sailboat definition for kindergarten

Science Kids ©  |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |  Updated: Oct 9, 2023

A boat is a vehicle used to travel on water . It is smaller than a ship and can be lifted out of the water and carried on a ship. Some boats have sails , some are powered by rowing with oars , and some use motors . Those that use steam engines are steamboat s. There are some boats that can go underwater. They are called submarines . A narrowboat is a boat designed to be used on narrow canals . It is sometimes called a barge .

Historically, most boats have been constructed from wood . However, more recently built boats are often made of metals like steel and aluminium . Expensive boats may have parts made from fiberglass or composite materials and some even have helicopter pads.

The Pesse Canoe is likely the oldest boat recovered to date as it was built sometime around 8,000 BCE [1]

A recreational motorboat with an outboard motor

Silver model of a boat, tomb PG 789, Royal Cemetery of Ur , 2600–2500 BCE

Boats with sails in Bangladesh

Traditional Toba Batak boat ( c.  1870 ), photograph by Kristen Feilberg

Fishing boats in Visakhapatnam , India

Popular searches in the last week:

• Oceans and Seas
• Oceans and Seas of the World
• Atlantic Underwater World
• Pacific Underwater World
• Sea Mythology
• Fantasy Islands
• Boats and Ships
• The Galapagos Islands and Charles Darwin

Key Stage 1 Oceans and Seas Boats and Ships

Research the development of boats and ships, changes in their power sources, changing length of voyages, the history of regattas and the life of seafarers. Paint, make sketches, write journal entries, use code and write ship telegrams. Carry out floating and sinking experiments, construct boats and finally put on a regatta with sandwiches and prizes!

Session 1 Boats in the past

• Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change.
• Identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods.
• Recognise and use language relating to dates, including weeks, months and years.
• Compare intervals of time.
• Read numbers to 100 in numerals.
• Use place value and number facts to solve problems.
• Develop drawing techniques in using line, shape and form.

Lesson Planning

Compare ships of different eras; Think about the length of voyages; Make sketches and create a timeline of ships.

Teaching Outcomes To order boats chronologically and identify features of old and modern boats. To compare journey lengths in terms of hours, days, weeks, months and order dates by considering the numerals that represent the century, the decade, and the year. To draw a sketch of a boat or ship.

Children will:

• Identify and compare features of boats and ships of different ages.
• Create a timeline of ships.
• Use language relating to the measurement of time: hours, days, weeks, months.
• Order dates chronologically using century, decade, year.
• Use a pencil to sketch a boat.

Provided Resources

• Time and date cards
• Boat and ship images
• Cruise ships old and new images for ordering
• Unit Resources

You Will Need

• Sketching paper
• Drawing pencils

A cruise on the SS Paris − YouTube clip

Session 2 How are boats and ships used?

• Use painting to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination,
• Learn about the work of a range of artists and designers, describing the differences and similarities between different practices and disciplines, and making links to their own work.
• Say sentences out loud before writing them.
• Re-read what they have written to check that it makes sense.
• Write for different purposes.
• Use simple connectives to join clauses.

Look at the different design features of boats and ships; Use watercolours to paint a picture of a ship with a specific purpose.

Teaching Outcomes To explore design features of boats with specific functions; To paint a boat using watercolours. To write a clue card to accompany their paintings.

• Match the design features of boats to their functions.
• Paint a ship or boat with a specific purpose, using watercolours.
• Write a clue card about their painting.
• Artwork of ships and boats
• Ink & watercolour paintings
• Boat and ship images (from session 1)
• Watercolour paints and brushes
• Sticky labels

There are no weblinks needed for this session.

Session 3 Life at sea

• Use the past tense correctly and consistently.

Learn about the differences between life at sea in the past and the present; Read fictional journal entries of sailors and voyagers; Write journal entries in role as a seafarer.

Teaching Outcomes To identify and discuss life at sea in the past and present; To match journal entries to a ship type and era. To write a journal entry for someone at sea in the past.

• Match ship images to fictional journal entries.
• Identify the differences between life at sea in the past and present.
• Write a journal entry in role as a seafarer in the past.
• Journal entries
• Working ships past and present
• Background information cards

You do not need any particular resources for this session.

Session 4 Ship-to-ship communication in the past

• Learn about events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or globally.
• Leave spaces between words.
• Punctuate sentences using a capital letter and a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark.

Learn about the history of ship-to-ship communication and then write, code and decode ship telegrams.

Teaching Outcomes To explore ship-to-ship communication past and present and learn the story of Titanic and her maiden voyage. To compose and decipher telegraph messages using Morse code and to create an exhibition poster about ship communication ‘then and now’.

