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Set sail

As summer approaches it's the perfect time to try out a topic on sailing boats and launch the children's work in an attractive display, writes nursery nurse Nina Massey Ship shape
As summer approaches it's the perfect time to try out a topic on sailing boats and launch the children's work in an attractive display, writes nursery nurse Nina Massey

Ship shape

Transport topics never fail to capture children's imaginations, so I would like to share with you how to do a sailing boat activity and display. Our children have enjoyed it immensely.

The activity works best if you work with one or two children at a time and take more than a day to complete it, so plan to do it over several sessions.

Planned learning intentions

To build and construct with a wide range of objects, selecting appropriate resources and adapting their work where necessary

To select the tools and techniques they need to shape, assemble and join the materials they are using

To handle tools safely and with increasing control

Resources

Woodwork bench, selection of soft wood hammers, nails, safety goggles, sandpaper, straws, sticks, triangular paper, laminator, laminator pouches, felt pens, string, stapler, Sellotape

Step by step

* Ensure the children are familiar with the woodwork bench and tools. Discuss safety, particularly the need to wear goggles at all times.

* Ask each child to choose and sand a piece of wood from a selection of different sizes. Once they have decided where the top of the sailing boat is, they can then hammer in a nail, ready to attach the sail.

* Next help the children to make their sails and draw patterns on them. Discuss boats with them as they work. Why do the boats need sails? What would happen to the boat in windy weather?

* Move on to laminating. Ask what would happen if they put their paper sail in water and demonstrate with a sail that you have made. Explain that laminating will keep the sails dry and let the children tuck their sails inside the laminating pouch. To save money you can put several sails in one pouch, switch on the machine and feed the sails through. Explain what has happened to the sails, letting the children make observations about how different their sail feels and looks.

* Discuss how to fasten the sails to the boats. Provide a selection of materials with which the children can experiment. Put the stick in to the straw to enable it to stand upright. Let the children choose Sellotape or staples to fasten their sail to the top of the straw. Fasten the string securely around the nail and the bottom of the straw.

* Some children may want to name their boats - use a waterproof pen.

* Let the children test their boats in a water tray to see if they float.

Display

Finding new ways to present work can sometimes be laborious, so here is just one idea you may like to use for displaying boats the children have made and drawn.

Resources

Silver foil, backing paper, two different colours of blue border tissue, paper, clear cellophane, pictures of sailing boats, wave pictures backed on blue paper, books about boats such as I Love Boats by Flora McDonnell (Walker Books, 5.99) labels

Step by step

The children were offered a range of art activities in addition to making the sailing boats, including making wave pictures. These were completed as a free activity using a range of art media (blue chalk, pastels, felt pens, crayons, powder paints, ready-mixed paints and so on).

Some children went on to the making table and used the collage shapes to make boats to add to their picture. These proved an attractive addition to the display.

Here is what I did to make the display:

* backed the board with silver foil and hung it. (This can be tricky to do alone as the foil tears easily, so be careful).

* gathered and stapled the border in to a wave pattern and used a lighter blue border underneath to hide the untidy edges.

* backed the wave pictures on A3 blue mounts. (It saves a lot of time to buy the mounts rather having to cut large paper).

* added name and label displays.

* covered the table in front with a mixture of tissue paper and cellophane over some wooden blocks to give the display depth, and arranged the boats over them.

Nina Massey is a nursery nurse at Homerton Nursery School, Cambridge

DISPLAY TIPS

* Displays don't always need a border, so put up the pictures first and then decide if you need one.

* To save time, buy picture mounts rather having to cut large paper.

* Don't worry if pictures overlap, because it can give a display an interesting look.

* Avoid using too many labels, as they can ruin a display and detract from the children's work.

* Don't display too many pictures at the same time because you will overcrowd the display and ruin the final look.