Library Connect Blog

Easy Mini Raft Project That Really Floats! 

In this week’s storytime short, I read a fun story featuring some of my favorite characters; Mr. Putter and his fine cat Tabby and Mrs. Teaberry and her good dog Zeke. In the story, Mr. Putter comes up with a brilliant idea to beat the heat by visiting a nearby pond. They rent a row boat and have a wonderful time. Water and boats are lots of fun, so in today’s blog, I'll show you how to create your own mini raft that you can use anywhere: a sink, a tub, or just a basin of water.
Here's what you need: 

• Wine corks (If you don’t have these around the house, ask a neighbor or a local winery. Some stores recycle corks, and I am sure they would be happy to share.)
• Rubber bands
• Toothpick, popsicle stick, straw, or twig (This is for the mast.)
• Any kind of tape to make a flag for the mast
• A sink, bathtub, kiddie pool, or even a big bowl
• Water

Now you are ready to make your raft!

1. Pick out three corks
2. Lay them next to each other in a row
   
3. Take two rubber bands and wrap them around the corks, one on each side. Depending upon how big the rubber band is, you may have to put it around twice.
   
4. If you want, add a mast and a flag.
   
5. Next, just add water.
   
6. It’s time to try out the raft. Bon voyage!
   

Let your child’s imagination float away! Make a whole fleet of little rafts, create people, houseboats, docks... the sky’s the limit. I guarantee a fun, cool way to spend a summer day! For more books on boats and other fun ways to spend a summer day, check out the Summer Fun list on our catalog page.