Make Your Own Sailing Boats from Recycled Materials

We've been setting sail for the high seas! With a few simple containers & a crew of eager sailors we were all set for our sailing adventure.




After a rummage through our box of recycling goodies, Minnie collected a selection of yoghurt pots, plastic food tubs & lids. The containers soon became her boats & she was eager to see if they would float, so we set up a 'testing area' on the kitchen table using a plastic tub filled with water. 


She added masts & figures to the boats, adapting where necessary & adding/removing figures to enable the boats to float.



This was so simple to set up, & great for discovering size, capacity, weight, volume, number, shapes, & great for problem solving, making predictions & adaptions.


Once happy with her set of boats Minnie took them out to the garden to float on a larger expanse of water.




Minnie made more masts using drinking straws, magazine paper, sticky tape, & plasticine & added these to her boats & rafts. The breezy weather outside added another dimension to her play & soon the boats were sailing across the surface, spinning & twisting as the wind caught the sails. Minnie thought this was magic! A great way to discover weather & it's effects, motion, & movement.


These boats were a great hit with Minnie & even ended up in the bath with her that evening!
So simple & frugal to make & great for indoor/outdoor play.