• Look at ship-to-ship communication past and present.
• Explore the Marconi telegraph system, writing, coding and decoding ship telegrams.
• Learn the story of Titanic and its voyage.
• Create a poster comparing sea communications in 1915 and 2015.
• Titanic collision map
• Marconi wireless sets
• Morse code key
• Example Marconigram form
• Blank Marconigram form
• Morse code messages
• Morse code message solutions
• Sea communication statements
• Poster paper

The story of how Titanic sank from Historic UK The Titantic Marconigrams from Encyclopedia Titanica SOS in Morse code − YouTube clip

Session 5 How do boats stay afloat?

• Observe closely, using simple equipment.
• Perform simple tests.
• Use observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions.
• Use technology purposefully to create, store and retrieve digital content.
• Measure and begin to record mass/weight.
• Choose and use appropriate standard units to measure mass (kg/g) to the nearest appropriate unit, using scales.

Carry out simple floating and sinking experiments and begin to understand why heavy metal boats float.

Teaching Outcomes To experiment with objects to find out what floats and what sinks. To make suggestions as to why objects float or sink. To record experiments using digital photography equipment. To measure the weight of various materials and objects.

• Conduct and record simple experiments to explore floating and sinking.
• Offer explanations as to why heavy metal boats float.
• Explore whether salt water and fresh water affect an object’s ability to float.
• Make predictions based on own knowledge, previous experience and observations.
• Use photography to record the results of experiments.
• Use scales to weigh objects.
• Large container ship
• Tubs of water
• Floating bath toy
• Metal object, same size as bath toy
• Modelling clay
• Whole, uncooked eggs
• Digital cameras
• Range of small objects of varying buoyancy

Ship launch − YouTube clip

Session 6 How are boats powered?

Design and Technology

• Explore and use mechanisms in their products.
• Design purposeful, functional, appealing products based on design criteria.
• Select from and use a wide range of materials and components according to their characteristics.
• Evaluate their ideas and products against design criteria.
• Construct simple pictograms.
• Answer simple questions by counting the number of objects in each category and sorting the categories by quantity.
• Ask and answer questions about totalling and comparing categorical data.

Explore how boats move through water; Construct simple boats with a range of power sources.

Teaching Outcomes To construct simple paddle-, propeller- and sail-boats. To create a pictogram of boat power sources and analyse the data.

• Explore the different ways boats move through water.
• Construct simple paddle-, propeller- and sail-boats.
• Create a pictogram showing boat power sources.
• How do they move?
• Pictogram images
• Pictogram grid
• For balloon boats: balloons, pens, bendy straws, thin rubber bands, tape, styrofoam containers
• For rubber-band boats: rubber bands, markers, rulers, styrofoam or thick card and electrical tape
• For cork sailboats: corks, coloured paper, toothpicks, beads, small screwdriver, cutting mat.

Boat propeller − YouTube clip How to make balloon-powered boats from sophie-world.com How to make rubber-band powered boats from livingonthecheap.com How to make cork sail-boats from redtedart.com

Session 7 What boat shape is best?

• Recognise, identify and describe the properties of 2-D shapes, including the number of sides and line symmetry in a vertical line.

Investigate different boat hull shapes and find out which is the most efficient for moving through water.

Teaching Outcomes To identify and create regular and irregular 2D shapes to make the basis of a boat’s shape. To explore how different shapes affect how a boat moves through water.

• Identify and label irregular and regular shapes, relating to a boat’s hull.
• Experiment to find which boat shape is the most efficient.
• Boat ahapes
• Tin-foil boats
• Shape sheet 1
• Shape sheet 2
• Trays of water
• Small electric fans

A fish swimming − YouTube clip

Session 8 Boat building

• Design purposeful, functional, appealing products for themselves based on design criteria.
• Generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through talking and drawing.
• Select from and use a wide range of materials and components, according to their characteristics.
• Evaluate their ideas and products against design criteria
• Use simple punctuation accurately.

Design and build a boat, with a power source, to carry a small load.

Teaching Outcomes To design and make a boat that will travel quickly, in a straight line and carrying a load. To write a brief description of their boat design.

• Design a boat with a power source that can float, move in a straight path and carry a small load.
• Make the boat they have designed using a range of materials and tools.
• Evaluate and modify their boat design when completed.
• Write a description of their boat.

This session does not need any provided resources.

• Shape sheet 1 (from session 7)
• Shape sheet 2 (from session 7)
• Small cargo e.g. a rubber
• Boat-building tools and supplies: Balloons, pens, bendy straws, thin rubber bands, tape, styrofoam containers, rulers, styrofoam, thick card, electrical tape, scissors, glue, corks, coloured paper, toothpicks, beads, small screwdriver, cutting mat, juice or milk cartons, plastic tubing

How to make balloon-powered boats from sophie-world.com How to make rubber-band powered boats from livingonthecheap.com How to make cork sail-boats from redtedart.com

Session 9 Class regatta

• Learn about changes in living memory.
• Name and locate the world’s seven continents.
• Use world maps, atlases and globes to identify continents.

