The aluminum foil boat challenge also known as the penny boat challenge is a fun STEM lesson for kids of all ages. This is an easy and fun science experiment that can be done at home or in a classroom.
The object of the penny boat challenge is simple, your child will design and build a boat from aluminum foil and see how many pennies it can hold before it sinks.
The science lesson is that things float when they have less density than water and will sink then they have more density than water.
Try to make several different kinds of boats to see which one holds more pennies. Does the shape of the boat affect how well it floats?
You can turn this STEM activity into a fun competition. You can have each child make a foil boat and then see which boat holds the most pennies.
Hree is the lesson that I learned doing the aluminum foil boat challenge with my kids: make sure the kids don’t make too big of a boat or you will run out of pennies.
My daughter turned her aluminum foil into a boat shape. My son made a small foil bowl. My daughter’s foil boat held more pennies.
Then, they worked together to make a big boat. With the big boat, we ran out of pennies, then added dimes and then added quarters before it finally sank. The kids loved it.
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Foil Boat Challenge Teaches:
- Science: The science word of this STEM activity is buoyancy. Buoyancy is how well something floats. Did the boat with the larger surface area hold more pennies or did the boat with the smaller surface area hold more pennies?
- Engineering: Design and build a foil boat.
- Counting: Have your child count the pennies as she places them on the foil boat.
- Research: Look up how boats float with your kids.
- Read: Read some great books about boats with your kids.
Penny Boat Challenge Supplies
- Aluminum foil
- Pennies
- A large container to hold water
- Water
How To Complete The Aluminum Boat Challenge
Fill a large container with water. If you are doing this STEAM activity at home, you can use the sink or bathtub.
Give your child a piece of aluminum foil and have them design and build a boat.
Then, float the aluminum boat on water. Add pennies one at a time until the boat sinks. How many pennies did it take for the boat to sink?
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