Make your own canoe inspired by the Tasmanian bark canoe held in the Museum's collection.
How to make a model raft
Skill level: ★★ Medium – you may need an adult to help
Time: 30 minutes
Ages: 5 years and up
What you need:
- bamboo sticks or sticks that you might find in the garden
- things to decorate your raft. These might include: grasses, hessian, raffia, cardboard, matchsticks or found objects in the garden or the recycling bin
- twine, string or rubber bands to tie or bind your raft together.
Tip: Wet string or twine grips the bamboo better.
Questions to start you thinking
If you had to construct a raft from found materials:
- What kind of raft would you make?
- How would you build it?
- What type of materials would you use?
- Would your raft be made to carry people?
- Would it be designed to cross lakes, rivers or oceans?
- Would you be able to sleep on it? Or use it to surf waves?
Steps
- Imagine what type of model raft you might like to make. What kind of shape will it be?
- You might like to watch a video on the making of our Tasmanian bark canoe to get some ideas.
- Gather all your materials and spread them out.
- Take a piece of bamboo or stick and tie a length of string to it. Make sure that it is nice and tight.
- Take a second stick and twist the string or twine around the next bamboo stick. This can be a bit tricky so if you need help, ask an adult. Keep going until you have added enough sticks.
- If string is a bit tricky, try using a piece of wire. Be careful not to poke yourself.
Tip: You can also use rubber bands. Put the rubber band over the stick and twist the rubber band, wrapping it around the stick a few times, before adding another stick alongside. - One of the rafts we created used a square piece of hessian tied to a bamboo frame. There are lots of ways to build a raft, so experiment and remember to have fun.
- The float test! Once you have finished your raft you might like to put it to the test. Ask your parents to fill up a sink of water and try your raft out. You could even add bubbles to the water!
Share your creation
If you would like to share your creation with us, send a photo to: programs@nma.gov.au
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