Columbus Day Theme

Columbus Crafts
#1: Fold a circle in half.  Glue the sides but not the top.  Insert a craft stick inside the ship.  Tape it on the back of the inside of the ship.  For the sails, cut a large and small triangle.  Tape onto the back of the craft stick.

#2:  For paper: Follow the above instructions except make three small ships and use a narrow piece of construction paper.  Glue onto a piece of paper.  Write on each ship: Niña, Pinta, and Santa Maria.

Sailboat
Rinse out a rice or soy milk container or cow's milk carton.  Cut the back or front off.  Clean and dry completly. Place construction paper around the sides and bottom.  Tape a craft stick onto the back inside of the milk container.  Make sails out of construction paper.  Decorate the sailboat.

Activity
Rinse out a rice, soy, or cow's milk container or carton.  Make a cut into the back or front.   Cut it all the away around except leave a triangle for the sail. Clean and dry some.  Fill a large container of water or a tub. Blow or push the ship to make it go.

If you are homeschooling or just want to do this activity with your children, you can have your children play in the bathtub or kiddy pool and play with their boats.  You can have different objects that float and sink in with them.  Ask them if they float or sink.

Sing: Columbus First Voyage as the children play with thier boats.

Float and Sink Activity
Take different items that will float and sink.  Have the children predict if they will sink or float.  Have the children put them a container of water or in the sink.  Have them see if each object will float or sink. You  can have them mark in a column of a piece of paper what each item does.