So, I found this idea in a craft book for preschoolers. I was beyond excited to make this with them because I knew they'd like taking it home. However, when I did my test run I could not get the sailboat to stay upright at all. It kept tipping to one side regardless of what I did.
I went home, tried a few different things and finally found something that worked. Instead of using a magnet and a straw, I used two magnets and two paper clips. Now, even after shaking the jar my boat continues to readjust and float perfectly back up.
Materials:
- Foam paper
- 2 Paper Clips
- Glue
- 2 Magnets (1/2" diameter) I boat the magnets from here and they work great. You just peel off the sticky back and don't have to use glue.
- Water
- Blue food coloring
- Jar.
Directions: Cut out the following pieces- size depends on how big your jar is! The blue foam piece will be underwater, the two smaller green pieces will be your actual boat.
Now assemble the pieces to match the pictures below. If you use glue, you will need to wait for it to dry completely before doing anything else! The foam paper moves around too much and will completely separate once it hits the water. I was tired of waiting, so I just stapled.
Fill up the jar half way with water and add a few drops of food coloring, stir or shake until it's a solid blue. Drop your sailboat in. If it tilts to the side, play with the paperclips until it stays upright.
On a side note...keep the cats out of the water.
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