Compare regattas from the modern day and the past; Design and make sandwiches for a class regatta; Test boats and award prizes.

Teaching Outcomes To write a clue card to accompany their paintings. To design and make sandwiches; To test out boats against a design brief

• Explore the history of regattas through images and film.
• Design and make sandwiches from a range of ingredients.
• Test their boats against a design brief.
• Modern regattas
• Historic regattas
• Model boats made in session 8
• 3 small prizes
• Range of sandwich ingredients
• Plates and plastic knives

Henley Royal Regattas in recent years from hrr.co.uk Henley Royal Regatta in 1920 − YouTube clip

This site uses cookies to give you the most relevant information. Learn more

Log in or sign up to get access to this resource

School subscription, reduce teacher workload.

From £155 (+ VAT) per year. Access to all key stages for multiple users.

Individual Subscription

For inspirational teaching.

Just £45 (£37.50 + VAT) per year to get access to all resources.

Early Career Teacher

Develop your teaching.

Just £33 (£27.50 + VAT) to get access to all resources for 2 years.

Taster Account

100s of resources.

Register to access all free resources.

Already subscribed?

Log in to get access.

Get Fun Kids on your new speaker!

Bored? Get the FREE Fun Kids app!

Check out all Fun Kids podcasts

All new Fun Kids Science Weekly

Sean’s ships.

How do ships work and why are there so many routes? Sean's exploring the history and science behind ships and international trade!

How can boats sail into the wind?

Sean and Robot are finding out - with the help of Boatadex!

Sean and Robot have been learning about the science behind sails – and there’s more to them than meets the eye!

Sail boats have four basic parts:

• an underwater fin – also called the keel or centreboard.  This does two jobs – it stops a boat being pushed sideways. And also works a bit like an aeroplane wing. The water going over the backside goes faster than the water going over the frontside, and that difference pulls the boat forwards and sideways.
• a sail – that’s a piece of fabric that catches the wind and powers the boat.

To go forward, a sailor turns the boat so that it’s at an angle to the wind and as the wind fills the sail, it creates a shape called an aerofoil – that means it’s also like a wing. By cleverly moving the sails and the keel, they can work with the wind to go in the direction they want. Quite often this has to be in a zig zag path to catch the wind in the right way to keep the aerofoil shape on the sail.

Big ships are just like small dinghy’s – multi-masted ships still form and position their sails into an aerofoil shape, they still rely on the keel’s counter force, they just don’t get the same results as today’s modern sailboats.

More to click...

• Santa visits 5,000 homes a second!
• Find out about artificial intelligence
• Find out about future fuels

Whilst Ancient mariners had a basic working knowledge of how wind powered their ship and how to position their sail and their ship to best take advantage of it, but they didn’t understand the physics of an aerofoil and how it works.

Click here to get Sean’s Ships on iTunes!

Get the series on your phone or tablet and listen whenever you like – at home, in the car or onboard your very own ship!

Find out how huge, heavy container ships manage to float on the water and how submarines can go for months and months sitting at the bottom of the ocean!

You can hear new episodes weekdays from 8am on Fun Kids – and catch-up on previous episodes in full now!

You can subscribe to the Sean’s Ships podcast channel for FREE in:

• Fun Kids app

…or you can listen here:

Explore all the free Fun Kids podcasts!

Download a series to listen to on your phone, tablet or in the car!

GO TO ALL PODCASTS

Sean’s Ships is supported by Lloyd’s Register Foundation .

Click here to find out more!

Leaving fun kids.

• Fun & Games
• National Days

How to Talk Like a Sailor (without Swearing)

A rear view of a father sitting on a boat with his children on the sea, they are waving at another boat on the sea.

Your little skippers will be ready for a high-seas adventure after learning a few fun words and phrases and their nautical origins. And if you like these, check out our pirate dictionary . You never know, one of these terms just might bale you out of the doldrums in just a couple of shakes. Read on!

photo: andreas160578  via pixabay

Adrift: Evolved from the word ‘drift’ or float, it became a way of describing a ship moved by wind and tides. It is now used to describe anything that is lost, as in, “Her matching sock were adrift among the piles of laundry.”

Bale/bale out: To remove water from a vessel, this phrase now means to help someone out of a sticky situation. (Note: alternate, Old nautical English spelling of bail).

Becalm: To cut off the wind from the sails of a ship. Can be used interchangeably with sooth, as in, “The mother was able to becalm her child temporarily with the promise of a cookie.”

Booby: A fearless little sea bird that is known for being easy to catch. The term booby or boob is sometimes used to describe someone who may not be that bright.

Bumboat: A privately owned boat that sells goods or merchandise. Fun to say.

Caboose: Sure, you know it as the little red car at the end of a train but a ship has a caboose too! It’s the kitchen or galley on a small ship.

Cats paws: A term to describe small waves produced by light, variable winds on otherwise calm waters.

