Weekend at the Cabin: The Great Cardboard Boat Race

The Iowans brought a large supply of cardboard with them to the cabin.  Uncle Bryan came up with the fantastic idea of having a contest to build a cardboard boat that could actually float on the water.  After supper on Saturday night he divided up all the cousins and a few adults into teams. (I procured an exemption in order to photographs the activity).  Each team was given the same number and sizes of flattened cardboard boxes, a roll of duck tape, an exacto knife, and two or three large plastic garbage bags.  They had 30 minutes to construct a boat that could race from our dock to the neighbor’s dock with one person paddling.  

Midway through the building time there was a brief saran wrap challenge, where each team had to have every member hold on to their paddle and run around the back sleeping cabin.  The winner got a roll of saran wrap to use on their boat.  

This team built a pontoon style boat which sat high off the water on triangular wedges, complete with a cardboard seat on the top.  

The two littlest team members were busy drafting plans and drawing them in a sketch book the whole time. 

This team built a flat bottomed boat with two box shaped bouys on both sides to help it float. Time was up!  Down to the dock went the boats.

Both teams prepared for the great launch.  Would the boats float or sink?

They floated!  The paddlers were off!

Within seconds The Banana had capsized.  

With a little assistance, she was back in her seat and paddling.  

Unfortunately, as Mr. SP furiously paddled (and took on water), The Banana capsized again and began to sink. 

So she got off and swam the boat to the other dock, as did her brother, whose boat had collapsed by that time.  There was wild and raucous cheering from those on the sidelines.  For my kidlets, the boat race was definitely the highlight of spending time at the cabin.  I really hope that this becomes an annual tradition.