Age
⚙ 2.5 years and up
Time and Place
⚙ Any time of day
⚙ Any time of year
⚙ Outdoors (weather permitting)
Materials
⚙ Glue
⚙ Scissors
⚙ Paint
⚙ Timer (phone or stopwatch)
Optional Materials
Building Materials
⚙ Natural materials (e.g., sticks, leaves)
⚙ Recycled materials (e.g., empty juice box)
⚙ Other materials (e.g., aluminum foil, clay)
Safety
⚙ Supervise children at all times •Take extra precautions when playing with water
⚙ Be aware of choking hazards
⚙ When outdoors, protect children from elements (e.g., sun, rain)
Instructions
Build on a general interest in racing by planning a field trip to a nearby creek so that children can race boats. Encourage children to build their own boats using natural, recycled, and/or other material. Have children count or time as they race their boats to a finish line. Optional: create your own stream with a hose and a slip 'n slide.
Questions You May Ask
⚙ What materials can you use to build your boat?
⚙ What materials can you use to make your boat float?
⚙ How can you build a boat that can go fast?
⚙ How can we time how long your boat takes to reach the finish line?
⚙ How long did it take for your boat to reach the finish line? Whose boat was the fastest?
⚙ Whose boat finished [first, second, third] in the race?
Play-based Context
Young children love to race: cars, each other, bikes, marbles, anything!
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Related Children's Books
⚙ Busytown Boat Race by Richard Scarry
⚙ Where do Speedboats Sleep at Night? Brianna Caplan Sayres
⚙ Boat Book by Gail Gibbons