Chew (chewing) the fat: Salt pork or fatty, jerky-like meat was common food on sailing vessels as it lasted a long time without rotting. Sailors would complain about the food while gnawing away at the fat, thus the term became synonymous with gabbing, casual conversation or gossip.

Cranky: A crank was an unstable ship or vessel, now a term to describe a toddler who hasn’t napped.

Cringle : Not to be confused with Kris Kringle or the delicious pastry, kringle, this nautical term describes a rope loop at the corner of a sail for fixing the sail to the spar (see definition of spar below).

Dinghy: A dinghy can be a small boat carried or towed by a larger ship, often inflatable and used as a life raft; a type of racing yacht; or a rowboat.

Dog watch: A short watch period (for sailors on deck) from 4–6 p.m. or 6–8 p.m. it can also refer to any night shift, most often the last shift. As in, “Tonight Dad was on dogwatch for the little one’s feeding so mom could get some much-needed sleep.”

Doldrums:  An area in the equatorial region of the Atlantic Ocean with calms, sudden storms and unpredictable but light winds. Because of the variable weather ships would get stuck in the doldrums. Now we use it as a term to describe being stuck or stagnant. As in, “Our nightly dinner routine is in the doldrums .”

Dolphin: A man-made structure in the sea or river used as a marker.

Earings: Nope, not (earrings) the kind with bling. These are the small lines that secure the upper corners of the largest sail to the yardarms. (See below for yardarms definition).

Fore and aft: From stem to stern or lengthwise of a ship. “Please vacuum your room fore and aft and not just the entryway.”

Ghost: To sail slowly.

Gob-stoppers: Grapeshot put in the mouth of a young, gabby sailor. Now used to describe the hard, chipped-tooth-inducing candy.

Grapeshot: Small cannonballs; basically smallish balls of lead fired from a canon used to damage rigging or aimed directly at sailors on an enemy ship (cannon balls would be used to cause more structural damage and sink the ship).

Hog:  A rough flat scrubbing brush for cleaning the ship’s bottom underwater. No comment.

Horse: To move or adjust a sail by hand, using brute force rather than running rigging.

Hulk:  An old ship that has become obsolete. (not all that incredible).

Jack, also jack tar:   A sailor. Also sometimes a flag on a ship.

Jury rig: The act of rigging temporary mast or sails, also the actual mast or sail that has been temporarily rigged. This is now used interchangeably with makeshift.

Mind your P’s & Q’s : When sailors would go to a port town and visit the local tavern, the barkeepers would give them credit. A “P” would indicate pint and a “Q” was a quart. So when payday came and it time to pay their tab, they’d be minding their Ps and Qs. It is now considered a term for good manners.

Ship Shape: A term now used to say something is clean, tidy and ready to go, in the 1800s, ships were inspected to make sure they were okay to port. If a vessel was in “ship shape” it was free of disease or other unsavories. “Timmy’s room was in ship shape before the play date.”

Show your true colors : A warship would have many colored flags on board to try and deceive enemy ships. The true color would only be revealed when it was too late. Now it’s a term used to describe someone who has shown their true nature.

Spar : Not to be confused with the verb which means to fight, a spar is a pole, usually of wood or metal, used to support the ship’s sail. Sometimes called a pelican striker.

Spin a yarn: This phrase means to tell a story or a tale and is comes from the stories sailors would tell to pass the time while doing monotonous tasks such as making spun-yarn.

Starboard and Port: Starboard is the ship’s right and port its left. Fun fact: the term “posh” originated from port out, starboard home, said to be the way to get the best view, and so where the elite class was seated or bunked.

Two shakes or a couple of shakes : Used to describe a short period of time, as in, “Give me two shakes and I’ll have your PB&J ready.” Sailors would measure short periods of time by the shaking of the sails.

Whole nine yards: Old ships had three masts, each of which had three-yard sails, so the whole nine yards meant all sails were up. Now it means all of something.

Yardarms: Either end of a yard of a square sail.

What’s your favorite nautical term or phrase? Share it with us in the comments below. 

—Amber Guetebier

Need some fresh ideas?

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for expert parenting tips and simple solutions that make life instantly better.

By subscribing you agree to Tinybeans Terms and Privacy Policy

Related reads

Why Are Gen Z Kids Covering Their Noses in Family Photos?

Screen Time for Babies Linked to Sensory Differences in Toddlerhood, Study Shows

Kids Shouldn’t Have to Finish Dinner to Get Dessert, Dietitian Explains

The Questions Parents Should Be Asking Their Pediatrician—but Aren’t

6 Better Phrases to Say Instead of ‘Be Careful’ When Kids Are Taking Risks

• your daily dose

• and connection

• Your daily dose

Sailing with Kids: 10 Things to Teach Your Toddlers About Sailboats

Kids on sailboats add a lot of enjoyment but they take a bit of patience and time too. The best thing you can do to encourage your kids to like sailing and be self-sufficient and safe, is to teach them a few basic skills.

