As summer slowly fades into fall, make the most of the warmer weather with this family-friendly STEM activity created by 4-H’s 2020 Youth in Action winner, Joseph Huff. A perfect pairing of indoor and outdoor elements, this activity teaches kids how to build a self-propelling boat while learning about water resistance, thrust, and the transfer of energy along the way.
- Step 1: Eat a bunch of popsicles with your kids, but don’t discard the sticks—you’ll need those!
- Step 2: Repurpose all those popsicle sticks and grab rubber bands, scissors, and sandpaper to construct your very own paddle boat, decorating it to match your own unique style.
- Step 3: Set up a friendly boat race between your family or friends of your child.
Whether your kids deploy their boat in a tub, a pool or a local creek, they will have a blast racing them to see how fast and far it will float.
The full activity directions, brought to you by HughesNet, can be found here. Be sure to share your creations in the comments below!
