Craft Stick Peg Doll Boat for Kids

DIY Craft Stick Peg Doll Boat for Kids – Have fun making a popsicle stick boat with or without the peg doll on top. Once finished the kids can play with their homemade craft stick boat in bathtubs, creeks, pools, lakes and even the ocean!

Creating and playing with craft stick boats provides several valuable STEM learning opportunities for children. From how to put them together to navigating one downstream, our family has had a lot of fun experimenting with both making and using popsicle stick boats over the years. We hope you do too!

Related: Shadow Art Outdoor Science

 

 

 

Related: DIY Craft Stick Nativity Stable

Popsicle Stick Boat Craft for Kids

Help the kids make these craft stick boats with or without the peg doll. If you don’t want to include them skip steps 3 – 6. You can substitute a simple sail, or another figure of some kind. Experiment and have fun!

Craft Stick Peg Doll Boat Materials

• Colored craft sticks
• Foam counting blocks
• Waterproof crafter’s glue that dries clear
• Mod podge
• Peg dolls – This set includes everything to make this project, DIY Rainbow Peg Dolls, and Butterfly Peg Dolls, and more!]
• Watercolor paint
• Fine tip black paint pen
• Foam Brush

Related: DIY Rainbow Peg Dolls

How to Make a Boat with Popsicle Sticks and a Peg Doll

Step 1 – Glue foam blocks together

• Glue two sets of three blocks together for each boat.
• The blocks I used were not an exact square – do your best to match them up so they sit flush.

Step 2 – Glue craft sticks to the foam blocks to make popsicle stick boat

• Apply glue across foam blocks.
• Place craft sticks across both sets of foam blocks to connect them.
• Set aside and allow to dry.

Note: Skip to step 7 if you are not including a peg doll.

Step 3 – Paint peg doll bodies

• We used the smallest (baby) peg dolls included in the set found in materials above.
• Use watercolors straight out of the tube with very little water to match the vibrant craft sticks colors.
• Do not paint the neck or head yet, wait for the next step.
• Allow to dry – it should only take about 10 – 20 minutes.

Step 4 – Paint peg doll heads

• Look at the peg doll and decide what part of the head you want to be the face.
• Paint a line from shoulder to shoulder.
• Apply paint back of the head.
• Clean up the line around the face and paint the neck.

 

Step 5 – Paint faces on the peg dolls

• Use a paint pen to dot a simple face as shown, or get creative and do your own thing.

 

Step 6 – Glue peg dolls to popsicle stick boats

• Place waterproof craft glue on the bottom of peg doll.
• Carefully glue to the middle of the boat.

Step 7 – Apply Mod Podge to popsicle stick boat

• Mod Podge is a top coat that seals and protects the wood. It is a finishing glue that goes on white and dries clear.
• Apply Mod Podge to boat and peg doll – don’t paint the bottom of the foam blocks – only where they connect to the boat.
• Make sure you get it into every crack.
• Use 2 to 3 coats if you plan to use it in the water.
• Allow to dry.

Related: Monarch Butterfly Peg Dolls

Popsicle Stick Boat Craft for Kids

Making and playing with craft stick boats provides several valuable STEM learning opportunities for children.

Once finished the kids can play with these boats in bathtubs, creeks, pools, lakes and even the ocean!

For more outdoor learning fun try rock balancing or shadow art outdoor science.

Don’t forget to check out our summer bucket list seasonal activity guide for more fun activities.

Learn more about Rhythms of Play HERE!

 

If you liked Craft Stick Boats, You May Like DIY Peg Doll Crafts

• Rainbow Peg Dolls
• Acorn Peg Dolls
• Monarch Butterfly Peg Dolls
• Fall Peg Doll Faries 
• Winter Fairy Peg Dolls
• Angel Peg Doll
• Elf Peg Dolls