This was the project we used to kick-off our summer teen programming. It's a great one if you need something to just throw together because all you have to do is gather a bit of odds and ends and see what they can make out of it. Items we used included:
water bottles
egg cartons
aluminum foil
Ivory soap
cork
paper clips
balloons
duct tape
straws
pint fruit baskets
They had half an hour to make a boat (we also provided Goldfish
and blue Hawaiian Punch during that time), after which we tested it's buoyancy by submerging it in a large plastic container filled with water. We judged boats on looks, buoyancy, and motility and then awarded certificates to the winners. I think the teens had a good time with this, though I didn't see too many of the boys after this one. Weird.
