Jul 14, 2009

Aluminium foil river

Just a quick post about something we played with this afternoon in the yard. I didn't manage to get the shopping list post sorted over the weekend, but I'll get to it soon.

The kids love water and playing with it and so I keep trying to come up with new ways that they can explore games with water (usually outside).

All I did for this was get about five meters of aluminium foil off the roll from the kitchen and lay it out flat on the floor in the yard, then pinch up the sides of it to make walls, and then we put the hose pipe on at a trickle and waited for a river to form.
We got the river to be about an inch deep and the kids floated bottle tops down it for quite some time. I had about 20 different brightly coloured bottle tops saved, but I didn't get photos of that. With there being so much water in the equation, I just took a handful of pics and then put the camera back inside the house. You get the idea though.
I left the tin foil out in the yard tonight, because if the weather is this good again tomorrow then we might try making mini boats with sails for them to blow down the river or fan with newspaper.

Because it's just one big bit of foil with water in it, I can just scrumple it up when we are done and throw it in the recycling bin.

We may use this idea in the future to build some more complicated winding canals or a moat for a castle. So many possibilities. First things first though, we need to make some boats with sails.

21 comments:

  1. LoriJuly 15, 2009 at 5:05 AM

    What a great idea! I wonder if you could adapt this to help teach the concept of dams?

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  2. VoneJuly 15, 2009 at 6:01 AM

    Great idea - I will have to try it out, my daughter already loves playing with the hose.

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  3. MaryAnneJuly 15, 2009 at 6:14 AM

    This is something I'll definitely be doing with my kids this summer, thanks for the idea!

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  4. kristinJuly 15, 2009 at 6:36 AM

    i. am. doing. this.



    thank you!

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  5. BethJuly 15, 2009 at 9:22 AM

    So simple, yet so genius!

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  6. KirstenJuly 15, 2009 at 11:48 AM

    Love it! We've been playing with water outside a lot lately - my daughter has so much fun with a washtub of water! I'll try this one soon, but I'll have to sneak a peek in the recycling bin for bottle tops!

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  7. Connie KrebsJuly 15, 2009 at 2:47 PM

    Wonderful idea (as usual!)
    I can't wait to do it with my crew!

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  8. lisaleeJuly 15, 2009 at 6:42 PM

    My husband officially thinks I'm crazy(after using a hole roll of tinfoil to make a river)and my friends are convinced I can construct anything out of pipe cleaners. But my boys are having a great time and so am I! Thanks for all your great ideas. Now I look at bottles,boxes... in a whole new way.

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  9. CatherineJuly 15, 2009 at 11:01 PM

    Amazing! don't know how you thought to do that, but I'm definitely going to try it. Playing with water is always a hit.

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  10. AnonymousJuly 16, 2009 at 1:56 PM

    great idea we will try this too ..noticed you do origami we're going to use origami paper boats my boys love these....you could try too?tiny bit of playdough so they dont sink, with straw and paper sail stuck in?

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  11. buckbodgerJuly 16, 2009 at 1:59 PM

    great idea we will try this with origami paper boats!and try making "locks" like the brio waterways sets

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  12. UnknownJuly 17, 2009 at 6:42 PM

    Wow what I cool idea! I just found your blog. It's great! Keep it up.

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  13. AnonymousJuly 20, 2009 at 1:27 PM

    What a great idea! I love it!

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  14. SaraJuly 22, 2009 at 4:09 PM

    You are so very brave - I love your blog!

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  15. LiErJuly 31, 2009 at 7:59 PM

    Just bought the double-pack 500 feet aluminium foil from Costco today! Ha ha! Once we're over this wretched flu, we are going sailing! Thank you for the idea, KM. I said this before and I'll drive you crazy repeating myself, but your kids are so lucky to have you as mum - I know you can't always have this much fun 24/7 but you all sure make the most of the times when you do! This also made me remember an old cardboard ramp I made for Emily 3 years ago for her little matchbox cars to roll down. It's all bent out of shape now, since the girls use it as a sword (creative, but daft). Must go find it. Thanks for the memory jog, too. Have a lovely weekend!

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  16. Playing by the bookNovember 2, 2009 at 5:45 AM

    I thought this was a great idea when you first posted it and now I'm back again! I've just linked here from my latest post all about flags and boats.
    http://www.playingbythebook.net/2009/11/02/vexillology/
    Thanks for the inspiration!

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  17. huanaJuly 17, 2011 at 5:27 AM

    Love the idea,we'll tray it our way!

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  18. sherbearAugust 28, 2011 at 7:43 PM

    We have a hilly driveway. This will be perfect to do in the next week. COOL!!!

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  19. AnonymousSeptember 8, 2011 at 5:18 AM

    Love this, it is amazing. It actually reminds me of the fountain where I used to work and every year we would have a race with boats -- the boat that stayed upright until the end (there were a couple of little "falls") won. Don't remember what the prize was, maybe just bragging rights, but it was fun anyway!

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  20. KidWorldCitizen.orgDecember 22, 2011 at 4:52 AM

    I love the paper-making session- especially the tutu-wearing workers and the *pink!* product:).

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  21. sunnymumApril 19, 2012 at 3:58 PM

    Super idea! I know my kids would really enjoy this, so we'll have to try soon. Thanks for sharing! (Found you via pinterest)

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Thank you for your comments.