Pilgrim Ship
10-15 Minutes: 2 and up: Thanksgiving
Pilgrim Ship
Intro
Set sail to a new continent! Children will adore these crafts and the telling of historical (or fictional) stories with them. A terrific activity for critical thinking, creative thinking, storytelling and historical discussion.
Set Up Ideas
Make your boat building start off smoothly by having all the materials organized and ready. Like any construction project, children will want to have all their materials prepared and ready before beginning.
Let’s Get Started
The make these exciting ships, you'll need to gather sturdy craft paper rolls, wood craft sticks, red construction paper and white construction paper. You may also wish to gather a large roll of blue paper to serve as an ocean backdrop.
STEP 1
Create slits in the craft tube sized so that the craft sticks will sit inside of them and remain in place.
STEP 2
Make sails by cutting slits into white paper rectangles and running the craft stick through the strips.
STEP 3
Create flags by adding small strips of colored construction paper to the very top of the craft sticks.
STEP 4
Set sail to the new world and use your ships for dramatic play retellings of the journey to America.
Picking up and leaving home in search of a better life isn't easy, but it's what the pilgrims did. This is a great opportunity to discuss how helping people in need and welcoming those who are on their own pilgrimage to a better life is part of the foundation of America.
Tips and Tricks
Measure the length of the slits that you'll need to cut in the craft roll and in the paper before beginning. Then, cut all of the slits before running the craft sticks through them.
Follow up Activity
Make waves by displaying your pilgrim ships on a setting of blue construction paper. Your pilgrim ships will also make for fun dramatic play props.
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