Holiday Fun - Make a Twig Raft!

Date: 1st Apr 2020 @ 10:09am

Lots of you enjoyed the Scavenger Hunt!

Today's idea is taken from the Great Indoors list from The Scouts https://www.scouts.org.uk/activities/

You will need

• Scissors
• String
• Natural materials (for example, leaves, twigs, feathers)

Collect your materials

1. You'll eight sticks or twigs that are roughly the same length. They should also collect two slightly longer twigs, and one thin twig. If you can get them from your garden or yard, that is great. If you are self isolating or shielding, maybe a member of your family can collect them for you when they are doing their dailty exercise.

You may want to think about which woods float best – lighter woods such as cedar usually float better than heavier woods such as oak.

2. Gather some fallen leaves or petals – these will be the flag on their raft. Or you can make the flag out of paper instead.
3.  Cut six pieces of string, each around one metre long.

Build your teeny tiny raft

1. Line up the eight same-sized twigs, side by side. This is the deck of their raft.
2. Wind a piece of string around and between one end of each twig. Do this following an under and over pattern, going under the first twig, over the second, under the third, and so on.
3. When you reach the final twig, tie a knot to fix that end of the deck in place.
4. Repeat steps two and three, to secure the other end of the deck.
5. Lay one of your long twigs at each end of the raft – they should go the other way to the deck. Use the rest of the string to attach these twigs to the deck.
6. Carefully slot your thin twig upright in the middle of their raft. This is their flag pole. Attach your leaf, petal, or paper flag to the flagpole by poking the flagpole through the flag.

Set sail with your teeny tiny raft

1. You can test your raft by floating it in a small shallow pool of water. You can do this in a paddling pool outside or in a sink or bath inside. Does it float? Is it ready for a bigger journey? Do you need to change it or alter the desigb?
2. Now it’s time to set sail. Let your raft go across open water, if you can access some. Whether it’s a pond, lake, or a big bucket, see how well they sail, and whether they can carry any items with them.
3. If your raft isn't made entirely from natural materials, try not to leave them behind on the water. Take them away again if it’s safe to do so.

Have fun and stay safe. Tweet us any photos or email them to nbrown@cliffordallsaints.sheffield.sch.uk.

Love, Mrs Brown