Easy Boat Crafts to Make with Kids

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Originally Posted On: https://bippermedia.com/easy-boat-crafts-to-make-with-kids/

There is no easier craft to do with your kids during the summer than making boats. And believe it or not, they don’t have to be time consuming, fancy or involve a lot of materials to be fun to make and play with.

Your child will absolutely enjoy spending time with you creating their boat craft and seeing their creation float in the pool, lake, creek or even the tub.

While there are over a dozen boat crafts you can find online, below we are sharing three easy boat crafts you can do with materials you likely have around the house.

Paper Boat

Just like paper airplanes, paper boats are just as entertaining and simple to make. You may need a little patience, but making an origami boat can be quite rewarding. Best of all, you really only need one sheet of paper. Now, while you can use construction paper, you’ll want to use printer paper or even magazine paper if you would like your boat to float. And really, who wouldn’t want that?

You can make mini paper boats or larger ones. Your children can also color their boats and decorate them if they’d like. Whatever you all decide, just know that an origami boat is a good craft to introduce your children to origami. It will also teach them the skill of following instructions.

With a few easy steps of simple folding and creasing, your kids will want to make a whole regatta of them so they can have boat races down a stream.

Instructions:

1. Fold your sheet of paper in half and make a neat crease.
2. Turn the paper round so the closed edge is along the top while the open edges are along the bottom.
3. Fold the paper in half again and make a middle crease. Then, open it back up.
4. Fold the top right corner down to meet the middle crease and create a triangle.
   Repeat with the top left corner. You should have two triangles with a banner along the
   bottom that is made of two sheets of paper.
5. Take one of these and fold up (two small triangles will overlap). Fold these down to make another edge.
6. Flip the origami over and repeat for the other side. You should now have what looks like a classic paper hat.
7. Take the two points one either side and bring it to the center and flatten it. You should have a diamond with equal sides in front of you.
8. Take the bottom corner and fold it up. Then, flip over and repeat for the other side. You should now have a triangle again.
9. Take the point on the left and right and then bring them together to meet in the middle and flatten it. You should have another diamond.
10. Now you can pull it apart and make your final boat shape.

You can decorate it in any way you would like or keep it the way it is.

You can see the tutorial video of this origami paper boat craft here: https://www.redtedart.com/how-to-make-a-paper-boat/

Sponge Boat

Now if you want a real easy with much less steps involved than the paper boat, this sponge boat craft is the craft for you and your kids. Keep in mind that you will need more materials, but you may have most of these items in your home.

These sponge boats are cute, especially with their duct tape sails, and can be played with in the pool or in the tub during bath time. When the boats do overturn, all you have to do is squeeze the water out and pop the sail back on and set sail again.

Your kids may even want to include one of their toys to place on top of the sponge boat to see if it will stay on. The best part is that they can play with them for a long time because the sails are waterproof since they are made with duct tape.

Considered a STEM craft for older children, you can experiment with having them float on the water by making wind with straws and doing races.

Here is what you will need:

• Kitchen scourer sponges (or any thick sponge would work too)
• Craft sticks
• Duct tape
• Ruler
• Craft knife and cutting mat – note only an adult should use the craft knife
• Scissors

Instructions:

1. Cut the tip of your kitchen sponge into a pointy end using scissors.
2. Using your craft knife, cut a small horizontal slit in the sponge for the mast (the craft stick) to be placed.
3. Make the sail by laying down a piece of duct tape, then sticking a second piece of duct tape alongside it also upside down but overlapping. Stick a second layer of tape down over the first so that the sticky side faces down and the sail is smooth on both sides.
4. Use your craft knife or scissors to trim the edges of the sail to make it a square shape.
5. Place two small pieces of duct tape around the craft stick mast at the top and close to the bottom where the base of the sail will sit. This will help to keep the sail in place.
6. Use your craft knife again to cut a small horizontal slit at the top and bottom of the sail.
7. Thread the duct tape sail through the slits to make a curved mast.

You can see the sponge boat craft here: https://www.thecrafttrain.com/sponge-boat-craft-for-kids/

Cork Boat

Want an easier and quicker boat craft to make? Well, this cork boat craft mostly involves cork and rubber bands. They float so well and do not involve a lot of materials and time.

Here is what you will need:

• ​​3 corks per boat to give it the best stability
• 2 rubber bands
• a toothpick
• craft foam or paper
• string (optional)

Instructions:

1. Place the rubber band around the three corks that are about the same width.
2. For the sail, cut the craft foam in the shape of a square. If you don’t have foam, you can use paper, although the sail is more waterproof. Decorate it as you wish!
3. Pierce the sail with the toothpick.
4. Poke your toothpick into your cork boat base.

Now you are ready to sail! If you’d like, you can add a little string to your cork boat if you want to take it to a nearby pond or river.

Check out the cork boat craft here: https://www.redtedart.com/easy-cork-boat-craft-for-kids/

If you want to learn more about how to float a boat and other fun activities to do with your children, check out The Learning Experience’s Bubbles and Friends YouTube Channel here.