Build-a-Boat

            
        Last week we went to the creek to explore
             if homemade boats would float.

  
Our Nature Bags contained clipboard and paper, paint, scissors,
   drift wood and a stick.  I also took tape and plastercine.
 
 The children got busy making and painting their sail and attaching it
                                      to the stick.
 
     My husband had pre-drilled a hole part way into the driftwood. 
          But not all the sticks were the same size as the hole
             so the plastercine was used to hold it in place.
 
The boats were done.  Each were unique by how each child attached
                                       the sail
     
      or the shape of the boat like this catamaran.  

                  Now they were ready to launch.
  
   We walked down the path till we could find a safe place to
                reach the water to let our boats go.
 
   It was exciting to watch the children put their boats in the water. 
   Some were top heavy and fell over.  We talked about why that
                    happened and how we could fix it.
 
Another difficulty we experienced was some boats wouldn't move.  Why? 
What do they need to move?  Another push?  Making the water ripple with
our hands or a stick?  Different methods were tried and the boats started to
                                         sail away.
      
     As the boats floated away the children ran after trying to
                              keep them in sight.
 
Off they sailed but "Oh! Oh!" some got stuck in branches laying in the water. 
A brave grandmother showed them how to use a stick to solve the problem.
 
         Then there were rapids.  How quickly the boats disappeared. 
      We quickly tried to follow, some disappeared, others resurfaced.
               
        A little one trying to rescue what was left of her boat.
 
          It was an awesome day to explore the creek and build a boat. 
 We will plan another day to spend more time exploring boats at the creek.