As the Purple friends have grown more creative with their vast block creations, we noticed the children making all types of boats more often then not. We heard them talking about their getaway boats, aircraft carriers or The Intrepid, garbage boats, and police boats as they built. This inspired the beginning of our boat exploration study, learning about all types of boats! We wanted the children to learn that boats are not just for pleasure like sailing or kayaking, but that boats do so many jobs.
It all began when we introduced the children to the book “Here Comes the Garbage Barge” by which is a true story about the trash problem in NY and the introduction of garbage barges. The Purple friends were fascinated by this book and begged to read it over and over again, while also creating garbage barges in their play. One day when walking on the East River, I saw a REAL garbage barge and took a picture for the friends. We began reading more books and asking the children what they know about boats and the various types they have seen before. After creating our own wavy, marbled paper, each child picked out their favorite boat silhouette.
We asked: “What kind of boat is your favorite?” And asked them to describe their boat and water.
Can you guess which belongs to your child?
Boat #1 – “Daddy’s Boat in the Hamptons in Rainbow Water”
Boat #2 – “A Bahamas Boat in so much water like pink and purple and yellow!”
Boat #3 – “A Garbage Barge in Garbage Water”
Boat #4 – “A Garbage Barge in color water!”
Boat #5 – “A Car/Ferry Boat in Purple Ocean Water”
Boat #6, “A Garbage Barge in Rainbow Water. Sometimes I see big boats.”
Boat #7, “A Rescue Boat in Rainbow Water”
Boat #8 – “A Speed Boat, The Fastest One”
Boat #9 – “A Sail Boat in a Colorful Ocean”
Boat #10, “The Lightship in purple, blue, green, yellow and pink water.”
Boat #11, “A Speed Boat in maybe, a turquoise and pink sea”
Boat #12, “A Tug Boat in Blue and Green Ocean”
