Puddle Boat

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Total Time 1 to 2 hours Ages all-ages

Spring showers set the stage for the type of adventure found only in a big rain puddle -- like setting afloat a toy boat.

What you'll need

  • Fome-Cor or styrofoam
  • Craft knife
  • Acrylic paints and brushes
  • Nails
  • Rubber band
Helpful Tip:

To launch the boat, rotate the wheel until the rubber band is tightly twisted, set the boat in a deep puddle and release.

How to make it

  1. Use a utility knife (parents only) to cut a 10 by 5 inch rectangle out of 1/2-inch Fome-Cor. Contour one of the shorter ends so that it resembles the bow of a boat.

  2. Starting 1 1/2 inches in from the opposite end, cut a 4 by 3 inch opening for the paddle wheel. Use the removed material to make a cabin. Then cut out a half circle 3 inches long at the flat end and glue it to the top of the bow.

  3. Fashion the paddle wheel out of 1/2-inch Fome-Cor. Cut out two 3 by 2 inch rectangles and make a notch (1 by 1/4 inch) in the center of each of them. Fit the two pieces together to form a cross.

  4. Decorate the boat and the wheel with acrylic paints and seal them (top, bottom and sides) with a coat of acrylic gloss.

  5. Tap a small nail partway into the Fome-Cor on both sides of the wheel opening. Tie an overhand knot at both ends of a rubber band to form two small loops. Then slip a loop around each nail and fit the middle of the band around the center of the paddle wheel.

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