Blogger / 9 March, 2020 / Nanny Anita

How to Make a Junk Model Paddleboat

As EC is getting older, he is less inclined to take part in the craft activities. Which is absolutely fine, I just need to be better at finding things to tempt him away from the screen. One thing he loves to do is build. Instead of telling him what we are going to do, I have started to set him challenges to build things.   The first one was a junk model paddleboat that actually moves.

Make sure you follow my junk modelling board on Pinterest for more ideas. Don’t forget to save the pin for later.

To make your own junk model paddleboat you will need:

• Water bottles
• Kebab sticks
• Duck tape
• Elastic bands

I told EC of his challenge when we were coming home from school. He was totally in to it and was discussing ideas of how to build it and what to use to make it move.

His idea was to do something similar to the build your own planes you can get that have an elastic band attached to the propeller. I thought that that was pretty ingenious thinking.

When we got home we got together the equipment he would need, then let him get on with it.

The only thing I helped him with was making the paddle. We used a plastic bottle, which we cut into 4 rectangles. Using the duck tape we stuck them together to create the paddle, the elastic band went through the middle, and attached to the 2 kebab sticks, which he had stuck onto the bottle.

When he tried it out, the paddle would get stuck on the sticks, so he used a spare piece of plastic to put between the bottle and the sticks.

I was very impressed with how he came up with idea, and worked out the problems when they arose.

If you enjoyed this junk model paddleboat be sure to check out my minion loo roll craft, bedroom door sign, and loo roll unicorn marionette.

Pin for later: