It’s spring and time to get the kids outdoors.
It’s time to shut down the video game consoles, turn off the television and hide the portable electronics.
It’s time to dust off the picnic blankets, locate the bug catchers and clean off the outdoor play equipment.
These stick rafts made from recycled materials are quick and easy to make, and will provide hours of entertainment in the backyard pool, pond, bird bath, or at the local creek.
What you need:
- Sticks
- Drink pouch
- Hemp cord
- Washi Tape
- Hole punch and X-ACTO knife
When I first thought to do this project I intended to make little sailboats, but then I remembered we had made a stick raft a few years ago, and after a little digging around under bushes in the garden I found what was left of it.
Surprisingly it was in fairy good shape, although a few sticks had broken, bark was peeling off, and it was a little too large to use the drink pouch as the sail, but with a little work, this could be remade into a brand new raft and I wouldn’t have to go out searching for more sticks.
I removed the rope from the sicks and then pulled all of the excess bark that was feeling off, and then trimmed them to a new size - I used the X-ACTO knife to make a small slit where I wanted to break the sticks and then snapped the ends off.
Using the cord, I roped the sticks to one another quite tightly. Nobody wants a raft falling apart in the water, do they?
Next up was the sail.
Using a hole punch, I punched two holes (one in the top and one in the bottom) of the drink pouch, although the holes weren’t the same size as the stick, but they did stretch as I forced the pouch over the end.
I then attached the stick firmly to the base of the raft using the cord
I thought it needed something a little extra too, so I cut a small piece of washi tape, wrapped it around the top of the stick and cut a ‘v’ shape into the end to create a small flag.
And there you have it a fun recycled stick raft perfect for getting outside and enjoying this spring weather.
Tip: Take out your small LEGO characters or toys too and send them on a rafting adventure.
Tonya
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