These Fairy Boats are easy to make and they will surely spark your child’s imagination and lead to hours of outdoor fun!
Okay, full disclosure: I’m a total sucker for anything miniature sized. I think I get more excited about arranging dollhouse and building fairy houses than my kids do! So, helping my kids make this tiny Fairy Boat was obviously no different, but I think everyone will have as much fun with it as I did! The entire process was fun – from collecting materials, to building it, to watching it float down a stream.
Supplies needed to build Fairy Boats
- Twigs – You’ll need 8-10 straight twigs all around six inches long.
- Twine – Natural hemp twine like this, works great.
- Bark – Smooth, dry bark from an Aspen tree or a Birch tree work well.
- Glue – Hot glue is needed for a secure hold.
- Scissors – These are just used to cut the twine, so even children’s scissors will work fine.
How to construct Fairy Boats
- Collect materials – Head to your favorite nature area, a park, or even your own backyard and gather 8-10 straight twigs (without too many snags or imperfections) all around six inches long. Then find some flat, smooth, and dry bark that has peeled away from a tree. You’ll want the bark to be in a square or rectangular shape, about 2 inches by 4 inches, or so. Also, be sure the bark is thin and dry, or else it may be too heavy to use as the sale. If you can’t find bark that works, a large leaf is a great alternative!
- Create the boat’s frame – First, you’ll need to place two 6 inch long twigs parallel from each other, about 3 inches apart. Then take another 6 inch twig and snap it in half, so you have two identical 3 inch twigs. Place one short twig at the top and the other at the bottom, resting on top of the other two long twigs. Glue the corners together, leaving a little excess on each side. Once the glue dries, reinforce the corners with twine, by wrapping and tieing the twine around the corners. This helps keep it more secure, but also adds a more realistic looking detail.
- Add the floor of the boat – After you’ve created the frame for your boat, you merely need to glue on the remaining twigs to create the floor of the boat. Flip the frame over, so it is upside down. Then, add a strip of hot glue across the back of the short twigs and attach the remaining long twigs, side by side. Place them as close to each other as you can.
- Create the sail – Finally, you’ll need to create the sail. To do this, grab one more twig and your square or rectangle piece of dried bark. (You could use a large leaf instead of bark, if you wish.) Add a strip of hot glue to the back of the bark and attach the top half of a long twig to it. Once it dries, add a dab of glue in the middle of one of the ends of your boat and attach the bottom end of your twig sail to it. Hold in place until it dries.
How to use your fairy boats
- Float it down a stream – In my opinion, this option is the most fun! We took our fairy boat to a nearby stream to play with it. We spent hours splashing in the water and taking turns releasing the boat and watching it meander down the stream. This option was certainly the most exciting, but it’s also the riskiest. There’s a risk of losing your boat or having it break. For us, our sweet boat did meet some “rapids” and after smacking into rocks over and over, it did eventually fall apart. But, we had many hours of fun before we lost it, so it was worth it!
- Add it to a fairy house – Perhaps you don’t have slow moving stream to send it down or you would rather keep it in tact for longer than an afternoon. If that’s the case, it would make a really cute addition to your child’s outdoor fairy house or bug home. Add a tiny character to it and your child will play for hours!
- Forest School activity – This makes a really fun Forest School project. You could make them ahead of time or just use regular glue or just twine and do this craft entirely outdoors during a Forest School session. Learn more about Forest School here.
- Free play – One of the things I loved so much about this project is how this little boat sparked my children’s imagination. They both got really into their own little world, sending their boat on grand adventures down the stream. It doesn’t matter how your child uses their fairy boat, what matters is the hours they will spend using their imagination. Imaginary play is so important in children’s development, especially in terms of developing their flexibility and creativity. Read more about the importance of pretend play here.
How to Make Fairy Boats
These Fairy Boats are easy to make and they will surely spark your child's imagination and lead to hours of outdoor fun!
Materials
- Twigs
- Bark
- Twine
Tools
- Scissors
- Hot glue gun
Instructions
1. Collect 8-10 straight twigs (without too many snags or imperfections) all around six inches long.
2. Collect some flat, smooth, and dry bark that has peeled away from a tree. You'll want the bark to be in a square or rectangular shape, about 2 inches by 4 inches. Also, be sure the bark is thin and dry, or else it may be too heavy to use as the sale. If you can't find bark that works, a large leaf is a great alternative.
3. Once you have collected your materials, you'll need to make the boat's frame. To do this, you'll need to place two 6 inch long twigs parallel from each other, about 3 inches apart. Then take another 6 inch twig and snap it in half, so you have two identical 3 inch twigs. Place one short twig at the top and the other at the bottom, resting on top of the other two long twigs. Glue the corners together, leaving a little excess on each side. Once the glue dries, reinforce the corners with twine, by wrapping and tieing the twine around the corners. This helps keep it more secure, but also adds a more realistic looking detail.
4. After you've created the frame for your boat, you merely need to glue on the remaining twigs to create the floor of the boat. Flip the frame over, so it is upside down. Then, add a strip of hot glue across the back of the short twigs and attach the remaining long twigs, side by side. Place them as close to each other as you can.
5. Finally, you'll need to create the sail. To do this, grab one more twig and your square or rectangle piece of dried bark*. Add a strip of hot glue to the back of the bark and attach the top half of a long twig to it. Once it dries, add a dab of glue in the middle of one of the ends of your boat and attach the bottom end of your twig sail to it. Hold in place until it dries.
Notes
*You can use a large leaf for your sail instead of a piece of bark, if you like.
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