Tin Foil Mayflowers

Our class has started thinking about the Pilgrims and how they left their homes to find a place that would allow them to be free from the king.  We watched a video about the Mayflower's   journey and read a list of suggested items for the Pilgrims to bring.  Yesterday I had the kids pack brown paper bags with illustrated objects a Pilgrim would have packed.  They all managed to put in some cheese, a few packed nails, many packed weapons, and some put in beer, because even the children drank beer while on board the Mayflower.

Today we made tin foil boats to represent the Mayflower.  We packed those boats with toy people until the boats sunk.  Kids blew on the boats to represent storms, and watched the boats sink.  Then we discussed how there is a maximum amount of weight any floating vessel can hold.  The Mayflower just couldn't hold all the things the Pilgrims might have wanted to bring, so choices had to be made between needs and wants.

It was fun to have that discussion, and talk a bit about history.  However, the kids just had a blast playing with foil and sinking the people.  Try it at home with pennies and aluminum foil.  I guarantee at least thirty minutes of fun!