The following post includes children's songs, crafts, felt activity and other ideas surrounding a boat theme for any early childhood setting.
Boats are a wonderful theme to include into a transportation preschool lesson plan or be the focus on its own. The topic of boats has many possibilities for an early childhood curriculum.
Introduce a Boat Theme at Group Circle Time
Begin a theme about boats together as a group. Ask children questions and record their answers. During this process, the children are honored for their ideas and additionally will learn from each other. Ask questions like:
"Who has ever been on a boat?"
"What kind of different boats are there?"
"Do some people work on boats?"
"Cars need engines and roads to drive, so what do boats need?"
Having images available of different kinds of boats is a great way to continue the learning process.
Boats Around the World
One possibility for a boat theme is to look at boats around the world. By looking at all different boats, children can offer ideas and learn about how the boats are different and how the boats are the same. Boats are used for fishing, sailing, transportation, sightseeing and so much more. A boat theme could easily correlate with a geography lesson.
Children's Songs about Boats
When singing songs about boats, the classic action song "Row Row Row your Boat" is still enjoyed by young children. The following song looks at how there are many types of boats and the suggested tune is "Old Macdonald Had a Farm”:
Boats are big and boats are small
All around the world.
Some have sails that are so tall
All around the world.
They glide up a wave, and down a wave
Up a wave and down a wave.
Boats are big and boats are small
All around the world.
Boats with motors are so fast,
All around the world.
Hands will wave as they past,
All around the world.
They zoom over here and over there,
Over here and over there.
Boats with motors are so fast,
All around the world.
Fishing boats are in the sea,
All around the world.
Catching fish for you and me,
All around the world.
They fish up north and down south
Up north and down south
Fishing boats are in the sea,
All around the world.
The next song can be sung with boat felt pieces to use on a felt board. The song suggestion is "Five Little Ducks":
Five sailboats went out one day
Over the waves and far away
With the wind they begin to rock
One sailboat returns to the dock
Four sailboats...
Preschool Crafts for a Boat Theme
The following suggestions are open-ended projects in that the material is provided for the children and they can use their own imagination and choose how to create individual boats.
1) Boats from Paper Shapes
Material Suggestions:
Paper shapes such as triangles, half circles and rectangles
Straws
Popsicle sticks
Stickers
Blue construction paper for the backdrop
Felt pens
Glue sticks
2) Floating Boats
Provide children the following material to create boats that might float. Provide a tub of water to test the results. The process of trying to make the boats float would lend itself to a lesson about why things sink or float.
Material suggestions:
Styrofoam meat trays/bowls
Plastic Tupperware
Modeling clay
Popsicle sticks
Straws
Triangle paper shapes
Snacks for a Boat Theme
With a boat theme, many snacks could easily be turned into sailboats with the addition of a triangle shape attached to a toothpick. Some suggestions for the boat are bananas, celery sticks, deviled eggs or even a bowl of cereal.
There are many more ideas that will float out of this post. A boat theme is truly a fun and easy topic for young children to explore.