats! You could easily tape your child’s photo onto a popsicle stick instead of having them draw themselves. We had fun making our paper boats float/fly around the house through pretend water.
Do you have any other boat themed crafts or activities you’ve tried?
Here are a few of our favorites boat activities:
- Make a Viking Ship – this amazing Viking longship can be made from a cardboard box.
- Sinking Ships – learn about density, buoyancy, and gravity in this fun kids ™ science experiment.
- Twinkie Submarine Snacks – kids love decorated treats and Twinkie Submarines are easy and fun to make.
- Learn how to make a diy boat with these fun crafts.
- Check out 14 entertaining boat activities for preschoolers!
Kristina, thanks for sharing your crafts, I’ll try to do the ship with our Sunday School kids. Blessings, Lau