Explore Sailboats & Sailing Boats

1. PFDs are Your Friends

Children 12 and under must wear a lifejacket on a moving vessel. But even if your kids are older or the boat isn’t moving, get them used to the idea of wearing a PFD and teach them how to put one on themselves. Be sure to find one that fits and is comfortable otherwise you’ll have a battle on your hands. That said, teach your kids to swim as soon as possible.

Learn more by reading Life Jackets, Vests & PFDs: How to Choose the Right Fit .

2. Hands Inside the Boat

Boats are big—even the little ones, so never try to fend off or stop a boat with your hands. If a collision is impending, teach them that it’s just fiberglass so they should keep their body parts safely inside the vessel especially when docking.

3. Fingers Away from Winches

Teach kids the proper way to wrap a line on a winch and the safe way to ease it with their fingers held away and outward. And since a windlass is a winch, show them how to interact with it when anchoring and mostly how to stay away from it until they’ve been taught.

4. Seasickness is Yucky

Seasickness isn’t a point of shame and it can happen to anyone. Teach kids to let you know if they’re not feeling well rather than hiding it. Tell them not to go below, which can exacerbate the feeling, and to look at the horizon to feel better.

Above all, they should know that if they feel something, they should say something.

5. Taking a Cue from Adults

Teach your kids the importance of wearing sunscreen and sunglasses because the glare on sailboats from the water and the sails can be intense and damaging. And make sure they have their own water bottle and that they drink often because dehydration is sneaky and dangerous.

Find out more in Sunscreen & Sun Safety Tips for Boaters .

6. Using a VHF Radio

Although tempting to kids, the VHF radio isn’t a toy. Teach them not to play with it and stress its importance in proper communications and as a means to call for help. Have them practice making an emergency call on Channel 16 (without pressing the mic) by using the right protocol and communicating the nature of the emergency and the boat’s location because it could be you who may be incapacitated on an outing.

How to Use a VHF Radio

7. Holding a Course

To get anywhere, whether under sail or power, you need to be able to hold a course. Teach kids the visual method of fixing on something stationary on the horizon and also how to sail by the compass. This skill could save their life someday and besides, kids make great little autopilots once they learn.

Start with the basics by reading How to Navigate a Boat .

8. Where's the Wind

A sailor’s first skill is to identify where the wind is coming from and its effect on the boat. Make a game of finding the wind and guessing how strong it is either in mph or on the Beaufort scale. This little bit of orientation will help them develop the instincts to be truly good sailors someday.

9. Points of Sail

Once they’ve got wind direction down, it’s time to teach the points of sail and the wind’s effect on the boat depending on the direction of sail. This leads naturally into teaching the basics of sail trim and although trim can take a lifetime to perfect, the basics are easy enough to get a kids’ attention and give them a feeling of mastering the concept.

10. Bring Friends

Gauge how much learning your kids can take in a given amount of time and don’t cross that line. One of you will tire of sailing school at some point and that’s when it’s great for kids to have friends along to engage them. Besides, sailing is a social activity and that should be clear to them right from the start.

Read Next: Learning the Basics of Sailing

Bonus Tips for Adults

Choice of Boat

Depending on the age of your kids and whether or not you already own a boat, you can opt for a more kid-friendly vessel. Catamarans have plenty of level deck space for toddlers to crawl and learn to walk and they’re less likely to get seasick on a cat than a monohull beating to weather. So if you’re buying or chartering a boat, consider what will make it easier for kids.

Learn more by reading Types of Sailboats, Activities & Uses .

Kids can either complicate or enhance a sailing charter but for sure, they will make it different. For the most part, kids aren’t self-entertaining.

• Consider their ages and their preferred activities.
• Ask the charter base for additional equipment like mask/snorkel/fins, kayaks, SUPs and water toys.
• For evenings when the adults want to have sundowners in the cockpit, a TV/DVD and a few movies in the saloon can make for a peaceful boat.

Find more tips in How to Charter a Boat .

Join Our Newsletter!

Get community news, buying bargains, and how-to guides at your fingertips.

• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

Easy Sailboat Craft and Science Project for Preschoolers

This easy sailboat craft is the perfect activity for preschoolers learning about the science of air currents, wind and water.

Most young children love water play and this small scale boat activity is excellent for indoor water play . As part of a science lesson, preschoolers will make the boats, fill the "lake," and create wind currents to move their sailboats across the water.

Note: this post contains affiliate links.

Wood skewers, pointy ends removed, about 6 inches long

Paper, cut into approximately 3x4 inch rectangles.

Thin foam shapes

Deep baking tray

Drinking straws

Instructions

After reading a few preschool picture books about wind and sailboats (see suggestions below), it's time to make the sailboats.

