The majority of us live near water – whether that’s the sea, a river, lake, dock, reservoir or canal – so it is possible to use your local environment to provide stimulating real-life experiences for children around the topic of boats.
IN THE SETTING
- Look at non-fiction books (see box) on boats and discuss what they are and what they are used for – transporting people and goods but also for leisure. Discuss floating and the different ways boats are propelled, from oars to sails or engines. Do the children know that some people live on boats?
- Provide a selection of small-world boats in your water play area, including wind-up boats.
- Outdoors, introduce large boat-related resources to explore and build boats with – crates, wooden blocks, boxes, planks, tyres, ropes, netting, tarpaulin, wooden or rope ladders, and spades or poles to propel the boat. Include role-play props such as captain’s hats, pirate-themed outfits, telescopes and binoculars. Who will walk the plank?
- Consider sourcing a real boat. It is possible to buy old wooden rowing boats from auction websites, or put out a request on social media. Along with being great for seafaring games, add cushions and they can be a cosy place for sharing books.
- Use songs such as Row, Row, Row, Your Boat or picturebooks (see box) as a prompt for role play. You could ‘set sail’ in a large box on a blue fabric river.
- Share your boat explorations with parents – you may be surprised who has a sailing hobby or works on boats, owns a kayak or dingy that they can bring in to show the children.
- Challenge children to build boats and see if they float. Provide resources such as bottles and cartons, tubs, lollypop sticks, straws, sponges and paper. Which boat moves fastest when blown (you could carefully use a hairdryer)? Which is the easiest to manoeuvre? Why is this?
IN THE COMMUNITY
- Is there somewhere nearby where you can watch boats, or ideally have a sail? If the coast is too far away, consider whether there is an accessible river, dock, canal, lake or even a boating pond in the local park.
- Is there an interesting boat you could arrange a trip to, such as the famous tea clipper the Cutty Sark in Greenwich, London; Henry VIII’s warship the Mary Rose at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, or the battleship HMS Trincomalee in Hartlepool? Arrange a trip to a maritime museum, or think of any local boatyards, watersports centres, sailing or yacht clubs that may allow you to visit.
- Contact the RNLI to arrange a trip to a local lifeboat station, or invite a speaker to talk to the children about lifeboat rescues (see www.rnli.org).
- Children often lack awareness of the danger posed by water, even shallow water. So use any trips to talk about how to stay safe around water. Talk about not playing on boats or in water when an adult is not present.
Boats books
Fiction
Float by Daniel Miyares – A boy’s small paper boat and his large imagination fill this wordless picturebook.
The Boy Who Sailed the World by Julia Green and Alex Latimer – The wonders of the world await in this inspiring book about following your dreams.
The Little Boat by Kathy Henderson – Flowing words tell the story of a home-made polystyrene boat travelling across the seas.
Toy Boat by Randall de Seve – A little boy has a toy boat that he made out of a can, a cork, a yellow pencil and some white cloth, but the wind sails it away.
Mr Grumpy’s Outing by John Burningham – A boat ride comes to an inevitable but not unhappy conclusion.
Ten Little Pirates by Mike Brownlow – An action-packed rhyming counting adventure.
All Afloat on Noah’s Boat by Tony Mitton – The Ark is busy and noisy and it’s not long before the animals begin to get cabin-fever.
Non-fiction
How Ships Work by Clive Gifford and James Gulliver Hancock – Set sail through the ages, from wooden paddle boats to swanky mega-yachts.
See Inside Ships by Conrad Mason – From Viking longboats to cruise liners and an enormous aircraft carrier.
Brilliant Boats by Tony Mitton and Ant Parker – Sailing, rowing and motor boats: find them all in this picturebook.
Does it Sink or Float? by Susan Hughes – Introducing the concept of density.
Key vocabulary
- Boat, ferry, ship, lifeboat, vessel, float, sink, sail, sails, barge, yacht, port, starboard, bow, stern, life jacket, pedalo, canoe, oars, steer, rigging, paddles, cruise, cargo, nautical, capsize
