Equipment and Materials

Equipment

• Kiddie pool (or other large container for water)

Materials

• Twigs
• Jumbo craft sticks
• Kitchen string
• Duct tape
• Clear packing tape
• Chenille stems (pipe cleaners)
• Corks
• Construction paper
• Cargo items (mini treasure chests, miniature people or animals, etc.)

Instructions

1. Prepare the Pool
   • Set up the kiddie pool in a safe area and fill it with water.
2. Build the Rafts
   • Give the youth a variety of materials to build their rafts.
   • Explain that the raft must be able to carry a small piece of cargo.
   • Let them use twigs, craft sticks, and corks for the base.
   • They can tie materials together with string or tape to hold the raft together.
3. Add Cargo
   • Once the rafts are built, show them the cargo they will carry.
   • Youth can attach cargo securely using pipe cleaners or tape.
4. Test the Rafts
   • Let the youth place their rafts in the pool one at a time.
   • Watch to see how the rafts float and whether they hold the cargo without sinking.
5. Adjust and Improve
   • If the raft doesn’t float well or hold the cargo, give youth time to make changes.
   • Let them test their rafts again after adjusting.

Notes

• Safety: Supervise closely to ensure no one falls into the pool. Keep water shallow.
• Variations:
  • Make it a team activity, where groups build larger rafts together.
  • Use a theme, like Noah’s Ark, and have youth create rafts to hold animals.
  • For older youth, introduce a challenge, such as building the raft without tape or using a limited number of materials.

For more information, see https://young-catholics.com/1039/mini-raft-craft/