Push the skewer through the paper rectangle so that it enters the paper about half an inch from the top and exits half an inch from the bottom. Adjust the paper so that it is slightly pushed outward to make the sail shape.

If needed, an adult can facilitate the insertion of the skewer by pre-making small holes in the paper sail.

Push the skewer into the foam shape so that it just goes through, but does not extend out the other side.

Fill the baking tray with water.

Float the sailboat on the water.

Blow through the straw directing the "wind" towards the concave side of the sail to move the sailboat around the water!

For extra fun, kids will enjoy making ripples on the surface of the water by blowing at the water.

Picture Books about Wind and Sailboats

Use these delightful preschool books about wind and sailboats to accompany the homemade sailboat activity.

I Am the Wind by Michael Karg, illustrated by Sophie Diao

Like a Windy Day by Frank Asch, illustrated by Devin Asch

The Wind Blew by Pat Hutchins

Lily Leads the Way by Margi Preus, illustrated by Matt Myers

Sheep on a Ship   by Nancy Shaw

Three Bears in a Boat by David Soman

MORE PRESCHOOL WATER SCIENCE IDEAS:

• Preschool Science Lab
• Water Refraction Science Experiment
• 3 Preschool Science Resources

First published 2008, updated 2023.

Reader Interactions

Stephanie says

April 16, 2008 at 1:39 am

I will file this one away... sounds like it just might be a successful activity around here.

Melissa says

April 16, 2008 at 2:57 am

Looks like fun! I used to let O play with water like this inside. Then one day she poured the whole thing on the floor and it quickly traveled to the lowest place in the floor (behind the refrigerator) and leaked through the ceiling. So now we have a water spot on our ceiling. Grrr. But maybe we'll try this using a little less water 🙂

August 07, 2012 at 3:04 am

Yay I'm filing it away too. Mine is just turning 1 and I get like 20 min out of giving him a ripe peach 😀

steuern und versicherung berechnen says

October 22, 2016 at 12:58 pm

Wonderful post!!! I love how you combine food and history, filling both my tummy and my mind. Great Combo!!! We have an organic butcher across the street from where I live and they make all their own sausages. I’ll have to ask them if they clean the bowels or buy them cleaned. I suspect they will be surprised by my questions or many not??? I also love the photos!!!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Check out Engineering Explorers, our newest online resource!

Early Science Matters

Laying the foundation for a lifetime of discovery.

• Home close submenu
• About close submenu
• Increase Your Knowledge close submenu
• Set Up Your Environment close submenu
• By Title close submenu
• By Content Area close submenu
• By Materials close submenu
• Lessons by IELD Standard close submenu
• IELD Standards Map close submenu
• Professional Development close submenu
• Resources close submenu
• Blog close submenu

Let’s Build A Boat!

Children will design and build a boat with recycled materials that can float and hold a small bear 

Content Area:

Learning goals:.

This lesson will help toddlers and preschoolers meet the following educational standards :

• Develop beginning skills in the use of science and engineering practices, such as observing, asking questions, solving problems, and drawing conclusions.
• Develop and use models to represent their ideas, observations, and explanations through approaches such as drawing, building, or modeling with clay.

Learning Targets:

After this lesson, toddlers and preschoolers should be more proficient at:

• Expressing wonder and curiosity about their world by asking questions, solving problems and designing things
• Developing and using models to represent their ideas, observations and explanations through approaches such as drawing, building or modeling with clay

Lesson plan for toddlers/preschoolers

Step 1: gather materials..

• Recycled containers (small cartons, bowls) ?
• Coffee filters
• Clay or play dough
• Pipe cleaners
• Water table or large container filled with water to test out boats

Note : Small parts pose a choking hazard and are not appropriate for children age five or under. Be sure to choose lesson materials that meet safety requirements.

Step 2: Introduce activity.

• In large group, invite children to share what they know about boats.  
• Ask children to recall past float and sink activities and remind them about the buoyancy and density of objects.  
• If children are not able to recall, do a quick sink and float activity to review.
• Explain that we want our boats to be buoyant not dense and encourage them to discuss how we can do that.  
• Explain that they will be designing, creating and testing out their own boats.  

Step 3: Engage children in lesson activities.

• In small groups, invite children to design and draw their own boats.
• Encourage children to look at the materials on the table and use them to inspire their drawings.
• After children are done drawing, invite them to build their own boats using the materials on the table.
• As the children are building, ask them if their boat looks like their design, why or why not? Ask them if they think the shape of their boat will affect if it floats or holds a bear?  
• After the children are done building, ask children to predict if their boat will float while holding a small bear.  
• Test out boats one at a time at the water table or large container filled with water.
• After all the boats have been tested, discuss and analyze why some of them floated with a bear and some didn’t?
• Invite children to redesign, build their boats and keep the investigation going during free choice time.  

Step 4: Vocabulary.

