# Peeps Boats Science Experiment
> Turn marshmallow bunny Peeps into boats with toothpick sails, then float them in water. Experiment with sail materials, shapes and toothpick positions to explore floating, balance and wind.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/science-for-kids-easter-science-with-peeps-boats/
- Ages: 3–7 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: medium
- Time: prep 20 min, activity 30 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group, whole class
- Skills: science, float-and-sink, density, balance, fine-motor, experimenting
- Cautions: food-dye, ingestion-risk

## Materials (one batch)
- 2 piece Marshmallow bunny Peeps
- 2 piece Toothpicks
- Card stock paper
- Foam sheets
- Printer paper (household)
- Tissue paper (optional)
- Fabric or felt scraps (optional)
- Glue (household)
- Tape (household)
- 1 piece Kid scissors (household)
- Markers (optional) (household)
- 1 piece Container for water (household)
- Water (household)
- Blue food color (optional)
- 1 piece Table fan (optional) (household)

## Substitutions
- Instead of glue: Tape (The author says to attach sails with glue or tape.)
- Instead of foam sheets: Felt or fabric (The author suggests felt and fabric sails too.)

## Safety
- Toothpicks are sharp. Supervise closely and help younger kids push them into the Peeps.
- Marshmallows are a choking hazard for young children. Don't let kids eat the boats after they have been handled, pierced and soaked in water.
- Always supervise water play.
- If you use a table fan for the wind test, an adult runs it on a gentle setting and keeps fingers away from the blades.
- Supervise kids who are using scissors to cut their own sails.

## Before you start
- Cut triangle sails from foam, card stock, printer paper, tissue paper and fabric, or let the kids cut and personalize their own.
- Fill a bowl (for 2-3 Peeps) or a larger container (for lots of boats) with water. Tint it with blue food color if you like.

## Steps
1. Lay out your Peeps along with the supplies for making sails.
2. Cut triangle sails from different materials and decorate them if you like.
3. Glue or tape each sail to a toothpick. Try the sail too high, too low and just right.
4. Push the toothpick into the Peep. Try the middle near the belly, or the head.
5. Make two boats, one with a paper sail and one with a foam sail, to see the difference.
6. Place the boats gently in the water container.
7. Watch your boats. Which ones float steadily, and which ones tip over?
8. Swap sails or move the toothpick, then test again.
9. Adult: gently blow air across the water with a table fan, and watch how the boats move.

## Tips
- While the foam was the most eye-catching, it made the boat heavier.
- Depending on the sail material, the center of mass may shift. For some Peeps a toothpick in the head makes the boat stable. For most it will be in the center, near the belly of the bunny. Explore!
- A bowl of water works if you're playing with 2-3 Peeps. We went to town and made plenty of boats, so we needed a larger container.
- Turn it into a science experiment by asking questions: Why does the peep float? Which sail makes the most stable boat, and why? Why do the sails have to be triangular? Does the toothpick's position matter? What's happening to the balance?
- Float or sink experiments are a fantastic starting point for exploring density and displacement. You can add center of mass, wind movement and lift too.

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2015)

*Turn those funny and adorable peeps into boats. Hands on science for kids in this fun Easter Activity for kids.*

Alright folks, the peeps have hit the stores! [Playing with marshmallows](https://www.funlittles.com/tag/marshmallows/) is fun. Here is a fun science project for Easter. People are going to start pounding the peeps, nuking them, cutting them and what not! I love peeps science and peeps experiments and generally all [hands on science for kids.](https://www.funlittles.com/category/science-2/) But we however are simply going to float our marshmallow peeps and make peeps boats.

[Float or sink science experiments](https://www.funlittles.com/science-experiments-for-kids-floating-stone-experiment/) are great fun and a fantastic starting point for kids to start exploring density and displacement. Today's post will give you an opportunity to combine those concepts as well as others if need be { center of mass, wind movement, lift}

### Easter Activity For kids : Peeps Boats Experiment

- **[Marshmallow Bunny Peeps](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007KB5Q3S/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Toothpicks](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000RAFUIU/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Card Stock Paper](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006P1ER8O/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Foam Sheets](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009GIF5YS/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- Printer Paper
- Fabric {optional}
- Glue
- Tape
- Container for water
- Blue food color {optional}

First lay out your peeps along with supplies needed to make the sails



Foam sails, card stock paper sails, regular white paper sails, fabric sails, tissue paper sails. Explore making sails with different materials. The kids can even cut their own sails and personalize them. Then attach the sail to the toothpicks using glue or tape. The placement of the sail on the toothpick is up for exploration. Try different positions with your kids. { too high, too low, just right}



Now time to make the peeps boat. Attach the toothpicks to the peeps. Again here the position of the toothpick on the marshmallow is up for exploration. Depending on the material used for the sail the center of mass may have shifted. For some peeps the toothpick's position on the head makes the boat stable. For most it will be in the center near the belly of the bunny. Explore!



Time to set sailing. My 6 year made a few paper sails and tissue sails and got her peeps ready for the sailing action.  At the heart of science is experimentation, and that's exactly what we did in this hands on science project. She made 2 sails - one paper and one foam to see the difference. { You could do felt and fabric sails}  Place them in a bowl of water if playing with 2-3 peeps.



But we went to town in this science experiment and made plenty of peeps boats. We needed a larger container.



Place your boats gently in the water container and observe them.

 

### How to turn this fun Easter Kids Activity into a fun science experiment

By asking questions! Start off with the basic ones *1. Why does the peep float?* *2.Explore making sails from different materials* The kids used regular white paper, card stock paper, tissue paper and sparkly foam. While the foam was the most eye-catching it made the boat heavier. 3. Which sail { paper, tissue, foam or even fabric} is the best choice for making the most stable boat? 4. *Why?* *5. Why do the sails have to be triangular?* Try making different shaped sails 6. *Does the position of the toothpick matter?* Try placing the sail at different places *7. What's happening to the balance ?* *8. Explore the effect of wind* Grab a table fan and gently blow air on the water

Thanks for reading

Check out Lemon Lime Adventure's post on a fun [Peeps Experiment](http://lemonlimeadventures.com/peep-science-experiments-for-kids/)

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