Make A Leaf Raft

Before we had planes, boats were the main way to travel over water. Today, they still help move things like food, clothing and toys across the ocean.

Make a boat from leaves and sticks to celebrate everything to do with oceans and boats.

Test your boat to see if it floats.

You’ll need:

twigs or small sticks
a few pieces of long grass
flowers and leaves
anything else you’d like to decorate.

A close up of 4 sticks in the shape of a triangle held together by grass in the corners.

Make a triangle out of twigs. Tie long grass around each place the twigs meet until they feel secure. Use another piece of grass to tie a knot at each.

A close up of 4 sticks that look like a triangle held together by grass. It is the size of a hand.

Place a twig across the middle of the triangle to make it nice and sturdy. Attach it using the same method as above.

A close up of 4 sticks bound together to form a triangle shape with grass and flowers on it.

Add some decorations. We poked flowers through the grass knots. Why not experiment with leaves or anything else you can think of?

You are now ready to set sail. For more of a challenge, gather some bark, leaves and twigs and make your own designs. If you live near a river or wetlands that has flowing water, you might like to make two rafts and have a race. Which design goes faster?