• Predict: To guess what might happen next
• Design: To create a plan for something that will be built
• Test: To try out an idea to see if it works or not
• Conclude: To make statements about what was learned after an observation or experiment
• Analyze: To examine information in order to make conclusions
• Buoyancy: The upward force of an object that is produced by the fluid or air that the object is placed in
• Density: How compact the molecules of an object are

Step 5: Adapt lesson for toddlers or preschoolers.

Adapt lesson for toddlers, toddlers may:.

• Not be able to draw a precise plan  
• Not be able to participate in extensive conversations around buoyancy and density

Child care providers may:

• Skip the design/draw step and go straight to building  
• Skip the extensive conversations and focus more on the building of boats and testing them out  

Adapt Lesson for Preschoolers

Preschoolers may:.

• Want to design and build more than one boat to test out
• Want to test out their boats with other objects other than the small bears
• Supply additional materials for children to build their boats with  
• Supply an assortment of heavy and lighter materials for children to put in the boat to test  

Suggested Books

• Alphabet Boats b y Samantha R. Vamos
• The Most Magnificent Thing b y Ashley Spires
• Charlie’s Boat by : Kit Chase

Music and Movement

Outdoor connections.

• Go on a walk and collect materials that you can use to create a boat (sticks, leaves, bark, etc)

Web Resources

https://www.pbs.org/parents/crafts-and-experiments/float-diy-water-bottle-boats

https://www.teachingexpertise.com/classroom-ideas/boat-crafts-and-activities/

Comment on this lesson

Share this:.

• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Subscribe to blog via email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

For more information, fill out the form below or email [email protected]

Tell us who you are, we’d like to get to know you better..

Please take just a moment to check the categories below that describe you best, so that we can tailor our content to better fit our users needs.

Thank you for your input!

Español NEW Yacht facts for kids A yacht is a type of boat which is mainly used for recreation. It usually has a cabin , so it does not need to return to the harbour overnight. Originally, yachts were sailing-boats , but now there are also motor yachts. The name comes from the Dutch word jachtschip , which originally meant hunting-boat or fast boat . Yachts have a fixed keel . A yacht can vary in size from about 20 feet (6 metres) to 200 feet (60 metres) or more. Most privately owned yachts fall in the range of about 7 metres (23 ft)-14 metres (46 ft); the cost of building and keeping a yacht rises quickly as length increases. In the United States, sailors tend to refer to smaller yachts as sailboats , while referring to the general sport of sailing as yachting. In sailboat racing, a yacht is any sailing vessel taking part in a race. Images for kids The superyacht Azzam , the largest private yacht by length, as of 2018. An 18th-century Dutch jacht 1893 America's Cup match between Vigilant and Valkyrie II Steam yacht, Gunilda , ca. 1910 Cruising yacht, Zapata II , in 2013 Sailing yacht interior with fold-down table in main salon, galley (kitchen) on left, and navigation station on right and forward cabin visible beyond. Wheelhouse of motor yacht, Taransay , in 2015 with navigation and systems displays Small sailing yacht with outboard motor in 2017 Cruising catamaran in 2012 This page was last modified on 16 October 2023, at 16:53. Suggest an edit . 232 IMAGES Sailboat Cut and Paste Craft boat Sailboat for Kindergarten Sailboat Craft For Kindergarten Mrs. Harris' art room: Kindergarten Sailboat art lesson Sailboat Parts Explained: Illustrated Guide (with Diagrams) VIDEO Sailboat Meaning Water Vehicles Do You Like Living on a Boat Water Vehicles Shape Sailboat Children's Museum Boat Ride COMMENTS sailboat The meaning of sailboat. Definition of sailboat. Best online English dictionaries for children, with kid-friendly definitions, integrated thesaurus for kids, images, and animations. Spanish and Chinese language support available Sailboat facts for kids A sailboat, sailing boat or yacht is a boat that has sails. Wind blows against the sails, pushing the boat through the water. The word covers many kinds of boats, from small sailboards to large sailing ships.Usually, a sailboat has two sails: a mainsail and a head sail or jib. When the wind blows from behind, there can be used an extra sail, a spinnaker. boat Parts of a Boat. Most boats have several common parts. The hull is the body, or frame, of the boat. The walls of the boat are called bulkheads. The deck is the floor of the boat. Underneath the boat are the keel and the rudder. The keel runs from the front to the back of the boat. It sticks into the water to keep the boat from tipping over ... Learn About Sailboats for Children Join me and Lizzy the Dog on a fun trip to a beautiful tropical island to learn about the various parts of a sailboat and how a sailboat works.First we'll as... ship Parts of a Ship. Most ships are much larger than most boats, but they have many of the same parts. As on boats, the front of a ship is called the bow. The back is the stern. A ship's left side is known as the port side. The right is the starboard side. A ship's frame, or body, is called the hull. The keel is like the ship's backbone. Boat Facts for Kids (All You Need to Know!) Wooden Boats: these boats were made from the acacia tree and also from cedar they imported from Lebanon. The Egyptians then added a sail to make traveling faster and easier. Cargo Ships: As time went on, they learned how to construct bigger boats. These were so sturdy they could hold 500 tons of rocks! Sailboat Facts for Kids Sailboat. Diagram of a sailboat, in this case, a typical monohull sloop with a Bermuda or marconi rig. An Olympic 470 dinghy class sailboat in a competition. This also shows the spinnaker. A sailboat, sailing boat or yacht is a boat that has a mast and sails. It moves by using the wind in its sails but it may also have an engine. Sail facts for kids A sail is a tensile structure—made from fabric or other membrane materials—that uses wind power to propel sailing craft, including sailing ships, sailboats, windsurfers, ice boats, and even sail-powered land vehicles.Sails may be made from a combination of woven materials—including canvas or polyester cloth, laminated membranes or bonded filaments—usually in a three- or four-sided shape. Sailing ship facts for kids A sailing ship is a sea-going vessel that uses sails mounted on masts to harness the power of wind and propel the vessel. There is a variety of sail plans that propel sailing ships, employing square-rigged or fore-and-aft sails. Some ships carry square sails on each mast—the brig and full-rigged ship, said to be "ship-rigged" when there are three or more masts. boat Five common types of boats are the rowboat, the sailboat, the motorboat, the raft, and the canoe. Boat Facts for Kids Boats and ships serve a variety of purposes including transport, recreation, fishing, sporting competition and military operations. Some boats are human powered, including kayaks, canoes and gondolas. Sailboats are propelled by wind and sails. The tall upright post on a sailboat is called a mast. Motorboats are propelled by engines. Boat Facts for Kids Boat facts. A boat is a vehicle used to travel on water. It is smaller than a ship and can be lifted out of the water and carried on a ship. Some boats have sails, some are powered by rowing with oars, and some use motors. Those that use steam engines are steamboats. There are some boats that can go underwater. They are called submarines. A narrowboat is a boat designed to be used on narrow ... Water transport vehicles for kids Educational video to learn vocabulary on water transport vehicles. It Includes words like: boat, ship, motorboat, canoe, sailboat, jet ski, submarine and cru... Boats and Ships Year 1 and Year 2 children research the development of boats and ships, changes in their power sources, changing length of voyages, the history of regattas and the life of seafarers. Paint, make sketches, write journal entries, use code and write ship telegrams. Carry out floating and sinking experiments, construct boats and finally put on a regatta with sandwiches and prizes! Parts of a Boat: Lesson for Kids Sailboats catch the wind with sails that are attached to a mast, a really tall post. Larger sailboats can have more than one mast. The sails move when people adjust the rigging or lines on the boat. How can boats sail into the wind? This does two jobs - it stops a boat being pushed sideways. And also works a bit like an aeroplane wing. The water going over the backside goes faster than the water going over the frontside, and that difference pulls the boat forwards and sideways. a mast; a sail - that's a piece of fabric that catches the wind and powers the boat. A Nautical Dictionary for Kids By Amber Guetebier January 5, 2022. A rear view of a father sitting on a boat with his children on the sea, they are waving at another boat on the sea. Your little skippers will be ready for a high-seas adventure after learning a few fun words and phrases and their nautical origins. And if you like these, check out our pirate dictionary. Sailing with Kids and Toddlers The best thing you can do to encourage your kids to like sailing and be self-sufficient and safe, is to teach them a few basic skills. Explore Sailboats & Sailing Boats. 1. PFDs are Your Friends. Children 12 and under must wear a lifejacket on a moving vessel. But even if your kids are older or the boat isn't moving, get them used to the idea ... Easy Sailboat Craft and Science Project for Preschoolers Instructions. After reading a few preschool picture books about wind and sailboats (see suggestions below), it's time to make the sailboats. Push the skewer through the paper rectangle so that it enters the paper about half an inch from the top and exits half an inch from the bottom. Adjust the paper so that it is slightly pushed outward to ... * YACHT * * YACHT * | Boats For KidsQuality, educational videos for kids. Made in the UK.Subscribe to Things That Go TV! here: http://bit.ly/ThingsThatGoTV_____... Let's Build A Boat! Step 2: Introduce activity. In large group, invite children to share what they know about boats. Ask children to recall past float and sink activities and remind them about the buoyancy and density of objects. If children are not able to recall, do a quick sink and float activity to review. Explain that we want our boats to be buoyant not dense ... Yacht facts for kids Kids Encyclopedia Facts. A yacht is a type of boat which is mainly used for recreation. It usually has a cabin, so it does not need to return to the harbour overnight. Originally, yachts were sailing-boats, but now there are also motor yachts. The name comes from the Dutch word jachtschip, which originally meant hunting-boat or fast boat. catamaran gulet motorboat powerboat riverboat sailboat trimaran yacht